Masterclass on Rethinking the Theoretical Foundation of Economics
Building systems that align individual, organizational, and global wellbeing
The world’s overlapping crises reveal the limits of traditional economics. This masterclass offers a practical introduction to a new, multilevel paradigm for economics and public policy. Across seven interactive online sessions, participants will learn how to design institutions, organizations, and communities that function as adaptive, cooperative systems. The program connects researchers, policymakers, business leaders, and civil society to translate theory into real-world action plans shaping the next generation of economic thinking.
Led by: Dennis J. Snower (Global Solutions Initiative) & David Sloan Wilson (Prosocial World)
Start Date: 19 March 2026 - 12pm EST
Format: Seven weekly sessions (90 minutes each, with optional 30 min extra discussion)
Delivery: Live online, interactive, multi-stakeholder
The Masterclass will require a commitment of time and effort roughly commensurate with a graduate-level seminar course. There will no monetary charge, however. Our goal is to engage with individuals and organizations that have the most intrinsic interest and can gain the most advantage from the Masterclass, regardless of their ability to pay.
Purpose and Objectives
Multiple crises facing the world today have led to the realization that a new paradigm for economics and public policy is needed, not just a “nudging” of existing patterns of thought. We have articulated our vision of a new paradigm in a series of articles titled “Rethinking the Theoretical Foundation of Economics” (read articles 1, 2, 3, and 4) and have already started to build a coalition around the new paradigm. We are offering a Masterclass as the next stage of development for the New Paradigm Coalition. It will provide an intensive introduction to the multilevel economic paradigm, translating leading-edge theory into practical tools for researchers, policymakers, business leaders, and civil society. Notably, the Masterclass is designed to engage whole organizations—not just individuals—and for the development of action plans to take place as part of the class.
- Research relevance: Equip researchers with conceptual and methodological tools for advancing new economic approaches grounded in evolutionary and systems thinking.
- Policy relevance: Show policymakers how multilevel economics inform the design of institutions and incentives that align individual, group, national, and global outcomes.
- Business relevance: Support corporate leaders in building governance and incentive systems that create long-term, multilevel value.
- Civil society relevance: Enable NGOs and grassroots groups to apply multilevel insights in projects that integrate local agency with broader systemic change.
.webp)
Who Should Attend?
This program is for leaders and teams from:
- Public institutions seeking to integrate systems-based approaches into policy and governance.
- Businesses aiming to align sustainability, purpose, and performance.
- Research organizations and think tanks exploring new frameworks for economic inquiry.
- Civil society and philanthropic organizations designing interventions that bridge local and global impact.
Participants may join as individuals or as organizational cohorts to co-develop action plans during the course.
What You'll Take Away
By the end of the Masterclass, participants will have:
- A practical understanding of multilevel economics and its relevance to their organization’s mission.
- Diagnostic tools for identifying systemic misalignments within policies, markets, and institutions.
- Draft action plans or proposals that apply multilevel design principles to real-world challenges.
- Access to a cross-sectoral learning network and continuing collaboration opportunities with GSI and Prosocial World.
Format and Learning Design
Seven 90-min weekly sessions, with optional 30-min “after hours” continuation.
Three participant tracks—Research, Policy, and Business/Civil Society—each with tailored practical exercises and shared plenary discussions for cross-fertilization.
Learning methods include:
- Short, research-informed lectures.
- Small-group case labs for applied design.
- Plenary synthesis sessions.
- Optional “deep-dive” groups for developing pilot projects.
Evaluation will include a research evaluation on worldview transformation using surveys and AI-assisted language analysis.
Sponsors & Partners
.png)
Syllabus and Weekly Plan
Week 1 — Introduction: What is a Paradigm?
Content: Understanding paradigms as containers for constructive disagreement; comparing neoclassical vs. multilevel economics.
Practice: Each participant identifies a paradigm challenge in their own domain (policy, research, corporate, NGO).
Output: 1-page reflection on paradigm relevance to personal/professional context.
Week 2 — Economics under Generalized Darwinism
Reading: Rethinking the Theoretical Foundation of Economics Article I
Content: Multilevel paradigm as integrative framework linking micro, meso, and macro economics. Contrast with neoclassical and pluralist approaches.
Practice: Group diagnostic: Where are current policies/strategies “single-level optimized” but multilevel misaligned
Output: Case notes shared with cohort.
Week 3 — Core Themes of the Multilevel Paradigm
Reading: Article II
Content: Functional organization, distributed agency, radical uncertainty, embeddedness.
Practice: Live case clinic (corporate / policy cases), using intervention design templates.
Output: Group slide summarizing intervention proposals.
Week 4 — The Workings of Functional Organization
Reading: Article III
Content: Internal mechanisms (psychology, norms, narratives) & external mechanisms (institutions, policies, regulations).
Practice: Policy lab: map internal vs. external mechanisms for one real-world challenge (e.g., climate finance, corporate governance).
Output: Short diagnostic maps.
Week 5 — The Embedded Economy in an Uncertain World
Reading: Article IV
Content: Embeddedness in political, social, and natural systems; radical uncertainty; theory pluralism; multilevel flourishing.
Practice: Simulation exercise — teams respond to an unexpected crisis (e.g., AI disruption, pandemic, energy shock) using multilevel tools.
Output: Group scenario response memo.
Week 6 — Putting the Multilevel Paradigm to Work
Reading: Article V
Content: Practical design principles for evolving complex adaptive systems (CAS1 vs. CAS2); examples of best practice “hiding in plain sight.”
Practice: Multi-track labs:Policy track → draft policy brief (2–3 pages).Business track → draft corporate governance playbook.Research/NGO track → draft applied research or pilot project proposal.
Output: Draft deliverables.
Week 7 — Conclusion and the Way Forward
Content: Extensions and applications of the paradigm; synthesis across tracks.
Practice: Public-facing roundtable with invited G20/G7/B20/C20 stakeholders.
Output: Final “Way Forward” Memo consolidating key findings and recommendations for international forums.
Download a PDF
Engagement & Dissemination
Before the course: Outreach and co-design with policymakers, corporate partners, and NGOs to ensure relevance to participant contexts.
During the course: Structured translation of insights into actionable briefs and toolkits.
After the course: Ongoing support for embedding diagnostic frameworks and pilot projects within participating organizations.
Sustainability
Alumni will form the nucleus of the Multilevel Policy Labs community.A living toolkit and dashboard—aligned with GSI’s recoupling indicators—will support replication and adaptation by governments, firms, and NGOs. Periodic “sprint sessions” will allow alumni to update and synchronize their deliverables with global policy cycles.
This syllabus sets up the masterclass as a bridge between high-level theory and real-world practice, producing outputs directly relevant to research agendas, corporate strategies, policy reforms, and international governance forums.
Spaces are limited.
Applications are now open for this interactive masterclass.
Apply Now!If you have any questions please email us hello@prosocial.world