The Foundation for Responsible and Equitable Education (FERE) was established in 2010 by Professor Michelle Bergadaà, emeritus professor at the University of Geneva (Switzerland).

Having spent her entire childhood in sub-Saharan Africa, Michelle Bergadaà acquired three convictions:

1/ Orality is the heart of human exchanges, and no political or technological break can sever this bond;

2/ There is no better education than that which is obtained through understanding reality by carrying out concrete projects, regardless of the learner’s age;

3/ Being a teacher means giving your time, your knowledge, your methods. The gift is a human impulse, not a return on investment.

Having completed her university studies in Canada, she acquired three other convictions:

1/ The mission of every teacher is the transfer of knowledge and humanist values from the university;

2/ The transmission of knowledge is the teacher’s first responsibility. Furthermore, they create conditions for their students to develop their know-how and know-how-to-be;

3/ Pragmatically: “You are a good teacher if at the end of your course your students tell you that they feel smarter than at the beginning of the course.” Gratitude is thus reciprocal.

The FERE has been dedicated for 15 years to making available to all those – teachers and students – in developing countries who have little access to pedagogical resources (teaching materials, libraries, video libraries, etc.) and to the pedagogical innovations implemented throughout the years of practice.

For example, for ten years, the Responsible Projects carried out by students from Geneva have led to the creation of 33 microenterprises that have funded €150,000 in sustainable educational projects. This teaching received the Grand Prize for Pedagogical Innovation 2019 from the International Conference of Directors of Higher Education and Research Institutions in French Expression Management (CIDEGEF), from the National Foundation for Management Education (FNEGE), and from the University Agency for Francophony (AUF). That same year, it was a finalist in the international Reimagine Education competition and was selected by swissuniversities in 2019.

But times change, and in light of the threats against knowledge and the drastic budget cuts in the United States, as well as the context of international violence that hinders the generosity of donors, the FERE must be redefined. The Foundation Council of the FERE has decided to freely share all the educational projects of Professor Bergadaà developed with her assistants and colleagues over 40 years of intense pedagogical activity.

This new dimension will allow for more funding requests for our solidarity actions and will enable our colleagues to seek ideas or download course modules. The only restriction: to cite the source from FERE. Support devices for teachers are also proposed. The partners of FERE are the International Institute for Research and Action against Fraud and Academic Plagiarism (IRAFPA), the Business Science Institute (BSI), and Academics Without Borders (USF) who are already disseminating our messages and our hyperlinks for free access.

We are proud to present the new FERE foundation website and its five sections: presentation, societal disruptions, methods, fields of application, and financial support.

Good sailing on this long-distance sailboat that is the FERE !

The FERE is a foundation subject to Swiss legislation, recognized as being of public utility. It is governed by its statutes and by the Articles 80 and following of the Swiss Civil Code. This Foundation is registered in the Geneva Commercial Register and is under the supervision of the competent authority.

Professor Michelle Bergadaà

Mail: michelle.bergadaa@unige.ch President of the Foundation for Responsible and Equitable Education (FERE)