On teaching and blogging ...

A few years ago, a student remarked in class about my blog; he said that the more he kept reading a few old posts, the more he realized a striking similarity between the blog content and the class content.

Of course those were the old days before trump, when my writings here were rarely unprofessional.  Which is also why I have now stopped telling students about my tweeting and blogging.

But then, maybe I should, because it will be a powerful evidence that while I am highly charged and definitive about issues and people here in my private space, none of that spills over into the classroom.  In classes, even when students ask me what I think about whatever the issue is that we are discussing, my typical response is that while I certainly have my own opinions, my job is not to bring them to the classroom, but to push them into thinking from multiple perspectives.

You, dear reader, on the other hand, have never observed me in my classes.  And perhaps you have often wondered whether I am a ranting nutcase in the classroom.  Rest assured that I am one hell of a straitjacketed professor in the professional environment.

So, in that spirit, I provide here a task that I assigned a class.  You will notice that the topic is not new to this blog, but the tone is markedly different from how I would have written about it here.  Right?

Finally, you will also notice a parallel between blogging and teaching.  In both, the structure is the same: We lay out the arguments, and bring in appropriate quotes, right?  Even the task that I assigned is the same way ... The real difference between my teaching and blogging is how "professional" I am in my language ;)

Go ahead, and write up the 2,000-word essay, and I will give you feedback ;)
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In his op-ed (from class discussions on 11/15, or click here) the Dalai Lama writes:

The time has come to understand that we are the same human beings on this planet. Whether we want to or not, we must coexist.

He adds that “empathy is the basis of human coexistence.”

Such a coexistence, the Dalai Lama argues, requires the United States, too, “to think more about global-level issues.”

While the Dalai Lama does not refer to any specific event or issue in that particular op-ed, he has been vocal about the ongoing Rohingya crisis. In other contexts, he has also explicitly called on the global leaders, which includes the United States, to act on the Rohingya crisis.

The Rohingya crisis brings together, unfortunately, many aspects that we would want to understand: For instance, the role of religion and religious differences; the level of economic development; the structure of governance in the country/countries directly affected by the crisis; and even the “different” looks of the people. Thus, in a tragic manner, the Rohingya crisis makes an ideal candidate as a global issue, and also makes as a final exam topic.

Your task for the final paper is this: In addition to clarifying the complexity of the Rohingya crisis itself, do some background reading in order to understand:

• What has the Dalai Lama said about the Rohingya crisis?
• What has the current president of the US said about the Rohingya crisis?
• What has the president’s secretary of state said about the Rohingya crisis?
• How do their views compare/contrast with the Dalai Lama’s call “to think more about global-level issues” and with “empathy is the basis of human coexistence”?

Based on all that reading, and based on the relevant materials from the course, you will write an essay in response to the following:

Do the views of the president and his secretary of state agree with the Dalai Lama’s views—about the need for global thinking and about the Rohingya crisis? If they are not in sync, then whose position do you agree with and why?

In writing the essay, keep in mind that the essay is an end-of-term demonstration of how you have met the course goals:

• Understand the complexity and interdependence of contemporary global issues.
• Appreciate how one’s own culture and history affect one’s worldview and expectations.
• Appreciate the vastness of the world and the opportunities to create a better future for all peoples.