Visiting Scholars Program

Program Overview

Kamalashila Initiative's (KI) Visiting Scholars Program is an intensive ten-week exchange program for scholars from Buddhist monastic colleges in India to visit KI University Partner (UP) campuses.

The intention of the program is to provide Visiting Scholars with opportunities to improve their English language ability, develop basic scholarly research skills, and participate in cultural exchange activities with the greater academic community at UP sites. Through this opportunity, KI aims to help lay the foundation for an increasingly modernized education system within the next generation of Monastic Institutional leadership.

KI's Visiting Scholars Program was originally founded as the UCI-Tibet Initiative.

Program Benefits

Immersion

Visiting scholars will be immersed in an English speaking academic community for ten weeks. In this time, they will improve their English skills not only through immersion, but also by attending formal language classes including grammar, vocabulary, conversation, and comprehensive reading. They will also deepen their understanding of the western education system by interacting with diverse academic communities during their stay at UP campuses.

Exchange

In addition, the program promotes cultural exchange and mutual understanding between two distinct cultural systems. Through offerings such as weekly meditation sessions, the visiting scholars will share basic meditation techniques with UP students, staff and faculty. Additionally, through the wisdom and generosity of its Visiting Scholars, KI has also offered a tuition-free, non-credit language class for beginning level Tibetan language to its UP communities in the past.

Exposure

For UP communities, the mere presence of modest and humble monks and nuns on campus reinforces the diverse commitment to cultivating harmonious communities. Interactions with visiting monks and nuns reminds students to remain mindful in their daily actions, to generate love and compassion, and to practice patience and tolerance toward others, despite any perceived differences.

Through its offerings, Kamalashila Initiative work with its Visiting Scholars to provide opportunities for authentic exposure to traditional Buddhist practices and life philosophies.