The Spirituality, Nature & Culture Laboratory invites you to join Jason Kelly and James Miller for a public conversation
“Pedagogy: Teaching and Learning for a Flourishing Planet.”

By 2050 the world’s population will reach 9-10 billion, and much of its economy will be driven by hyper-dense, increasingly multi-ethnic, environmentally challenged megacities of up to 100 million people. But today’s educational models have their origins in nineteenth century disciplinary structures, which are insufficient to address the challenges of sustainability in a multipolar world. Worse still, education has become commodified, stripped of its ethical and existential dimensions. As the ideology of the free market has globalized, universities and colleges have been gradually rebranded as corporations providing services to clients rather than public institutions cultivating wisdom in students. This shift towards a consumer-model of education prioritizes technical efficiency and instrumental knowledge over practical reason and virtue. It is inadequate in terms of preparation for a meaningful life or in terms of addressing planetary challenges.

Join Jason Kelly and James Miller for a spirited debate about how to make higher education relevant to the  personal and planetary challenges that today’s students will face in their lifetimes