Twenty five years ago, the Dalai Lama formed a partnership with Emory University. This partnership has led to the development of two programs centered on compassion training and the Emory Tibet Science Initiative. I first went to India to teach introductory biology to a group of Tibetan Buddhist Monks five years ago. I now have the privilege of co-leading a program, with Robin Nusslock, to help monastics develop research skills. This year, eight groups of monastics conducted research projects in India, focusing on cognitive neuroscience and public health. Monastic scholars at Emory also conducted research in my lab alongside Zoe Zimmerman. 

I have learned so much from these brilliant monastic scientists. I’ve learned how to better appreciate the world around me, how to view more of the world through a lens of compassion and how to slow down when teaching across languages and cultures. I look forward to the next phase of the ETSI program.