Creative University

Special Issue

Journal “Knowledge Cultures”

Susanne Maria Weber (editor of special issue)

Publication of the DFG-funded international Symposium

“Creative University”

Outline

Creativity, Globalization and the Development of Academic Knowledge Cultures

There are dramatic shifts in contemporary advanced economies as employment in primary and secondary sectors continue to decline, high-wage employment is concentrated in industry sectors that increasing deploy the fruits of the arts and sciences, and the creative sectors and the institutions that foster creativity move to centre stage.

With this, delivery modes in education are being reshaped. Global cultures are spreading in the form of knowledge and research networks. Openness and networking, cross-border people movement, flows of capital, portal cities and littoral zones, and new knowledge and learning systems with worldwide reach; all are changing the conditions of imagining and producing and the sharing of creative work in different spheres. The economic aspect of creativity refers to the production of new ideas, aesthetic forms, scholarship, original works of art and cultural products, as well as scientific inventions and technological innovations. It embraces open source communication as well as commercial intellectual property. The digitization, speed and compression of communication has reshaped delivery modes in higher education, reinforced the notion of culture as a symbolic system and led to the spread of global cultures as knowledge cultures and collaborative research networks. The international symposium will investigate all the aspects of higher education in (and as) the creative economy with the objective of extending the dialogue about the relationship between contemporary higher education, the role of universities in the changing face of contemporary economies.

Content OVERVIEW:

1.   „Creative Universities?“ Organization and Innovation after 2008

Professor Peter Murphy, Head of School of Creative Arts and Professor of Creative Arts and Social Aesthetics, James Cook University, Australia. 
For more information about Peter Murphy, click here.

2.   Higher Education at the Crossroads: Accreditation in Universities in Taiwan

Professor Dr. Ruyu Hung, Department of Education, National Chiayi University, Taiwan.
For more information about Ruyu Hung, click here.

3.   Re-Organizing Subjects: Making Creativity Count in University

Dr. Amanda Bill, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand.
For more information about Amanda Bill, click here.

4.   Towards the Creative University

Prof. Dr. Ronald Barnett, Institute of Lifelong and Comparative Education, Centre: Centre for Higher Education Studies, University of London, Great Britain.
For more information about Ronald Barnett, click here.

5.   Creativity in the Context of the University: Recognising old Knowledges as new Knowledges.

Prof. Dr. Nesta Devine, University of Auckland (AUT), New Zealand. 
For more information about Neste Devine, click here.

6.   The Rise of Alternative Universities

Prof. Anwar Fazal, Right Livelihood College, Penang University, Malaysia.
For more information about Anwar Fazal, click here.

7.   Academic Institutions and Academic Programs as Discourse-Innovators: The Gross National Happiness Institute and PhD Program Bhutan

Dr. Dorji Thinley, Royal University of Bhutan.
For more information about Dorji Thinley, click here.

Content “Creative University” ABSTRACTS AND BIOS:

1.) „Creative Universities?“ Organization and Innovation after 2008

Professor Peter Murphy, Head of School of Creative Arts and Professor of Creative Arts and Social Aesthetics, James Cook University, Australia

The paper supposes that the primary force for economic growth is innovation, which is the social application of the power of creation. Economies and societies that cannot innovate will struggle and flounder. That said, though, innovation is very difficult to achieve. Much or even most of it is phony and ersatz in nature. Newness is a shallow, frequently misleading, indicator of innovation. This is doubly true of the post-2008 era. 2008 was not just a time of global financial crisis. It was also a symptom of flattening global innovation. It has become very apparent that the ‘knowledge society’ and ‘the information society’ have stopped innovating and that the promised ‘bio technology revolution’ didn’t happen.

The paper looks at the role of organization in the failure of contemporary innovation. Since the 1920s societies entered the organization age. Large and medium size organizations dominate the social landscape. Yet they are generally poor innovators. Small informal enterprises and milieu are much better at substantive innovation. Nonetheless organizations tout innovation. Yet what they call innovation is mostly a mix of self-serving ideology and rhetoric. The paper looks at the last two decades and at the rhetoric of innovation deployed by bureaucratic organizations. The effect of this rhetoric has been perverse. It has hollowed out the creative substance of innovation while appropriating its legitimating properties. Arthritic organizations habitually proclaim newness at the drop of a hat. That irony is underpinned by a larger, long-term social tension between bureaucratic capitalism and creative capitalism. In the post-2008 period, that tension has come back into dramatic focus. The paper asks “where do we go from here?” What kind of organizations or alternatives to organizations can help restart the stalled engine of creation and re-engage yet another long cycle of creative capitalism? What is the role of academia in here? What is the possible role, academia and universities can play?

Academic Profile of Prof. Dr. Peter Murphy

Peter Murphy is Professor of Creative Arts and Social Aesthetics and the Head of the School of Creative Arts at James Cook University. He completed his PhD at La Trobe University under the direction of the distinguished Hungarian philosopher Agnes Heller. Before coming to James Cook University, he held continuing appointments in the Master of Communication Program at Victoria University, Wellington and in Communications and Media at Monash University where he was Director of the Social Aesthetics Research Unit. He has been a visiting academic in Philosophy at the New School For Social Research in New York City, in the Hellenic Language and Literatures Program at Ohio State University, in Communication, Media and Culture at Panteion University, Athens, in Political Science at Baylor University, Texas, in Philosophy at Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines, in Communications and Media Studies at Seoul National University, in Arts and Cultural Studies at the University of Copenhagen, and in Cultural Studies at Goldsmiths College, University of London. Murphy’s major research interests concern the nature of creativity and the imagination. He is the author of The Collective Imagination (2012) and Civic Justice (2001), the co-author of Dialectic of Romanticism: A Critique of Modernism (2004), Creativity and the Global Knowledge Economy (2009), Global Creation (2010), and Imagination (2010), and the co-editor of Philosophical and Cultural Theories of Music (2010). He is also Coordinating Editor of the social theory journal Thesis Eleven (Sage Publications) and is currently working with Professor Simon Marginson of the University of Melbourne on an Australian Research Council Discovery Project (2012-2014) ‘Crucibles of creativity? Australian universities and path-breaking intellectual work’.

2.) Higher Education at the Crossroads: Accreditation in Universities in Taiwan

Professor Dr. Ruyu Hung Department of Education, National Chiayi University, Taiwan

In Taiwan, the Higher Education Evaluation and Accreditation Council (HEEAC) was established in 2005. Since 2006, most of the universities in Taiwan are obliged to undergo the process of accreditation under which services and operations of educational institutions or programs are evaluated by HEEAC to determine if applicable standards are met. If standards are met, accredited status is granted by the Ministry of Education. From 2006 to 2010, the accreditation was in the first phase of the cycle. The emphasis of the first phase was put on how and what universities ensure the quality of the learning environment from the in-put-based perspective. Nowadays, the accreditation is entering the second phase, which aims to evaluate how and what universities in Taiwan invest in the process to enhance student’s learning from the perspective of out-come-based or performance-based perspective. There are fundamental five sectors of items to be reviewed. As a reviewer of the HEEAC and one of the faculties whose affiliation is going to be evaluated, I found tensions and doubts among faculties towards the system. In most countries in the world, higher education accreditation has been conducted for years whereas in Taiwan, it is a very new set of measures. It is not only a new systematic measurement but also a new challenge directing (or forcing?) universities to do alteration of organisation. But how can we make sure of the alteration as innovation, or a progression rather than a regression? What are the criteria of accreditation? How are the criteria built? It is acknowledged that the purpose of accreditation is to achieve ‘quality assurance’. In Taiwan, what does it mean by ‘quality’ of higher education? Most importantly, what is the purpose of higher education?

There are in total more than 150 universities in Taiwan. Due to the lowest birth rate in the world, the universities in Taiwan are facing a serious problem of recruiting students. The accreditation, in some sense, becomes a means to control the numbers of students, not by the market, but by the Ministry of Education. The Ministry of Education will reduce the number of students of the departments which fail accreditation. The university faculties and staff cannot help but take accreditation seriously. Yet the function and usefulness of accreditation does not justify the whole process. Especially it is a very new systematic measurement in Taiwan. In what sense can it be justified? What could be missed during the process? What advantages and disadvantages could be brought by this measure? As a teacher in the university in Taiwan as well as a philosopher of education, I think it inevitably important to re-examine the purpose of university in general and the goals in particular, taking locality and idiosyncrasies into consideration.

Academic Profile of Prof. Dr. Ruyu Hung

Prof. Dr. Ruyu Hung is Professor of Philosophy of Education at the Department of Education at National Chiayi University, Taiwan. She earned a PhD of University of Bath, UK and a PhD of National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan, based on studies in Philosophy at National
Chengchi University of Taiwan. Previously, she held academic positions as Associate Professor, Department of Education, National Chiayi University (2005-2010) and as Assistant Professor, Department of Education, National Chiayi University (2002-2005). Prof. Ruyu Hung won several Distinguished Scholar Awards by the Ministry of Education, as well as Good Teaching Awards (2011) and a Post-Doctoral Scholarship by the Ministry of Education of Taiwan.
Her speciality is in the field of philosophy of education. Her research interests include: phenomenology, post-structuralism, ecological and environmental philosophy and human rights education. Her main focus of work being ecological philosophy in education, she won a research grant by the National Science Council (NSC) “Educationally Engaging Body in Place: Ecophilia, Place Aesthetics and Pedagogy” (2010-2013). Other research grants were funded by the National Science Council and addressed the topic of “An Exploration of the Aesthetic Pedagogy for
Human Rights: (I) (II): A Fusion of horizons of Rorty and Merleau-Ponty. (2009- 2011). With Project Grants by the National Science Council she researched on “An Exploration of Human Rights and Citizenship Education from the Perspective of Rorty” (2008- 2009) and the topic of Nature and Education: Ecophilia, Human Rights, and Education at the University of Bath, UK (2006-2008).

Professor Hung receives Distinguished Research Scholar Awards in 2011 and 2012 from National Chiayi University supported by National Science Council and a three-year Distinguished Scholar Award from the Ministry of Education in 2012.

Her academic work and publications focus on ecological philosophy, human rights, postmodern moral education, education for Human Rights, foundations of ecopedagogy. Prof. Hung has been publishing in many distinguished journals like Studies in Philosophy and Education, Educational Philosophy and Theory, Cambridge Journal of Education,Taiwan Journal of Sociology of Education and the Journal of Environmental Education Research, Journal of Educational Research and Development and Policy Futures in Education. She publishes more than one hundred articles in peer-reviewed journals and conference papers in Chinese and in English. She authors two books in Chinese (2006, 2010) and one in English (2010), the former two of which were reviewed and awarded by the National Institute of Compilation and Translation.

3.) Re-Organizing Subjects: Making Creativity Count in the university.

Dr. Amanda Bill, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand

This paper argues that the shift to a market-oriented regime of tertiary education over the last decade is re-organizing creativity in New Zealand. The paper explains how new forms of educational and economic governance began to mobilize groups and individuals around creativity, thus constituting it as a moral principle of organizational and personal conduct. However, the demonstration of creativity in an organization must rely on metrics, which are based on products that have been validated by some form of social judgment. Thus, the new focus on creativity as an object of governance also re-organizes its potential as a category of subjective identification. This paper outlines a genealogy of creativity, showing how it constitutes a relation of power and field of knowledge that produces powerful forms of behavior and experience. The paper concludes by outlining a ‘counter-conduct’ of creativity, which attempts to short-circuit the procedures implemented for the conduct of creative research in the university.

Academic Profile of Dr. Amanda Bill

Dr. Amanda Bill holds a Ph.D. in Sociology & Women’s Studies from University of Auckland, New Zealand (2009) and a Masters in Recreation and Leisure Studies (with distinction) from Victoria University, NZ (1999). She holds a Diploma for Textile Design (1982) from Wellington Polytechnic, NZ.

At present she is Senior Lecturer at the College of Creative Arts, Massey University (1999 – 2012) and has been Programme Leader for Textile Design at the College of Creative Arts, Massey University (1998 – 2002). She has held the position of Lecturer/Senior Lecturer, Wellington Polytechnic School of Design (1991 –1999).

Present research and professional speciality lie in the field of fashion and textile design studies, design history, design theory, plus art and design and textile print studio courses. Her research practice focuses on the discursive and performative role of creativity in the cultural economy. Practice led research involves performing creativity via the digital construction of textiles.

Dr. Bill holds professional distinctions and memberships at the Academic Board, College of Creative Arts, Massey University (2009 – 2012) and the Pasifika Achievement Committee, College of Creative Arts (2009 – 2012). She has been Invited Scholar at Nottingham Trent University (2009) and received several grants and research funds like Massey University Research Fund grant for ‘7 Lamps of Creativity’ project (2009) and others.

In her work she addresses the topic of the (co-) and re-creation of self (2008), the paradoxes of the creative class, the subversion of feminine identities in the professional workplace, the topic of patterns of corporeality and text/ile evidence of the body. In 2012 she published “Blood, sweat and shears: happiness, creativity and fashion education” in Fashion Theory and in (2011) “Design for Social Business: A Schumpeterian Tale?” in “Design for Social Business”. She addresses topics of creative economy, creative industries, creativity and class, happiness, fashion and creativity (2009) and the disciplining of the Creative under conditions of Neoliberalism. In 2011 she presented on “Performing Creativity in the University” at the Centre for Cultural Research, University of Western Sydney. Amanda Bill works productively on Creativity, Genealogy and Governmentality and on the politics of creative work.

4.) Towards the Creative University

Prof. Dr. Ronald Barnett, Institute of Lifelong and Comparative Education, Centre for Higher Education Studies, University of London

The idea of ‘the creative university’ works on four levels. It connotes, characteristically, a three fold conceptualisation, namely (a) an intellectual creativity (a creativity in research and in knowledge generation); (b) a pedagogical creativity (a creativity in curriculum design and in the pedagogical process); and (c) a learning creativity (a creativity among students, in their learning accomplishments). However, in addition to these three levels of creativity, there is a level which is largely overlooked, namely (d) a reflexive creativity. In this reflexive creativity, a university demonstrates its creativity in its capacities for understanding itself and its possibilities. Connected here are a university’s capacities for collective self-interrogation and for critical self-dialogue. Connected too are its capacities for handling complexity, disruption and threats. And connected too is its capacity for imaginatively discerning options for its forward travel. The extent to which a university has developed such a reflexive capacity is a strong indicator of its wider capacities for its development and self-maintenance and, indeed, its self-flourishing in a turbulent global context.

Academic Profile of Prof. Dr. Ronald Barnett

Ronald Barnett is Emeritus Professor of Higher Education at the Institute of Education, University of London. He is a recognized authority on the conceptual and theoretical understanding of the university and higher education, with over 200 papers of various kinds to his name. His 19 books (nine sole-authored - several of which have won prizes and have been translated into other languages) - include The Idea of Higher Education, Higher Education: A Critical Business, Realizing the University in an age of supercomplexity, Beyond All Reason: Living with Ideology in the University, and A Will to Learn: Being a Student in an Age of Uncertainty (all published by McGraw-Hill/ Open University Press). His latest book is Being a University (Routledge, 2011) and a new book is ‘in press’, Imagining the University (also for Routledge).

Ronald Barnett has held senior positions at the Institute of Education (University of London), including that of Pro-Director for Longer Term Strategy and was also, for seven years, a Dean, responsible for teaching and learning and quality matters. He is a past Chair of the Society for Research into Higher Education, and recently served as a Special Adviser to the House of Commons Select Committee Inquiry into Universities and Students. He is a Fellow both of the Higher Education Academy and the Society for Research into Higher Education and is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Oxford and has been a Visiting Professor at universities in China and Australia.

Ronald Barnett also acts as a consultant, and has worked with most of the national organizations in the UK and many individual universities, including the University of the West Indies and the TATA University Institute of Social Sciences in India.  Recent commitments have included the LSE, the Higher Education Academy, and the University of Vienna.

He has been awarded a higher doctorate of the University of London, is an Academician of Social Sciences and was the recipient of the inaugural ‘Distinguished Researcher’ prize of the European Association for Institutional Research (EAIR). He has been an invited speaker in around 35 countries.

5.)         Creativity in the context of the University: Recognising old knowledges as new knowledges.

Prof. Dr. Nesta Devine, University of Auckland (AUT), New Zealand

Newness and innovation derive much of their credibility as drivers within the university system from the teleological assumptions of modernity: that we are ‘going somewhere’ or that ‘progress’ is a good thing. Those who join the shock troops of religion; or the vanguard of the proletariat; or the avant-garde of art and literature; or adopt the truism of human capital theory, that the educated will be the salvation of the economy;  have these things in common: their assumption that to be first is to be better. Where would journalists be without the incessant claim that someone or other is the ‘first’ to do this or that often quite insignificant thing?

I would like to shift this kind of discourse concerning newness to a discussion of the way in which ideas and concepts which are not new at all can disrupt the patterns of thought of the existing order in ways which challenge and disturb, but in ways also which evoke an ethical and productive obligation to consider that which is foreign, different, uncomfortable. Foucault calls these foreign, different, uncomfortable discourses ‘submerged knowledges’. They are also the philosophies and practices of minority groups. I will discuss the specific challenges of Pacific Island communities to the expectations of educational institutions in New Zealand, and some of the responses, appropriate and otherwise, which such challenges invoke. For the dominant culture these challenges represent new ways of thinking. To the extent that we take the ideas of the other and form new patterns of thought and behaviour, we are being ethically innovative. For the university, with its strong traditions of scientific rigour in research methodology, to step outside the conventions to embrace innovative ways of knowing and practice can be very difficult. I would argue, using Foucault and Spinoza, that we have grounds for doing this, and that to be genuinely creative we may need to do so.

Academic Profile of Prof. Dr. Nesta Devine

Prof. Dr. Nesta Devine is Associate Professor at the School of Education of Auckland University of Technology. She is serving as a Deputy Dean within the Faculty of Culture and Society at Auckland University of Technology. She is President of the Philosophy of Education Society of Australasia (PESA).

Previous positions (1999-2008) have been a Senior Lecturer in Secondary Education and Professional Practice, Department of Professional Studies in Education, School of Education, University of Waikato. Before 1999 she was Head of the History Department at Massey High School, where she taught from 1988-1998. Prior to that she was Teacher in charge of History at St Dominic’s School, Henderson.

Prof. Dr. Nesta Devine is very much interested in the topic of the response of universities to the challenges provided by minority peoples. Although they are usually seen as a challenge in the sense of being harder to teach, they could more productively be seen as challenging because their ways of seeing the world can open the ideas of the university faculty members to other ways of being, in other ways, of introducing conceptual innovation particularly in the field of the human sciences, and more specifically even that that, in the field of education.

Prof. Nesta Devine has been doing research in the field of the nature and background of Public Choice Theory and its implications for education' and published the book “Education and public choice, a critical account of the invisible hand in education in the book series of Henri Giroux, Connecticut, Praeger.

Moreover, she has been publishing on ‘Prison education: a cautionary tale from the murky world of meta-analyses’. In Contemporary New Zealand Education policy (2010) and as well on ‘Autonomy, agency and education (2006).

She has been publishing Journal articles and conference papers on the topic of “Thinking past methodological individualism in the construction of the academic self” (2012), on affect and relationships in educational contexts (2013), on Spinoza, Deleuze, Hegel, Lacan.

She is especially interested in including indigenous and migrant philosophies in the deep functioning of schools and in the nature of ‘experience’ in empirical research, in political theory and economy.

6.)         The Rise of Alternative Universities

Prof. Anwar Fazal, Right Livelihood College, Penang University, Malaysia

Against the dominant innovation discourses and trends of universities becoming economical institutions, there is a trend towards alternative developments and a different trend towards the “developmental” function of the university at global level.

The rise of "alternative" universities all over the world is a growing phenomenon. A few hundred of such creative and innovative institutions have emerged - including the Right Livelihood College, a project of the Right Livelihood Award Foundation, which confers what is popularly called the 'Alternative Nobel Prize".

The College has spread to three continents and it is an unique university-changemakers initiative. The experience, the challenges and future possibilities of such like-minded partnerships and networks will be explored in the presentation.'

Academic Profile of Prof. Dr. Anwar Fazal

Anwar Fazal heads a new and innovative global university-changemakers initiative with programmes in four renowned universities - Universiti Sains Malaysia, Addis Ababa University in Ethopia, Lund University in Sweden University of Bonn ,Germany.

He is a “comprehensivist” who makes things happen and initiates what he calls 'galactic organising". Trained in economics and post-graduate studies in education, he is a catalyst, a multiplier and accelerator of creative ideas and movements, with a passion for pioneering local and global citizen’s networks on public interest issues affecting peace - peace with oneself, peace with others and peace with the environment.

He is a leading global social activist, starting with being elected President of the National Union of Malaysian Students in 1962. He is founder and key player in over a dozen local and global citizens networks - including the Consumers Association of Penang, Transparency International Malaysia, International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN), Pesticides Action Network (PAN), Health Action International (HAI) ,World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) and Citizens International. He was President of several worldwide organisations including the International Organisation of Consumers Union (IOCU), The Hague, Netherlands and Environment Liaison Centre International (ELCI), Nairobi, Kenya.

He initiated the idea of several popular mobilization days - World Consumer Rights Day (March 15), World Wetlands Day (February 1st), World Breastfeeding Week (1-7 August) and World Migrants Day (18th December).

For his work, Anwar has received the Right Livelihood Award (popularly known as the “Alternative Nobel Prize”), the UNEP Global 500 honour, Mother Earth Hall of Fame, the Langkawi Environmental Award and the Gandhi-King-Ikeda Community Builders Peace Award. He is Chairperson of Think City, a platform for funding and advancing the UNESCO World Heritage Site of George Town in Malaysia, Chairperson of the Malaysian Interfaith Network, Advisor to The Taiping Peace Initiative, Vice-chairperson of Friends of the Earth Malaysia and Member of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Advisory Council. He is also the recipient of Hon Doctorate's in law and philosophy from the National University of Malaysia and the Universiti Sains Malaysia respectively.

Anwar is currently Director of The Right Livelihood College, an innovative platform begun in 2009 that brings together some 150 winners of The Right Livelihood Award (popularly known as the 'Alternative Nobel Prize") from over 60 countries into a light participatory ,pioneering and unique worldwide university - Changemakers collaboration. The Global Secretariat of the College is at the Universiti Sains Malaysia with branch campuses based at Lund University, Sweden, Addis Ababa University in Ethopia and the University of Bonn in Germany.

He has published several books including "Consumer Power - Anywhere, Anytime, Anyone", "Moving Forewards" and "First Right, First Food". More of his publications are listed in www.anwarfazal.net. Anwar's personal logo is a based on a two thousand year old chinese jigsaw puzzle, which he has transformed into a symbol representing creativity, energy and movement.

Most recently, he was honoured to give the keynote address at the 20th Anniversary of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) on the topic of "Paths of Change".

7.)         Academic Institutions and Academic Discourse- Innovators: The Institute for Gross National Happiness Institute (IGNHS) and PhD Programmes in Bhutan

Dr. Tho Ha Vinh and Dr. Dorji Thinley, Royal University of Bhutan, Thimphu

The proposed contribution shows, how academic Institutions and Academic Programs can contribute to innovate given discourses of Innovation and Newness. The presentation will discuss the concept of happiness as an alternative to the given rationality and ideology of Gross National Product (GNP) and puts the Bhutan Strategy of Gross National Happiness (GNH) against this dominant global discourse. The National University of Bhutan and as well the Bhutan Global Leadership Institute are developing programs, which put academic institutions in the position of discourse innovators.

The Bhutan National Happiness Institutes purpose is to manifest in living practice Bhutan’s unique balanced development philosophy of Gross National Happiness (GNH), which seeks to integrate equitable and sustainable socio-economic development with environmental conservation, cultural promotion, and good governance.” Three objectives define the overall goal of all programs and courses: 1. Enabling participants to engage in a transformative learning process through dialogue, introspection and self reflection leading to a deepening of their understanding of GNH philosophy, principles and values. 2. Enabling participants to have a living experience of GNH by living in, and co-creating a conducive environment fully aligned with GNH principles and values. 3. Enabling participants to implement GNH inspired projects in their families, communities, villages, businesses, organizations, societies and /or countries. The Institute conducts an in-depth Training Need Analysis (TNA) and clarifies the mandate given by the Board of the Centre and identifying the needs expressed by potential groups of participants, it formulates the competency framework, the general learning objectives and designs the learning processes and the programs as a result of the TNA. Based on this, it formulates general objectives for all the main programs and adapts content and methodology to the objectives. It develops capacity building and conducts develops pilot programs. It has a scientific advisory board and creates a scientific advisory council to ensure that cutting edge scientific knowledge will be incorporated in all modules. Objectives, design, structure, pedagogical approach and methodology are based on five elements, which create an unifying structure for all programs: A unifying curriculum development methodology A unifying didactic structure, A common pedagogical approach, An awareness of the interdependent nature of reality leading to an interdisciplinary approach of all programs, A mindfulness-based approach that combines contemplative and analytical understanding.

Currents projects of the Centre are a four days Mindfulness Workshop for youth, a Global Leadership Academy: GNH Lab, innovation beyond GDP, and International Spiritual Leaders Conference: GNH Values and Principles in the light of the great Traditions. Other programs are in planning and development.

Examples of Program themes are Educating for GNH, Happy teachers can change the world, Mindfulness in everyday life, Lifelong learning and GNH, Issues of concern to youth, including the search for meaningful employment, dealing with substance abuse, How can GNH practices be integrated into family life? GNH Parenting, GNH-based local governance, Creating a GNH-based business that treats its employees well, Creating economically viable social enterprises that strengthen communities and protect nature, Appropriate technology, Good health and healing, Eco-tourism, Organic farming, Sustainable transportation, Sustainable waste management.

Academic Profile of Dr. Tho Ha Vinh and Dr. Dorji Thinley

Dr. Tho Vinh Ha is Program Coordinator of the Gross National Happiness Centre Bumthang / Thimphu. Bhutan and Core faculty member of the Presencing Institute (MIT, Boston).

He has been Head of training, learning and development of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Geneva (2005-1012). He has been developing the Training Strategy of the ICRC, creating the People Leadership and Management program for 120 Senior managers including the executives and 650 mid managers.

He has been Senior Lecturer in Humanitarian Action University of Geneva and Visiting Professor Master program in adult education. Université Catholique de Louvain. Belgium. As well he has been Visiting Professor in Education University of Hue /Vietnam and Ordained Dharmacharya (lay Buddhist teacher) in the Vietnamese Zen Tradition: Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh.

He is Chairman of Eurasia Association for the development of curative education in Vietnam (1999 – present) and he has been professor in adult education (CRED Switzerland (1997-2004). He has been Chairman of the Swiss National Association of Schools of social service (1996-2003) and Director of Camphill College for curative education and social therapy (1989-2005).

He has written his Ph.D. in Psychology and Education at the University of Geneva. The dissertation title is "On self transformation. Adult education and the challenges of biography studies". He received an MA Majors in education, psychology and sociology at the University Lyon Lumière, France with the thesis" Interaction of theory and practice in special education" and a BA of University Toulouse Le Mirail, France. He has a danse therapy diploma and a professional Dance Diploma (Eurythmy).

As well he has received management training in the Master Class in Presencing Institute, MIT Boston (Otto Scharmer, Ed Schein. Peter Senge) and Management training at the IMD Business school Lausanne, the People Leadership and Management: Ashridge Business School. UK. He is Member of the Council of Conscience and Charter for Compassion:http://charterforcompassion.com/. He has worked in a research project for the University of Fribourg Switzerland on the topic of Vocational training in Switzerland. As expert he has been working for the Swiss Government in the working group defining the new law and regulations on vocational training.

He has been published many articles in French and English in the field of curative education, engaged spirituality, intercultural dialogue, adult education, humanitarian action. His books refer on “Présence au cœur. Une introduction à la psychologie bouddhiste” (Paris, 2008), and “The contribution of engaged Buddhism to conflict prevention, reconciliation and healing” In: "War, conflict and healing: a Buddhist perspective". Vietnam Buddhist University Press. (Hanoi 2008). Another title is “De la transformation de soi. L'éducation des adultes au défi des histoires de vie”. L'Harmattan, Paris (2005) and a contribution in “Encyclopédie de la formation” de Jean-Marie Barbier, Étienne Bourgeois, Jean-Claude Ruano-Borbalan (sous la direction).

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