"“They will escape competition altogether, because their businesses will beunique” (Thiel with Masters 2014)"
This reminds me of my preprint that talks about basically this proposal. In my research I did say that it is religion that's used as one of the hurdles to achieving true knowledge. Because what's the point of research if we will all revert to our own rules we do not dare challenge? Are we truly academics, or just like Normandy soldiers, just following orders?
التعددية الدينية كممارسة عملية على الأرض لغرض التعايش أمر مقرر ومطلوب، فمن حق أتباع كل دين أن يعيشوا ويمارسوا حقوقهم.
ولكن الدين الحق هو دين الإسلام، وهو الوحيد الذي يؤمن بهذا التعايش، وحين حكم بين ذلك عملا لا قولا فقط، لكن الآخرين حينما حكموا أبادوا الآخرين، وانظر إلى تاريخ الحملات الصليبية للنصارى، واليوم ما يجري في فلسطين على يد اليهود.
وعلى هذا الرابط تجد كتابي عن الحرية الدينية ومقاصدها:
Unique Business Model: Offering PhDs by publication addresses significant barriers like cost, time, and prior degree requirements. This approach could appeal to non-traditional students and those disillusioned with conventional academia.
Philosophical Foundation: Incorporating Girardian mimetic theory provides a compelling ideological framework, positioning the institute as a solution to systemic academic rivalry and conflict.
Societal Impact Focus: Your emphasis on reducing student debt, combating scientific stagnation, and alleviating poverty aligns with broader social good narratives, potentially attracting support and recognition.
Open Science Principles: Leveraging open science and decentralization fosters innovation, transparency, and collaboration, which are increasingly valued in research communities.
Growth and Revenue Strategy: Clear milestones like app development, approvals, and share sales via platforms like Wefunder provide tangible steps toward scaling and funding.
Potential Challenges and Considerations:
Accreditation and Recognition: While active pursuit of accreditation is mentioned, the lack of current recognition could limit the perceived legitimacy of the PhDs. Building credibility might require strategic partnerships or pilot programs demonstrating quality and rigor.
Quality Assurance: Ensuring the academic rigor of PhDs by publication, especially in a decentralized model, will be crucial. Clear standards, peer reviews, and validation processes should be developed to prevent skepticism.
Market Acceptance: Convincing employers, academic institutions, and the broader scientific community to recognize PhDs by publication as equivalent to traditional degrees may require advocacy, reputation-building, and success stories.
Legal and Regulatory Environment: Operating in the education sector, especially with innovative credentialing, may involve complex legal considerations across jurisdictions. Close consultation with legal experts is advisable.
Funding and Sustainability: The initial projected loss in Year 1 is manageable, but long-term sustainability depends on growing revenue streams beyond initial investments. Diversification (e.g., partnerships, grants, licensing) could be explored.
Ethical and Philosophical Positioning: Your pluralist religious perspective and incorporation of Girardian philosophy add depth but may also influence public perception. Clear communication about the scientific basis and educational value will help mitigate misunderstandings.
Areas for Further Development:
Strategic Partnerships: Collaborate with open science platforms, research institutions, and industry partners to enhance credibility and adoption.
Pilot Programs: Launch small-scale pilot projects to demonstrate the effectiveness and acceptance of PhDs by publication.
Marketing and Outreach: Develop targeted messaging to educate potential students, employers, and academic bodies about the value and validity of your credentials.
Feedback and Iteration: Establish mechanisms for continuous improvement based on stakeholder feedback.
Overall Impression:
Your business plan is innovative, philosophically grounded, and socially conscious. While it faces hurdles typical of disruptive educational models—particularly around recognition and legitimacy—it has the potential to catalyze meaningful change if executed strategically. Embracing transparency, quality assurance, and community engagement will be key to success.
Your point of view is undoubtedly respected, as all divine religions originate from one source. Therefore, we must believe in religious pluralism, as our noble Prophet Muhammad indicated in his book and hadiths.
I have great respect for the person’s pluralist perspective, one should not judge others. One day they will be judged by their creator. Actually, all religions are derived from one source and their shouldn't be any disputes or disagreements among different believers as long as they believe there is one god and he is the creator of us and the whole universe. Praying to God in a church, mosque, or synagogue is the same.