KHC featured on AFE-ADB Newsletter
- Bianca Ferrer
- Jun 22
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 24
Klaus Hoffarth Center for Critical Thinking featured on the Association of Former Employees of the Asian Development Bank (AFE-ADB) Newsletter September 2025 Issue.
Victoria Hoffarth (spouse of Klaus Hoffarth, ADB 1978‒2006)
Ed: To honor her late husband and to help boost education in the Philippines, Victoria Hoffart embarked on a project to advance critical thinking in the country, e.g., by providing tools that teachers can use to themselves understand the need for critical thinking and foster it in their students. She has gathered a board, advisors, friends, and staff to carry the vision forward.
Fostering Critical Thinking
Launching the New Center. The Klaus Hoffarth Center for Critical Thinking (KHC) was formally launched in the Klaus Hoffarth Library at Miriam College in Quezon City, Philippines, on 28 August 2025. The KHC is named after her late husband, who spent many years in economic development, including at the Institute of Economic Research in the University of Munster, Germany; the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation; the Asian Development Bank; and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
The KHC was established in partnership with Miriam College through the support of alumna Victoria Bantug Hoffarth and her son Paul. The KHC aims to empower the next generation of Filipinos to become engaged, responsible, and questioning citizens capable of making informed decisions about issues affecting themselves, their communities, and the country. It is anchored on three main pillars—information, education, and political governance.
During the launch, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte delivered the opening remarks, detailing the assistance given to education in the city, and Department of Education Undersecretary Dr. Ronald Mendoza gave the keynote speech, which focused on reforms in the education sector.
KHC Advisory Council member Geert van der Linden noted “With the Philippines facing significant economic, social, and political challenges, we were inspired to create an initiative that could make a meaningful impact…. When there are more questioning minds in the country, more people who do not just accept the way things are, we can contribute to a better future for Philippine society.”
The Klaus Hoffarth Library building was designed by the Leandro V. Locsin partners and located in the Miriam College campus. The library will be the venue for activities such as lectures, debates on critical thinking and good governance; film screenings; storytelling and summer boot camps. It is also envisaged to be a resource center for reference materials and literature on critical thinking.
Flying with Pilots. The KHC recently piloted its first project ThinkED, a 5-day teacher training program that equips teachers of the National Service Training Program (NSTP) with tools to help them integrate critical thinking in their teaching. The training program consists of eight modules such as Inquiry-based Learning, Ethical Decision Making, Critical Media Literacy, and Civic Responsibility through Critical Thinking. The pilot was attended by more than 20 teachers from higher education institutions in Metro Manila, who will be monitored during their NSTP semester to see how they apply the critical thinking methodologies taught and how it is received by their students. Data collected from this monitoring will inform future scaling and improvements of the project.
Next in the pipeline is ParaBukas, a student-led community-based activity where students work closely with an identified community, identify a problem, and design a solution using critical thinking skills. The KHC also plans to deliver a nonpartisan voter education program in preparation for the 2028 national elections.
If you are interested in learning more about the KHC and would like to be a KHC partner, donor, or resource person, visit https://klaushoffarthcriticalthinking.org.
Read the full September 2025 issue of the AFE–ADB Newsletter.
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