Deborah Akers and Homayun Sidky pictured with the Dalai Lama are both professors of anthropology. They currently teach the semester-long program for Miami students in Dharamsala, India. (www.mymiami.muohio.edu/news/article)
The calls have been non-stop and Miami University's name has been plastered over newspapers and Web sites across Ohio.
Faculty, staff, students and curious bystanders are all wondering the details of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's visit to Miami this coming October.
According to Deborah Akers, assistant professor of anthropology, the visit has been in the making since 2008.
"In 2008 the Miami delegation, headed by the provost, went to Dharamsala, India," Akers said. "That visit was predicated on signing a memorandum of understanding between Miami and the Institute of Buddhist Dialects and our establishing a semester long program in Dharamsala to be taught by Miami faculty, Dr. Akers and Dr. Sidky."
The visit will take place from Oct. 20 to 22, 2010.
Akers said the visit is, in part, to recognize the work Miami has done with the Institute of Buddhist Dialects.
"The reason the Dalai Lama is coming to Miami is an acknowledgement of our semester program and our involvement in the Tibetan refugee community," Akers said.
Students who study abroad through this Tibetan program study and live with Tibetan refugees.
"…Our semester long program takes place at Sarah College which is the college the Tibetan refugees attend in Dharamasala," Akers said. "Our students are assigned roommates who are Tibetan refugees who are studying at the same time our students are studying there."
This work may attribute to the unusual length of His Holiness' visit.
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"Most institutions are usually granted a single day visit," Akers said.
David Keitges, director of international education, said with such a lengthy visit all Miami students will have the opportunity to see the Dalai Lama.
"Any student who is interested is going to be able to have some contact with him," Keitges said. "If you're paying attention you're going to have a chance to be in close proximity to His Holiness."
Keitges said based on prior visits to universities, the Dalai Lama will give a public address during his stay in Oxford.
"We anticipate based on what he has done at other U.S. universities that there will be a major public event," Keitges said. "He will have opportunities to meet in smaller groups with students."
There will be one group of individuals the Dalai Lama would especially like to be granted face time with, international Chinese students.
"We would make every effort to arrange for that happen," Keitges said. "We have currently about 450 Chinese students on campus. Although the Dalai Lama is considered by some a controversial person, we believe education is the opportunity to meet with people, even people you don't naturally agree with."
Senior Colleen Payne, who studied in Tibet summer 2008 and serves at the president of Students for Free Tibet, said the visit would allow students to learn more about the Tibet-China relationship.
"A lot of people we talk to don't know where (Tibet) is," Payne said. "With Miami's campus where it's very centered with the Chinese business program and Chinese international students, I think people forget there are potentially different opinions on campus."
Akers said the Dalai Lama's visit is a learning prospect for everybody at or near Miami.
"This is a chance for the Miami community, to interact with a world leader, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and premier advocate for non-violence," Akers said.
This chance is something people across the state are anticipating, according to Claire Wagner, associate director of university communications.
"They are running this news in the media across the state," Wagner said.
Akers said she has received a large amount of calls as well.
"The phone has not stopped ringing from students, from staff, I have questions from faculty and people who live in the community," Akers said.
Akers said the Dalai Lama's visit is helpful to achieve Miami and President David Hodge's missions.
"His visit is also in line with President Hodge's agenda of ‘making Miami an engaged university which creates connections to both local and global communities in meaningful relationships and for the common good,'" Akers said. "It's part of the university's new dialogue and makes for an extraordinary learning experience."
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