May 2021 - 5th cohort of six monastic scholars completed their two-year non-degree program at Emory University

The 5th cohort of six monastic scholars completed their two-year non-degree program at Emory University and participated in Emory University’s 176th Commencement along with one thousand other graduates. The touchless ceremony was more than just a symbolic gesture for the scholars. It represented an important step toward them taking a more active role in the science education programs at their monasteries even as they prepare to resume their traditional studies. As they bid farewell to the Emory community, the scholars expressed their deep gratitude and commitment to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and to the ETSI’s vision of “bringing together the best of the Western and Tibetan Buddhist intellectual traditions.” The 5th cohort is now part of a small but growing number of Tibetan Buddhist monastic scholars who seriously engage in "the cross-fertilization of ancient Tibetan wisdom and modern scientific understanding" by teaching modern science to Tibetian monasteries and nunneries.