The introductory programme

Learn about the core ideas of effective altruism
Through this free online or in-person course, you’ll learn the key ideas of EA with a small group of like-minded people from the Netherlands.
Guided by a facilitator, you’ll gain access to curated materials and practical exercises to help you have a greater impact.
Increase your impact
Learn new concepts, frameworks, and counterintuitive ideas to help you have more impact in your career, donations, and other projects.
Meet like-minded people
Discuss a curated curriculum with other people who care deeply about improving the lives of others in the most effective ways they can.
How it works
The Introductory EA Course is a free programme open for anyone in the Netherlands to join.
- 4-5 weeks
- 3 hours per week
- 2 hours prep and 1 hour of discussion
- 4-6 participants per group
Topics
Covered
- Who should we care about helping?
- How much better are the best options to do good?
- What can we do to prevent the next pandemic?
- How can we make better decisions together?
- How does climate change compare to other risks?
Curriculum
Week 1
Introduction to EA
We will start off by diving into the how and why of Effective Altruism. We will look at our opportunity to make an impact through the lense of philosophy as well as economics.
Week 2
Rationality
During this week, we take a look at logical fallacies and cognitive biases. We will practise tools to improve our forecasts and the accuracy of our judgements.
Week 3
Global health and development
During this week, we will dive into opportunities to improve global health and poverty. You will learn about various methods that are used to compare and identify the most promising interventions.
Week 4
Longtermism & existential risk
Topic of discussion this week are the effects of our actions on the long-term future. In addition, we will consider how serious we should take run-away climate change scenarios, pandemic prevention and aligning artificial intelligence.
Week 5 (optional)
Effective altruism in your career
During this week, we will discuss how you can apply Effective Altruism to your own life. With your group, you will explore how you can use your skills and background to maximize your social impact.
View full syllabus
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