Admission requirements
This course is only available for students in the BA International Studies programme.
The number of participants is limited to 24.
Please note that passing a Thematic Seminar (10 EC) in the second year, second semester, is an entry requirement for starting your thesis in academic year 2024-2025. You need to have passed a minimum of 100 curricular EC of the International Studies programme as well in order to start your thesis.
Description
Since the late nineteenth century, various forms of Buddhism emerged from modernising Asia and, with apparent ease, penetrated new cognitive, spiritual and cultural domains—many far removed from their origins, geographically as well as epistemically.
In the process, Buddhism often becomes abbreviated to ‘meditation’ and later even to ‘mindfulness’. We shall be taking a closer look at precisely such processes of mainstreaming of mindfulness, which, in hindsight, may reveal a certain irony: while emerging from its typical countercultural folds into the mainstream, mindfulness appears to be on the verge of losing its Buddhist associations—a cultural amnesia (or appropriation?) of sorts that in terms of culture dynamics may appear quite similar to what is happening with so-called postural yoga; and it is happening as we speak ...
In the reception history of Buddhist mindfulness, we moreover can discern a curious marriage of convenience between Buddhism and psychology. How did this come to pass and what does the most recent global rise of interest in mindfulness tell us about Buddhism, and what does it reveal about those who are interested (i.e., who are we that we are interested in mindfulness)?
In this course, we shall trace these fascinating twists and turns in the global reception history and mainstreaming of various forms of mindfulness ‘meditation’ and their application, for instance in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR, Jon Kabat-Zinn). Historical, literary, ritual, social, but also perceived spiritual and philosophical aspects of Buddhist traditions will come into view, in an exercise in Buddhist hermeneutics that is self-reflexive. The topic of mainstreaming of mindfulness therefore encourages engaging deeply diachronic and broadly international perspectives, and it also really thrives in multidisciplinary research approaches. The focus is on older Buddhist and Theravāda sources, which, when we attempt to read them in translation—as we indeed try to do in this course—by their perceived remoteness may challenge our own world views and self-understandings.
Parallel to this course, we shall try to arrange for participants who feel so inclined to attend Buddhist Mindfulness training.
Course objectives
The Thematic Seminars for International Studies are designed to teach students how to deal with state-of-the-art literature and research questions and enhance the students’ learning experience by building on the multidisciplinary perspectives they have developed so far, and introducing them further to the art of academic research. The Thematic Seminrs are characterised by an international or comparative approach.
Academic skills that are trained include:
Oral and written presentation skills:
1. To explain clear and substantiated research results.
2. To provide an answer to questions concerning (a subject) in the field covered by the course:
in the form of a clear and well-structured oral presentation;
in agreement with the appropriate disciplinary criteria;
using up-to-date presentation techniques;
using relevant illustration or multimedia techniques;
aimed at a specific audience.
3. To actively participate in a discussion
Collaboration skills:
1. To provide and receive constructive criticism, and incorporate justified criticism by revising one’s own position.
2. To adhere to agreed schedules and priorities.
Basic research skills, including heuristic skills:
1. To collect and select academic literature using traditional and digital methods and techniques.
2. To analyse and assess this literature with regard to quality and reliability.
3. To formulate on this basis a sound research question.
4. To design under supervision a research plan of limited scope, and implement it using the methods and techniques that are appropriate within the discipline involved.
5. To formulate a substantiated conclusion.
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
Seminars
Seminars are held every week, with the exception of the Midterm Exam week. This includes supervised research.
Assessment method
Assessment and Weighing
| Partial grade | Weighing |
|---|---|
| Assignments and in-class participation | 20% |
| Paper pitch | 10% |
| Oral presentation | 20% |
| Final Research Essay (+/- 5,000 words, excluding tables and bibliography) | 50% |
End Grade
To successfully complete the course, please take note that the End Grade of the course is established by determining the weighted average of all assessment components.
Resit
Students who score an overall insufficient grade for the course, are allowed resubmit a reworked version of the Final Essay. The deadline for resubmission is 10 working days after receiving the grade for the Final Research Essay and subsequent feedback.
In case of resubmission of the Final Research Essay the final grade for the Essay will be lowered as a consequence of the longer process of completion.
Students who fail to hand in their final essay on or before the original deadline, but still within 5 working days of that deadline, will receive a grade and feedback on their essay. This will be considered a first submission of the final essay, however, the grade will be lowered as a consequence of the longer process of completion.
Students who fail to hand in their final essay on or before the original deadline, and also fail to hand in their essay within 5 working days of that deadline, get 10 working days, counting from the original deadline, to hand in the first version of their final essay. However, this first version counts as a resubmitted essay with consequential lowering of the grade, and there will be no option of handing in a reworked version based on feedback from the lecturer.
Retaking a passing grade
Retaking a passing grade is not possible for this course.
Please consult the Course and Examination Regulations 2024 – 2025.
Exam review and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organised.
Reading list
The syllabus with assigned readings will be published on Brightspace one week in advance of the first session.
Additionally, the students will work through:
- W.C. Booth et al., The Craft of Research, fourth edition, Chicago/London: University of Chicago Press, 2016.
Registration
Registration occurs via survey only. Registration opens 13 December 2024:
- On 13 December 2024 you will receive a message with a link to the survey.
- Indicate there which are your 5 preferred Thematic Seminars, in order of preference.
- Based on preferences indicated by 6 January 2025 the course Coordinator will assign you to one specific Thematic Seminar by 20 January 2025.
- Students will then be enrolled for the specific groups by the Administration Office.
Students cannot register in uSis for the Thematic Seminar courses, or be allowed into a Thematic Seminar course in any other way.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Student Affairs Office for BA International Studies
Remarks
The deadline for submission of the Final Essay is Friday 6 June 2025.