Certified Polymath

The Polymathic Institute will promote polymathic research, education, careers and lifestyles.  For the benefit of research, education and careers, through a dedicated Enterprise Network work group, it will design, implement and promote a Certified Polymath classification, primarily for those among the inappropriately excluded. 

The certification will confer several benefits to its holders.  First, it provides external evidence that the Certified Polymath is, according to the only certifying organization in existence, in fact a polymath.  This can be of value to the holder both by providing a sense of accomplishment and by conferring a high degree of status.

Within the Polymathic Institute, it indicates to potential collaborators and investors that the participant is of the highest ability and achievement. 


CERTIFIED POLYMATH:
 A Certified Polymath has demonstrated an ability to formulate a polymathic problem or question of significance, determine the body of knowledge and skill sets required to address the problem or question effectively, acquire either through study or collaboration that body of knowledge and skill sets and apply them to create new knowledge.  This is referred to as The Polymathic Method and is a question first approach to knowledge acquisition.



BUSINESS ANALYSIS:
Ultimately, we would hope to have about 100,000 Certified Polymaths.  That would suggests that there will be approximately 2,500 new CP every year.  A typical cost of certification will likely be around 15,000 USD for an annual gross revenue of 37.5 million USD.  Payments will be made to thesis advisors and reviewers, the Institute will retain 15% for general administration and public relations. 

This means that the Institute will have an operational budget for certification activities of about 5,625,000 USD.  These funds will be used to approve advisors and reviewers and to promote the Certified Polymath designation.  The workgroup will require about five members engaging in these activities.

The remaining 85% or about 31,875,000 USD will go to thesis advisor and reviewer remuneration.  Nearly all advisors and reviewers will have this as one of several compensated activities. 

While it will do so for the benefit of all Polymathicans, it will as an Institute, focus its attention on those who Some Members of The Polymathic Institute will work directly for the Institute and for the benefit of its Members.  One of these roles will be that of designing,  implementing and promoting a Certified Polymath classification.  The term, Polymath, has typically been used to describe people, such as Leonardo da Vinci, who are widely recognized geniuses accomplished in a number of fields.  While such people certainly are properly referred to as Polymaths, the word actually describes any person of broad knowledge. 

During the Industrial Age, specialists reigned supreme.  However, in the Information Age, synthesis across various fields will become increasingly more important.  One way to deal with such problems is by constructing an interdisciplinary team.  This, however, without a Polymath to facilitate activities and communications between specialists, can become problematical.  Therefore, The Polymathic Institute advocates the establishment of a professional credential, The Certified Polymath, to fill this and several other roles.