Tibetan Studies In Dharamsala

A leading study-abroad program in the nation

Emory undergraduates, joined by students from other top American and Canadian colleges, participate in a highly competitive one-semester study-abroad program in Dharamsala that fully immerses them in the life of the Tibetan exile community's intellectual, cultural, and political capital. Established in 2001, and co-directed by Dr. Tara Doyle of Emory's Religion Department, the program's unique combination of academic rigor, cultural immersion, contemplative studies, and field research has quickly made it a life-transforming experience for students and one of the finest Tibetan study-abroad programs in the nation.

See Center for International Programs Abroad (CIPA)

Tibetan Language

Emory is now one of the few universities in the country able to offer a program in Tibetan language, essential for the vibrancy of its program in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism and closely connected with Emory's study abroad program in Dharamsala.

Courses in Tibetan language are taught by Dr. Sara McClintock and are also co-ordinated with the Tibetan Studies in Dharamsala program to offer a smooth transition from the study of Tibetan language at Emory to Dharamsala, India, and back again.

Distinguished Visiting Tibetan Scholars

Each year, the Emory-Tibet Partnership invites a Distinguished Visiting Tibetan Scholar to teach a six-week seminar in Tibetan Buddhism. These scholars are among the most prominent individuals in Tibetan Buddhism today, including Denma Lochoe Rinpoche, Kyabje Rizong Rinpoche, and Geshe Palden Drakpa. The presence of these individuals at Emory is only possible through the explicit personal permission and encouragement of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

The Emory-Tibet Partnership has also collaborated with the Claus Halle Institute to invite as Halle Distinguished Fellows the renowned Tibetan physician Dr. Pema Dorjee, Geshe Lhakdor, the Director of the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives in Dharamsala, and Geshe Thupten Jinpa, principal English translator for His Holiness the Dalai Lama. These Distinguished Fellows have given lectures and engaged in consultations with Emory faculty for the mutual exchange of ideas regarding projects such as the Emory-Tibet Science Initiative.

Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Emory also benefits from Drepung Loseling Monastery Inc., the North American seat of Drepung Loseling Monastery in India and an academic affiliate of Emory since 1998. Hosting traditionally trained teachers in residence throughout the year, this Atlanta branch of Drepung Loseling Monastery regularly invites some of the most distinguished teachers from the main monastery in India. Other leading scholars who have taught and lectured at Emory and Drepung Loseling Monastery include B. Alan Wallace, Georges Dreyfus, Robert Thurman, and Jeffrey Hopkins.

Interdisciplinary Courses in Religion, Science, and Mind/Body Medicine

Faculty members of the Emory-Tibet Partnership are committed to bringing the fruits of their research and academic exchange to students by team-teaching interdisciplinary courses at the cutting edge exciting new fields like Mind/Body medicine. The interdisciplinary seminar "Phenomenology of Depression" brought together faculty from Emory's departments of Psychiatry, Religion, and Anthropology, and the course "Mind, Body, and Healing" was co-taught by Geshe Lobsang Tenzin and visiting scholar Dr. Pema Dorjee, one of the preeminent practitioners of Tibetan medicine. Such courses raise students' cultural awareness and expose them to emerging fields and ideas.

Tibetan Students at Emory

To assist the Tibetan community, Emory offers two full scholarships for Tibetan students to pursue a degree at any Emory undergraduate or graduate school. Our first Tibetan student, Tsondue Samphel, graduated with flying colors in May 2006 with a degree in physics. He presently works with the Emory-Tibet Science Initiative serving as an interpreter for the landmark work that bridges the inner and outer sciences.

Another student is scheduled to begin studies in the 2008–2009 academic year.