Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, June 7: Emory College of Arts and Sciences has officially designated the 2025–2026 academic year as the Year of Compassion, a college-wide initiative dedicated to promoting empathy, ethical engagement, and community-centered education.
The announcement coincides with the 90th birthday celebration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama on July 6. As Emory’s Presidential Distinguished Professor since 2007, the Tibetan spiritual leader has played a pivotal role in shaping the university’s commitment to compassion through its Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion-Based Ethics (Compassion Center).
The yearlong initiative is rooted in Emory’s core mission “to create, preserve, teach, and apply knowledge in the service of humanity,” and comes at a time when fostering empathy and understanding is increasingly urgent. “This is more than a college initiative,” a message from Dean Krauthamer said in a statement. “It is a call to pause, reflect, and consider how compassion shapes the way we lead, learn, and live.”
The Year of Compassion will celebrate Emory’s decades-long collaboration with the Nobel Peace Laureate, which has significantly shaped the university’s approach to integrating scientific and humanistic knowledge with ancient contemplative traditions. Central to this collaboration is the Compassion Center, a pioneering initiative that connects the Dalai Lama’s vision of educating both the heart and the mind with modern scientific inquiry and education.
As part of the celebrations, two major events will anchor the academic year; The Compassion Shift Launch is a two-day event hosted by the Emory Compassion Center from September 30 to October 1, 2025, marking the formal beginning of the Year of Compassion. “Compassion: What Moves You?” Exhibition , scheduled to open in January 2026 at the Michael C. Carlos Museum, this exhibition will explore artistic and cultural expressions of compassion.
The college has called on its departments, centers, and individuals to participate through academic lectures, creative projects, service initiatives, and other collaborative efforts that reflect the values of compassion and ethical action.
