The DePaul University Institute for Daisaku Ikeda Studies in Education held a weeklong research forum on Ikeda/Soka studies for leading and emerging scholars in the field (Aug. 6-10). Invited scholars included Dr. Awad Ibrahim from University of Ottawa, Dr. Kiiko Ikegami from Monash University in Australia, Dr. Takao Ito from Soka University in Japan, Dr. Ruthanne Kurth-Schai from Macalester College, Dr. Dawn-Elissa Fischer from San Francisco State University, Dr. Namrata Sharma from State University of New York at Oswego, Andrew Gebert, a professional translator, and Mote Joffee, co-founder of The Renaissance Charter School in New York. DePaul faculty and doctoral students engaged in the field of Ikeda/Soka studies also participated in the forum.
This forum was envisioned to coordinate and advance scholarship in Ikeda/Soka studies in education by bringing together scholars from various fields, such as philosophy, history, economics, early childhood education, Black popular culture, and language education, as well as teachers, administrators, and school founders. Participants discussed gaps in, and needs for, research in Ikeda/Soka studies in terms of theory and practice. Some of the major themes discussed include historical contexts of value-creating pedagogy, education vs. schooling, humanistic and human education, value vs. values, teacher preparation, and standards and assessments.
Participants developed individual and co-authored scholarship and planned collaborative presentations at major national and international conferences.
Institute for Daisaku Ikeda Studies in Education 