International Centre of Genetic Epistemology

Geneva, Switzerland

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June 29, 2026

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The International Centre of Genetic Epistemology was established in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1955 by Jean Piaget. Genetic epistemology is the study of the origin and development of knowledge. Piaget, a Swiss psychologist, was a pioneer in developmental psychology and systematically studied how children acquire understanding.12

The Centre aimed to investigate how knowledge develops, drawing on Piaget's theories about the stages of cognitive development in children. His work emphasized that children actively construct their understanding of the world, and education should be tailored to their developmental stage. The Centre's research contributed to a reevaluation of how children learn and how education should be approached, shifting the focus from knowledge transmission to guiding children's self-discovery.13

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Jean Piaget
In 1955 he established the International Centre of Genetic Epistemology at Geneva and became its director. His interests included scientific thought, sociology, and experimental psychology. In more than 50 books and monographs over his long career, Piaget continued to develop the theme he had first discovered in Paris, that the…
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In 1955 he established the International Centre of Genetic Epistemology at Geneva and became its director. His interests included scientific thought, sociology, and experimental psychology. In more than 50 books and monographs over his long career, Piaget continued to develop the theme he had first discovered in Paris, that the…
Read More