4th Cohort Leadership Program
(16 January – 5 February, 2024)
The fourth cohort leadership program began on February 16 and ended on March 5, 2024 at Tibetan Pavilion, Auroville in Pondicherry. This year the program mainly focused on honing skills in Tibetan creative writing and video editing. As for their final project, some participants are writing about science and Buddhism and while others are making videos associated with science and Buddhism.
From February 16th to February 28th Geshe Beri Jigmey took a Tibetan writing class. He is a lecturer and head of the Tibetan Literature Centre, Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, Varanasi. And from February 22nd to March 5th, Kalsang had taken video and photo editing class. He is a professional videographer and editor.
During Geshe La’s session, the participants were given detailed tutorial, starting with the basics of Tibetan writing techniques. The classes were contained of various writing assignments and presentation, all of which were vigorously reviewed and discussed with class by Geshe la.
Kalsang, an accomplished professional videographer and editor, facilitated the video editing and photoshop classes. His expertise in the field provided participants with extensive education. Throughout the sessions, Kalsang delved into Adobe video editing techniques, providing methodical guidance to each participant. Moreover, he introduced them to the basics of Photoshop, further inflating their skills. And the learning experience was hands-on, with Kalsang personally helping everyone as they learned. As a consequence of this participatory approach, participants established confidence in editing videos and photos.
About the teachers:
Geshe Beri Jigme Wangyal
Geshe Beri Jigme Wangyal studied Tibetan Language and Literature, Religious History, etc. from his late father cum scholar Lobsang Dhondyoe. He travelled to India in 1989 and started his monastic education at Drepung Loseling Monastic Institution in South India. Whilst studying he was also an editor of the Institution’s publication section from 1993 and a teacher from 1995.He has presented hundreds of papers at different international conferences including in the USA, Germany, and England. Moreover, he has published twenty-eight books of Tibetan Poetry and Literature, History and Buddhist Philosophy, etc. Currently, he is a lecturer and head of the Tibetan Literature Centre, Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, Varanasi.
Mr. Kalsang Damdul
Mr. Kalsang Damdul is a seasoned professional with a remarkable journey that spans continents and fields of expertise.Mr. Damdul has honed his skills in audio-visual production and digital communication, showcasing a keen eye for detail and a dedication to excellence. He served as the Audio Visual In-charge at Men-Tsee-Khang for six years, where he played a pivotal role in advancing the organisation’s mission through his innovative multimedia initiatives.With over a decade of experience spanning various film projects, including short films, photography, documentaries, and digital campaigns, Mr. Damdul has established himself as a versatile and accomplished professional. Driven by a passion for storytelling and social advocacy, he currently serves as a full-time independent documentary filmmaker and photographer.
