Events

The Asia Research Institute is pleased to organize a workshop with the Mind and Life Institute to discover and develop potential for future partnerships and exchanges between the NUS community and members of the institute. All those interested are invited to join us in this exploratory workshop on “Understanding The Mind: Exploring New Partnerships”.

Research is becoming increasingly interdisciplinary. The problems and questions which we now face are often unable to be adequately addressed by a single speciality. Research undertaken and catalyzed by MLI during the last decade is not only interdisciplinary, but cross-cultural and deeply integrated. In particular the nature of the mind is being researched by a method that brings together rigorous first person experience with the third person results of cognitive and affective science. Nowhere has this been better epitomized than in the work of Clifford Saron in the Shamatha Project and the collaboration between neuroscientist Professor Richie Davidson, Buddhist scholar Geshe Thupten Jinpa, and contemplative scholar/practitioner Matthieu Ricard. Termed neurophenomenology by MLI’s co-founder Francisco Varela, this approach offers a phenomenological understanding that integrates the deepest insights of the contemplative traditions with those derived from cognitive science. In this workshop, we will survey the types of work they and others have done and explore together with Singapore scientists, scholars and practitioners possible future ways of collaboration.

Presenters   – Richard Davidson, Thupten Jinpa, Clifford Saron & Matthieu Ricard
Moderator    – Arthur Zajonc
Chairperson – Arun Bala

REGISTRATION

This event is by invitation only. Interested participants, please contact Ms Valerie Yeo at valerie.yeo@nus.edu.sg.