Fielding Graduate University Summer Session
Dr. Kazuma Matoba and Sergej van Middendorp went to further the collaboration between the Institute for Global Integral Competence, the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution, and Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara (US). They co-presented a workshop on global integral competence and cosmopolitan communication with Fred Steier (Fielding) and Bart Beuchner (CMMI). Further more they co-facilitated two workshops on CMM, and had meetings with leaders in the Fielding community to further the collaboration between our two institutes.
Here some short notes from Sergej about their beautiful trip:
“My role was to bring Kazuma into ever closer relationship with the people in the Fielding and CMM communities. The Fielding community is a very special one; they occupy a hotel and make it their home for a week. Numerous workshops, final oral reviews, committee meetings, cermonies, celebrations, remembrances and a lot of networking between kindred spirits is what marks national sessions at Fielding. Kazuma and I copresented with Fred Steier, Bart Beucher, Ilene Wasserman, John Parrish-Sprowl and Susan Parrisch-Sprowl in a total of three workshops. Two of which were organized by the CMM institute, and one of which was organized by ourselves. All in all 40 to 50 PhD students, professors, and alumni from Fielding have actively participated with us in these workshops.
As a support for further work together, we agreed on a memorandum of understanding between Fielding, the CMM institute, and IfGIC to work towards a certificate degree in cosmopolitan communication. We met and discussed this with leaders from Fielding, like Charles McClintock, Orlando Taylor, Fred Steier, Dorothy Agger Gupta, Barton Beuchner, and Ilene Wasserman. Ilene will lead on our behalf to further follow-up with Fielding. We made our mark in the community as the institute.
Especially the day long workshop on Friday was particularly powerful because of its mix between theory and practical exercises. A lot of new relationships were made, and existing relationships were further grown. The formal milestone of Fielding committing to working with us was also a highlight.
It was inspiring for me to work together and to see our evolving and shared work coming together face to face for the first time in a long while.”
Sergej van Middendorp
