The International Network of Engaged Buddhists’ (INEB) annual School of English for Engaged Social Service (SENS)—a three-month transformative learning program to nurture young adults and mentor them as community leaders and agents of compassionate social change—has announced the upcoming launch of its 2025 study program, with applications currently being accepted for prospective students.
Hosted by the INEB Institute, a non-profit center of higher education, INEB’s annual SENS program integrates English-language training with self-awareness and interpersonal support, coupled with an understanding of social and ecological challenges, in order to train young adults in leadership. With an emphasis on sustainability—for the planet, for society, and for the human spirit—the program seeks to engender among its students the diverse skills and personal qualities needed to bring about personal, social, and ecological resilience. This 12-week course of intensive instruction commences in Thailand in January 2025.
“We aim to develop an English language program that serves as a model for socially conscious language learning,” the INEB Institute said in a recent announcement. “Our program enables rapid, enjoyable, and successful mastery of language skills in a rich, cooperative learning environment. Together, we foster personal growth and social engagement as contributions to peace, justice, understanding, and sustainability worldwide.”
The INEB Institute was established by INEB with the intention of creating a model institute of higher learning offering study programs that integrate progressive practices and learning strategies with a focus on peace and reconciliation, environmental healing, alternative education, sustainable economics, and the capacity for spiritual growth and leadership. Embodying the principals of socially engaged Buddhism, the institute’s primary purpose is to help young people rediscover their fundamental interdependent nature while developing the skills to become agents of genuine social change.
“Our vision is that positive and lasting social change must be grounded in a transformation of the way each individual views her or his connection to our world and all its inhabitants. We welcome students from any country, regardless of age, occupation, and social or religious status,” the INEB Institute said.
The 2025 SENS learning program spans two terms running from 12 January–5 April, with a five-day break from 21–25 February, centered at Wongsanit Ashram in Nakhon Nayok, Thailand.
The program’s content includes: a unique opportunity to study in a small group working to build a healthy, just, and peaceful world; opportunities to meet leading monks, thinkers, organizers, and educators; a chance to learn about methods that the INEB Institute has developed for integrating personal growth, social and ecological awareness, and rapid improvement in English skills within a single intensive program; and learning about Buddhism and the key social issues facing Asia.
“The SENS program seeks students who are committed to working for the larger good, who are able to listen attentively to others, and who can think independently,” INEB Institute emphasized. “This year, we extend a special invitation to those who are English teachers with an interest in new methods, especially how we combine English skills training with encouragement of personal growth and social and ecological awareness. We welcome students from any country, regardless of age [minimum age 18], occupation, and social or religious status. We are happy to accept laypeople as well as those who have chosen a religious vocation. We aim to form a diverse cohort of students who identify with Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, or an indigenous tradition—or who follow secular or other forms of self-cultivation, ethical orientation, and spiritual practice.”
Click here for full details of the SENS 2025 program
The International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB) is a global network of individuals and organizations who are committed to promoting and working toward social justice, environmental sustainability, and world peace.
INEB was formed in 1989 by Prof. Sulak Sivaraksa and a group of Buddhist leaders and scholars seeking to apply the Buddhist teachings and principles to contemporary social and political issues. Through its global network, INEB works to promote understanding, cooperation, and connection among inter-Buddhist and inter-religious groups, and to actively address urgent global issues such as human rights, conflict resolution, and environmental crises.
Headquartered in Bangkok, INEB has established a wide range of social projects and outreach programs aimed at overcoming suffering and empowering vulnerable communities through the practice of the Dharma and social engagement, such as education and training programs, community development projects, advocacy and lobbying efforts, and interfaith dialogue. The network also advocates the importance of environmental sustainability and the responsible use of natural resources, and has promoted sustainable development practices in various communities.
INEB emphasizes the importance of developing an ethical, Dharma-based approach to its work, and encourages its members to work collaboratively and respectfully with individuals and organizations upon a foundation of shared values and aspirations.
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International Network of Engaged Buddhists
School of English for Engaged Social Service (SENS)
INEB Institute
INEB – International Network of Engaged Buddhists (Facebook)
The INEB Institute (Facebook)
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