Paris Institute for Critical Thinking - PICT

A short article introducing the PICT project, "Ottoman Europe: A History on Rails", run in partnership with Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées, İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi, and Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. 🎈

heritage.ecoledesponts.fr

PICT spearheads a new research community, "Engineering Culture", at the EU's EELISA alliance of top European engineering schools. 🎈
Based on PICT faculty member David Selim Sayers' research project, "Ottoman Europe: A History on Rails", the community will foster research and teaching initiatives at the intersection of the humanities and engineering.
PICT @ EELISA GRAND MEETING IN MADRID.
Eelisa - European University École nationale des ponts et chaussées İTÜ Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Oficial)

Penguin Books’ 100 Must-Read Classics brings together landmark works of global literature, and "Madonna in a Fur Coat" by Sabahattin Ali is the highest-ranked non-English title on the list, placed 4th overall. This is a milestone and a striking achievement for Turkish literature — an extraordinary recognition that firmly secures its place within the global literary canon. The edition is introduced by PICT Books editor David Selim Sayers 🎈

100 must-read classics, as chosen by our readers They broke boundaries and challenged conceptions. We asked you for your must-read classics; from iconic bestsellers to lesser-known gems, these are your essential recommends.

PICT @ University of Galway Postgraduate Research Community Symposium 2026 🎈
Day 1: Keynote speech by PICT faculty member David Selim Sayers on his PICT Book, “Gender in Ottoman Constantinople”
Day 2: Panel by PICT faculty members Alexander I. Stingl and David Selim Sayers on the PICT research project, “Ottoman Europe: A History on Rails”
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Oficial) İTÜ Eelisa - European University École nationale des ponts et chaussées University of Galway

Proud to see "Fixers: Reporters Without Bylines" featured in GIJN’s roundup from the International Journalism Festival Perugia 2026 — spotlighting the essential, often unseen work of fixers reporting from the frontlines of conflict and crisis🎈

From Memoir to Fiction, Investigative Chronicles to Thematic Deep Dives: Books from Perugia From

An interview about the PICT research project, “Ottoman Europe: A History on Rails,” published by EELISA European University Alliance 🎈

Reconnecting Europe by Rail: How an Ottoman Railway Archive Became an EELISA Classroom Without Borders — EELISA May52026 What does it mean for years of dedicated research to culminate in a truly remarkable discovery? This is precisely the origin of this initiative, an extraordinary archival finding at the École nationale des ponts et chaussées (ENPC) : the Fradet archive, an unpublis...

PICT officially partners up in an EELISA research & teaching community 🎈

ENGINEERING CULTURE: HUMANITIES, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND SOCIETY IN ENGINEERING

Engineering does not exist in isolation: it shapes societies, cities, cultures, and everyday life. The ENGINEERING CULTURE community brings together engineers, historians, social scientists, artists, and digital humanists to explore the reciprocal relationship between technological systems and the societies that produce them. By connecting engineering practice with the interpretive tools of the humanities and social sciences, the community aims to cultivate engineers who are historically informed, socially aware, and capable of engaging with the broader consequences of technological change.

The community promotes both practical and research-oriented intersections between engineering and the humanities. Activities may include collaborations on digital humanities projects that rely on software engineering and data infrastructure, the study of the history of engineering and large technological systems, and critical analysis of the social, political, and environmental implications of major engineering works such as transport networks, energy systems, and urban infrastructure. Workshops, conferences, and seasonal schools bring together students and researchers to explore how computational tools, archival sources, design methods, and social theory can illuminate engineering practice.

Beyond research and technical collaboration, the community advocates for a humanistic vision of engineering education. Through lectures, interdisciplinary courses, exhibitions, and collaborative research initiatives, it demonstrates how the humanities and arts enrich engineering training by providing ethical reflection, cultural literacy, historical perspective, and creative insight. By bridging engineering and the humanities, ENGINEERING CULTURE seeks to contribute to a new model of the European engineer—technically excellent, socially responsible, and intellectually versatile.

Coordinating Institution:
Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées (ENPC)

EELISA Partner Institutions:
Budapesti Műszaki és Gazdaságtudományi Egyetem (BME)
İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi (İTÜ)
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM)
Universitatea Politehnica din București (UPB)

Civil Society Stakeholder:
Paris Institute for Critical Thinking (PICT)

École nationale des ponts et chaussées
İTÜ
Budapesti Műszaki és Gazdaságtudományi Egyetem - BME
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Oficial)
Universitatea POLITEHNICA din București
Eelisa - European University

https://digitalcampus.eelisa.eu/community/ea419ab2-a812-4244-8fca-c135e27390fa/details?activityAvailabilityFilter=Upcoming&page=1&pageSize=10&sortDirection=Ascending&sortField=PublishDate

Ottoman Europe: A History on Rails 🎈

Octave Fradet was a 19th-century French engineer who worked on railroad construction in the Ottoman Empire. His documents are at the ENPC archives, and for the last semester, 40 students and 10 researchers from Paris, Istanbul, and Madrid have been using them to explore topics ranging from Great Power politics to historical workers’ salaries.

“Ottoman Europe: A History on Rails” presents the colorful outcomes of this project, reminding us, above all else, that the historian’s craft is as
open-ended as an unfinished railroad track.

“Chaos is the score on which reality is written” - Henry Miller

www.parisinstitute.org

Wherever you may be, and however you may be passing these festive days, the Paris Institute for Critical Thinking (PICT) sends you its warmest season’s greetings! This year, thanks to PICT Books, our non-profit publishing house, we have made the leap from the heart of Paris onto your bookshelves, and we can’t think of a better place to welcome the New Year!

We might say that the past year brought us its share of dark clouds, sometimes making us feel disoriented and lost. To this, we answer with Nazım Hikmet and “A Cloud in Love,” his tale for the whole family, lovingly translated by Evrim Emir-Sayers and illustrated by Ambar Velasco: “Good people, good animals, and good clouds are never lost. Those who love, live.”

As always, we leave you with our deepest gratitude for your support of our volunteer-run, non-profit institute and publishing house. It is thanks to the generous support of you, our members, that everything we do, from exhibitions to books and beyond, becomes possible. And we look forward to yet another precious PICT year at your side!

In Solidarity,
Your PICT Team 🎈
https://parisinstitute.org