Evens Foundation

The Evens Foundation is a public-benefit foundation started as a family endeavour in 1990. Its founders, Irène Evens-Radzyminska and Georges Evens, established it because of their commitment to the European project. Born in Poland, they witnessed the troubled history of the Second World War that tore the continent apart. Forced to leave their country of birth, they found a new home in Belgium. Corinne Evens, daughter of the founders, is the Honorary President of the Foundation.

Mission

The Evens Foundation aims to contribute to rethinking and building a European reality committed to the values of diversity, freedom, responsibility and solidarity. The Foundation identifies and supports innovative ideas and achievements through prizes and calls, initiates experimental projects bridging the gap between research and practice, and facilitates knowledge exchange through lectures, seminars, debates and publications.

Geographic Focus

EU countries, Belgium, France and Poland

Programme Areas

As an operative foundation, the Evens Foundation initiates and runs projects together with its partners. Since the foundation’s outset, the Foundation has opted to take risks and remained solidly committed to experimentation — be it through designing their own projects or supporting independent pioneering ideas. The Evens Foundation mainly focuses on the development of pilot projects testing scientific hypotheses, innovative pedagogies or artistic processes.
For almost thirty years, it has been active in key fields of intervention such as democracy, education, media, arts, and science. For the strategic plan 2018-2020, two leading initiatives were designed: Common Purpose Through Differences, and Norms and Values Within the European Reality. These concerns unfold several thematic axes, exposing the challenges that Europe faces today.
The Foundation’s biennial prizes highlight innovative practices and achievements. Over the years, these prizes have also helped identify new challenges, gain new insights and perspectives, and expand the Foundation’s network. The Evens Foundation currently awards prizes in the fields of Arts, Journalism, Education and Science.