Category: Upcoming Events

On February 21, 2025, MIT’s Global Humanities initiative (GHI) hosts its inaugural GHI Forum Series from the Cognition, Learning & Human Flourishing pillar.

The speakers Jonas Mago (McGill University), Justus Wachs (McGill University) introducs the Cognition, Learning, and Human Flourishing pillar and the Living in Complexity project, inviting participants to explore how contemplative practices foster resilience, cognitive flexibility, and meaning-making in an uncertain world.

Throughout the event, participants will engage in meditation, somatic movement, and reflective writing—experiences that illuminated how contemplative practices can foster resilience, cognitive flexibility, and meaningful engagement in uncertain times. Attendees will also explore the interconnections between their own work and the forum’s themes, sparking inspiring discussions that united the mind, heart, spirit, and body.

1. GHI Forum Series

Join our online 2025 GHI Forum Series to hear about GHI’s research and action plan for each pillar from our pillar coordinators, explore common passions and interests, and discuss how you can join our efforts and particular projects.

We convene each month on a mid-month Thursday or Friday from 10 am to 11:30 AM EST.

1st GHI Forum

• Title: Cognition, Learning & Human Flourishing
• Date: February 21, 8:00–9:30 AM EST
• Speakers: Jonas Mago, Justus Wachs

• Title: The Good Life: Religions, Philosophies & Sciences
• Date: April 11, 10:00–11:30 AM EST
• Speakers: Rafal K. Stepien, Simran Jeet Singh, Andreas Ohlemacher, Wiebke Denecke

• Title: Good Governance in Bad Times
• Date: June 6, 10:00–11:30 AM EST
• Speakers: Wiebke Denecke, Johannes Makar, Michael Puett

• Title: Public Literacies: Civic Systems, Media & Emotional Intelligence
• Date: On September (TBD), 10:00–11:30 AM EST
• Speakers: Richard Eberhardt, Gabor Hollbeck, Mikael Jakobsson

2. Roundtable

Humanisms & Renaissances across World History–a Timely & Casual Conversation

• Time: March 21, 4:00-5:30 pm
• Location: MIT Hayden Library, Nexus Space 14S-130

A Roundtable with

Laura Ashe (English Literature, Oxford University)
Jason Chen (MIT’25, Mechanical Engineering & Literature)
Wiebke Denecke (East Asian Literatures and Thought, MIT)
Johannes Makar (Arabic Thought, Harvard University)
Ugo Mondini (Byzantine and Greek Studies, Oxford University)
Václav Zheng (History of East-Central Europe, Johns Hopkins University)

3. GHI Comparative Global Dialogues

Join GHI members of our Area Expert hub, as they join GHI project leaders in comparatively exploring a particular research topic across millennia of human experience on our planet. Our Dialogues series will be kicked off in October.

4. Launch events

• Celebrate Global Humanities @ MIT for a Better World
  • With Mike Block, Grammy-Award Winning Cellist of the Silkroad Ensemble
  • Kim Jae-Hui, the Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Boston
  • Chung Byungmo, Director of the School of Minhwa (Korean Folk Painting)
  • Kwak Yunmi, Minhwa Artist
    • Time: May 14 2025, 5:00-7:00 PM
    • Location: Edward and Joyce Linde Music Building @ MIT
    • Organizer: MIT Global Humanities Initiative (GHI)

• Launch of the Asian Hub of MIT’s Global Humanities Initiative at Korea University: Catalyzing Human Flourishing in Uncertain Times
  • Location: Korea University, Seoul
  • Date: April 24-25, 2025

5. Annual Conferences

• 4^th Annual Conference of the MIT Global Humanities Initiative.
  • Title: Tools for Human Flourishing: Integrating Self-enhancement, Neuroscience, and Technology
  • Location: Korea University, Seoul
  • Date: November 20-21, 2025

• 5^th Annual Conference of the MIT Global Humanities Initiative
  • Title: Philology 2.0 for Human Flourishing
  • Location: MIT
  • Date: November, 2026
  • Co-sponsor: GHI, LMU München

6. GHI @ Annual Summit of GESDA 

• GHI presents its vision for Humanities & Social Sciences 2.0 at the 2025 Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipation Summit
  • Date: 15–17 October
  • Location: CERN, Geneva, Switzerland