"Some say that my teaching is nonsense. Others call it lofty but impractical.
But to those who have looked inside themselves, this nonsense makes perfect sense.
And to those who put it into practice,
this loftiness has roots that go deep.
I have just three things to teach:
simplicity, patience, compassion.
These three are your greatest treasures.
Simple in actions and in thoughts,
you return to the source of being.
Patient with both friends and enemies,
you accord with the way things are.
Compassionate toward yourself, You reconcile all beings in the world."- Lao Tzu
Education is the foundation for a good and fulfilling life, setting the individual on a path of personal fulfilment, economic security and societal contribution. In my opinion the key that unlocks the door to the building of a better world is EDUCATION - not any education, and surely not the education mostly on offer currently, but a truly different form of education, an education grounded in values and delivered by those who know that it is a great honour and responsibility to be a teacher, as well as knowing that teaching, above all else, is a vocation.
In this time of spiritual hunger, when the world of knowledge and competence is in a constant state of flux, it is vitally important to demonstrate that education needs to do more than grope in the dark: it needs to point students to the light of the world, by engaging the students with life's bigger questions. Questions such as:
Who am I? Where have I come from? Where am I going to? What is the purpose of this journey we call life? What is education? What is knowledge? What is wisdom? What is a university? What is the source of true happiness and wellbeing? What is the good life? What is the purpose of economic life? What role should universities play in building an integrity-based model of spiritual education? What should be the role of the youth? What distinct roles should students/civic/spiritual/political/business leaders and universities themselves take in advancing an "Education Worth Believing In"?
Prof. Mofid in this dialogical conversation will attempt to shed some light on these and other question in his quest to offer a path to a values-led education for the common good.
It is his wish you to note that, this conversation is not addressed to those who regard a practical problem merely as something to be talked about. No profound philosophy or deep erudition will be found in his address. He aims only at putting together some remarks which are inspired by what he hopes is common sense, and mostly further inspired by the wisdom of those before him. He has learnt much from the wisdom of others, which he hopes to share a bit of with the listener. All that he claims for the recipes offered to you is that they are as such confirmed by his own experience, observation, and most importantly, by his life journey, both personally and professionally. On this basis he ventures to hope that some among those thinking about the same and other related issues may find his contribution helpful.
He hopes that with this personal and professional reflection, he can humbly begin an open dialogue with all concerned colleagues, friends, students and others, so that together- all of us- can prescribe a working solution. Moreover, he will present his thoughts in an easy-to-follow manner and sees himself as a story-teller in a heart-to-heart dialogue and conversation with the listener; nothing less, nothing more. We are facing some major crises. For Prof. Mofid, the answers lie in simplicity. No need to complicate matters more. It is time to be contemplative and take action for social justice, for which a sustainable education for the common good is an essential part.
Prof. Kamran Mofid is Founder of the Globalisation for the Common Good Initiative (founded at an international conference in Oxford in 2002) and Co- founder/Editor, Journal of Globalisation for the Common Good, hosted at Purdue University, USA, member of the International Coordinating Committee (ICC) of the World Public Forum, Dialogue of Civilisations, and Founding Member, World Dignity University, and Global Advisory Board, Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies. Mofid received his BA and MA in economics from the University of Windsor, Canada in 1980 and 1982 respectively. In 1986 he was awarded his doctorate in economics from the University of Birmingham, UK. In 2001 he received a Certificate in Education in Pastoral Studies at Plater College, Oxford. From 1980 to 2000 he was Economic Teaching Assistant, Tutor, Lecturer and Senior Lecturer at Universities of Windsor (Canada), Birmingham, Bristol, Wolverhampton, and Coventry (UK). Mofid's work is highly interdisciplinary, drawing on Economics, Business, Politics, International Relations, Theology, Culture, Ecology, Ethics and Spirituality. Mofid's writings have appeared in leading scholarly journals, popular magazines and newspapers. His books include Development Planning in Iran: From Monarchy to Islamic Republic , The Economic Consequences of the Gulf war, Globalisation for the Common Good, Business Ethics, Corporate Social Responsibility and Globalisation for the Common Good , Promoting the Common Good (with Rev. Dr. Marcus Braybrooke, 2005), and A non-Violent Path to Conflict Resolution and Peace Building (Co-authored, 2008).