Jill Keller

Professor of English, Middlesex Community College

Jill Keller attended the Asian Studies Development Program (ASDP) in the summer of 2015, a joint program of the University of Hawai’i and the East-West Center. It was initiated in 1990 with a mission to infuse Asian content and perspectives into the core curriculum at American two-year and four-year colleges and universities through programs that help faculty expand and refine their knowledge and teaching of Asia.

Using the knowledge she gained from the program, she developed a course module for her World Literature I course titled, The Exemplary Life. Below is the PowerPoint from her lesson.

ASDP PowerPoint – The Exemplary Life

In April, 2014, Henry Rosemont conducted a class at Middlesex for faculty from around the region on the Confucian Analects. Video and text from the class are available below. Continue reading “Teaching the Analects of Confucius: Henry Rosemont Master Class” →

Kerrianne Pearson

Professor of English, Middlesex Community College

Jack Kerouac & Buddhism is a 4-week module created by Kerrianne Pearson. This module is integrated into her English 102 course.

Syllabus for Kerouac & Buddhism Module

Module Bibliography

Readings for the 4-week module:

The Scripture of the Golden Eternity

The Heart Sutra

New Heart Sutra Translation by Thich Nhat Hanh

Jack Ma

Founder and Executive Chair of Alibaba

In the link below, Jack Ma of the Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba talks about his company’s philosophy, how he envisions its future, and why the Chinese middle class are a growth opportunity for U.S. businesses. He also discussed how the Internet could be used to help fight disease, poverty and other global problems. Topics included his philanthropic principles and the problem of product piracy.

Jack Ma, Chinese E-Commerce Video

Carlos Brocatto

Professor of Philosophy, Middlesex Community College

Below are the materials used by Professor Carlos Brocatto in his Philosophy course. This module was inspired by the Rosemont Master Class held at Middlesex in April, 2014.

Continue reading “Confucius and the Encumbered Life” →

According to Shelly Hawkes & Cathy McCarron, Art History & English, “Most Americans have only a superficial knowledge of Confucian philosophy and do not appreciate how it can be a resource for contemporary living.  Henry Rosemont’s master class at Middlesex Community College on April 4-5, 2014, offered advice on how to appreciate The Analects of Confucius on its own terms and how to ‘make friends with it.’  Rosemont called the Analects ‘the text which most influenced the human race except for the bible.’ The following is a brief summary of some ideas from the Analects we want to introduce to our students.” 

Confucian Analects & Chinese Painting Lesson Module

Professor Michael Rodman, Psychology

Below are the materials used by Professor Michael Rodman in his Adolescent Psychology course. This module was inspired by the Rosemont Master Class held at Middlesex in April, 2014. Continue reading “Socialization & Parenting in East Asia” →

The Power of the Mind and Body

As our world becomes ever more interconnected, we in the West look outside ourselves for inner answers.  Consider one such answer – or at least a discussion of possibilities:  The Mystery of Chi (Qi) with Bill Moyers. 

In this five-part series, Bill Moyers along with David Eisenberg M.D., of Harvard Medical School, explore various aspects of traditional Chinese medicine.  The program focuses on “Chi” or “Qi”, the energy or spirit at the core of much of Chinese medicine’s philosophy and practice.  This program seeks to explore the questions: How do emotions translate into chemicals in our bodies? How do thoughts and feelings influence health? How can we collaborate with our bodies to encourage healing?

http://billmoyers.com/content/the-mystery-of-chi/

Healing and the Mind provides a lens to consider the ways millions of people in the East think about sickness and health and its philosophical underpinnings.