Institute for the Study of Economic Culture
When it opens in 1985, the Institute for the Study of Economic Culture focuses on the relation of culture to economic development; the agenda eventually expands to include social and political issues as these relate to culture. In 2003 the institute combines with the Institute on Religion & World Affairs and becomes the Institute on Culture, Religion & World Affairs (CURA), which researches, publishes, and educates on one of the most strategic questions in the contemporary world: How does culture (in the sense of beliefs, values, and lifestyles) affect economic and political developments worldwide? Since religion is at the core of culture in most of the world, CURA has paid special attention to the role of religion in world affairs. While CURA’s agenda is of obvious academic interest, it increasingly touches on practical policy concerns and seeks to communicate its findings to government, the business community, and the media.
