I feel extremely lucky to have been chosen to be part of the Rockefeller Foundation's Bellagio Residency Program. I belong to an experimental themed program where 13 fellows (academics, practitioners and artists) are together for an entire month. Our work, background and nationalities are varied but we are doing work related to human behaviour.
Our formal sessions have yet to begin, but I have already learned so much in the past week. We mostly work independently throughout the day, but we do see each other during meals. And there are a lot of them - breakfast, lunch, tea, pre-dinner cocktails, dinner and after-dinner cocktails! Although one can opt out of taking meals with the group, we've joined most of them because each interaction is a lesson about the world and other cultures. The conversations differ from the profound (poverty, violence, culture, etc) to the technical (choice architecture, rap research, mathematical psychology), to the artistic (sculpture and art therapy, graphic cartoons) the mundane (where does George Clooney really live). Coming from Kenya, Colombia, India, Philippines, and North America - the fellows and their spouses are just so interesting that you learn something from each encounter.
Although our perspectives are varied, the fellows are passionate about their interests and advocacies. Among us is an artist who is making a graphic representation of the constitution of Kenya so people will understand it better. Another artist works with survivors of sexual abuse and uses art to help in their healing. Whether it is through arts, research or advocacy, everyone wants to do what we can to make the world a better place and hearing what they do is just so inspiring.
At today's breakfast, the conversation began on the topic of dying crafts before moving on to poverty and the economy and social enterprises. I learned our similarities with other developing countries like Colombia, Africa and India. But I also discovered interesting nuances - like how in Colombia, they take the hair of the deceased and weave them into a necklace so they will always have them near.
At lunch today, we began talking about raising kids and discipline in schools and I discovered how our issues on parenting and schooling problems are shared across cultures. Then an American professor shared with us some problems in mentoring her Asian students. This led to a conversation about pedagogies and orientation of students and we shared with her some reflections and experiences in mentoring in collectivist and high power distance cultures. She was so pleased to gain a new perspective on handling foreign students and she thanked us because she learned something new.
That's how I feel after every meal that here in Bellagio too. Because here, meals feed not only our bodies but our souls and minds as well.
https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/about-us/news-media/rockefeller-foundation-ideas42-announce-collaboration-advance-knowledge-human-behavior/,
Our formal sessions have yet to begin, but I have already learned so much in the past week. We mostly work independently throughout the day, but we do see each other during meals. And there are a lot of them - breakfast, lunch, tea, pre-dinner cocktails, dinner and after-dinner cocktails! Although one can opt out of taking meals with the group, we've joined most of them because each interaction is a lesson about the world and other cultures. The conversations differ from the profound (poverty, violence, culture, etc) to the technical (choice architecture, rap research, mathematical psychology), to the artistic (sculpture and art therapy, graphic cartoons) the mundane (where does George Clooney really live). Coming from Kenya, Colombia, India, Philippines, and North America - the fellows and their spouses are just so interesting that you learn something from each encounter.
Although our perspectives are varied, the fellows are passionate about their interests and advocacies. Among us is an artist who is making a graphic representation of the constitution of Kenya so people will understand it better. Another artist works with survivors of sexual abuse and uses art to help in their healing. Whether it is through arts, research or advocacy, everyone wants to do what we can to make the world a better place and hearing what they do is just so inspiring.
At today's breakfast, the conversation began on the topic of dying crafts before moving on to poverty and the economy and social enterprises. I learned our similarities with other developing countries like Colombia, Africa and India. But I also discovered interesting nuances - like how in Colombia, they take the hair of the deceased and weave them into a necklace so they will always have them near.
At lunch today, we began talking about raising kids and discipline in schools and I discovered how our issues on parenting and schooling problems are shared across cultures. Then an American professor shared with us some problems in mentoring her Asian students. This led to a conversation about pedagogies and orientation of students and we shared with her some reflections and experiences in mentoring in collectivist and high power distance cultures. She was so pleased to gain a new perspective on handling foreign students and she thanked us because she learned something new.
That's how I feel after every meal that here in Bellagio too. Because here, meals feed not only our bodies but our souls and minds as well.
https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/about-us/news-media/rockefeller-foundation-ideas42-announce-collaboration-advance-knowledge-human-behavior/,