About

Like all vital non-profit corporations, the Forum on Life, Culture & Society (FOLCS), housed at Touro University, was born out of a need. In the early days of the Internet–with print publications shedding subscribers, TV news losing ground to cyber and social media, and cable talk shows growing coarser and more partisan–the experience of intelligent and entertaining conversational events began to disappear from the cultural landscape.  Suddenly overwhelmed by the seemingly endless possibilities for digital content consumption, for many people the option and impulse of seeking out a means to engage with the important ideas of the day in an entertaining forum atmosphere had become increasingly scarce.

Enter FOLCS. We make ideas and conversation entertaining and smart. Our Conversations and other Event Series are reminiscent of New York culture as it once was: active, alive, participatory, communal, edgy, and super smart. And that’s why we are able to draw such culturally relevant and formidable guests to our live and virtual stages. They, too, know, that FOLCS provides a unique and enriching experience for our guests and audience–one that is symbiotic and captivating. When Kristen Stewart walked off our stage, she said, “Hey, thanks so much: I never get to do anything like that.”

Join us and see what she means.