2019 Kokoro Science Research Internship Program concludes (15 July-7 August 2019)

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From 15 July to 7 August, the Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies' Department of Human Coexistence, in collaboration with Kokoro Research Center (KRC), hosted the 2019 Kokoro Science Research Internship Program, with support provided by Kyoto University under the Wild & Wise Collaborative Learning Program. The internship is centered on individual research projects and discussions exploring the human kokoro (mind, psyche, or consciousness) in relation to its social, cultural, and historical contexts.

Taking part were seven students from five overseas institutions — National Taiwan University, Moscow State University, the University of British Columbia, Kansas State University, and the Royal University of Bhutan — and seven from KyotoU.

Each international student was paired with a partner from Kyoto to together work on a "kokoro science" project under the supervision of three faculty advisors. Participants also attended a research seminar every Friday afternoon to report on and discuss their projects, which concluded on 6 August with final presentations.

The program also featured a Zen meditation experience on 18 July at Shunkoin Temple, a part of the Myoshin temple complex, as well as a special lecture on cultural psychology, delivered on 23 July by KRC professor Yukiko Uchida. In addition, a tour of KRC's MRI laboratory was held on 5 August.

All t hese activities provided the international and KyotoU students alike with invaluable opportunities to experience and understand the diversity and universality of the kokoro.

Visiting Shunkoin Temple for a Zen meditation experience

During the MRI lab tour

MRI lab tour participants

Final presentation meeting

Discussion during a final presentation

After the final presentations

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