The Emory-Tibet Science Initiative: Rethinking Cross-Cultural Science and Teaching

Authors

Kelsey Marie Gray, Chapman UniversityFollow
Arri Eisen, Emory University

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-26-2019

Abstract

The Emory-Tibet Science Initiative was founded when the Dalai Lama invited Emory to develop and teach a comprehensive curriculum in modern science to Tibetan Buddhist monks and nuns. The project was built to grow and nurture a two-way exchange between complementary systems of knowledge. In the 10 years since the first days of the pilot, the interactions between people and places and the scientific and learning processes have served as a platform for exploring teaching across cultures and enriching approaches to teaching and science more generally. As a result of these interactions, we expand our definition of inclusivity in the classroom and the practice of science, emphasize connections and tensions between science and other systems of knowledge, and create space for student and instructor reflection and learning. The next phase of the project will engage students in research projects as tools for learning and as a means to contribute knowledge to the project and the larger science education community.

Comments

This article was originally published in Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education, volume 20, issue 1, in 2019. https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.v20i1.1618

Recommended Citation

Gray K and Eisen A. (2019) The Emory-Tibet Science Initiative: Rethinking cross-cultural science and teaching. JMBE, 20(1): https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.v20i1.1618

Copyright

The authors

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.