Buddhist-Based Universities in the United States
Searching for a New Model in Higher Education
By (author) Tanya Storch
Publication date:
23 May 2019Length of book:
136 pagesPublisher
Lexington BooksISBN-13: 9781498517065
Buddhist-Based Universities in the United States: Searching for a New Model in Higher Education investigates in depth four American Buddhist universities, namely, the Dharma Realm Buddhist University, the University of the West, the Soka University of America, and the Naropa University, all of which offer degrees in liberal arts and professional fields, and at the same time educate their students in the philosophy and practices of Buddhism. Buddhist universities in the United States are unique because there are no comparable universities based on the philosophy and practices of other Asian religions also popular in the United States, such as Hinduism, Confucianism, or Sikhism. Even the Jewish community has created only two universities in which professional skills and liberal arts are taught from the position of the moral-philosophical principles of Judaism. This book presents the institutional history and academic programs of four Buddhist universities in America and analyzes Buddhist-based pedagogical principles, as well as teaching and learning techniques, which can be very useful for other colleges and universities in the United States.
Buddhism has taken root in the West. Almost unnoticed, however, is the way through which Buddhism has achieved this success. Tanya Storch’s pioneering work on the history of Buddhist universities in America reveals that such a success can be attributed to the creation of a Buddhism-inspired educational program which starts to generate new momentum for reforming our educational system. Combining personal experiences, extensive interviews, and historical narrative, Storch has conducted unprecedented research on four Buddhist universities and the characteristics of their curriculum and pedagogy. I recommend this book to any serious readers who are interested in the transformation of higher education, the use of inspirational learning in the classroom, and the acculturation of Buddhism in the West.