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

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Kelsey Gray, Emory University; Arri Eisen, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2019-04-26
• Publisher: American Society for Microbiology
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2019 Author(s). Published by the American Society for Microbiology
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.v20i1.1618
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education
• Volume: 20
• Issue: 1
• Start Page: 1618
• Keywords: complementary systems of knowledge; Buddhist; Emory-Tibet Science Initiative; curriculum; cultures
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Education; Religion, Clergy

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.