Living in a sustainable manner requires a special kind of creativity—the ability to solve long-standing problems and integrate diverse areas of life.

Maharishi Univeristy of Management offers the first Sustainable Living degree programme in USA
by Global Good News staff writer
26 June 2008

Maharishi University of Management (M.U.M.) is the first to offer degree programs in sustainability, and the university’s new Student Center is the first in America to be constructed according to the ancient principles of Vedic Architecture in harmony with Natural Law using natural, non-toxic materials.

Faculty member Dr Lonnie Gamble spoke about the uniqueness of the Sustainable Living programme at Maharishi University of Managment: 'The original ecocatastrophe [such as global warming, chemical pollutants in the environment etc] from which all others emerge is an internal ecocatastrophe where we have lost our connection to our own source, to our own connection with Nature, with Natural Law, our own internal Being.

'That's really what this university is about—the reconnection with Being [or Transcendental Consciousness, the inner Self of everyone, which is experienced during Maharishi's Transcendental Meditation] to correct that original internal catastrophe of disconnection with Being, and then get us spontaneously back in tune with the path of Natural Law.

'The Sustainability Program is about creating a world based on Natural Law on a physical level, but really that starts internally. If you have not just as an intellectual idea, but your actual experience that there is no difference really on an essential level between your source and the source of the rest of creation—that you are so intimate that the rest of creation is actually part of you, then you're not going to harm or damage that.'

BS and MBA in Sustainable Living
The Sustainable Living program has both a BS and one year MBA level courses. The BS in Sustainable Living covers seven key areas:
* Self sustainability—programs for inner sustainability as the basis for outer sustainability: these include the teaching of Consciousness-Based Education and the practice of the Transcendental Meditation Technique, a unique programme for development of the student’s consciousness.
* Bio-geophysiology—the foundations of ecology and geology as the model for sustainability;
* Renewable energy—solar energy, wind energy, and biofuels;
* Sustainable agriculture—organic agriculture and permaculture design on the University’s organic farm, including Maharishi Vedic Organic agriculture;
* Eco-architectural design—creating buildings and communities in harmony with the laws of nature: Maharishi Sthapatya Veda;
* Green business and entrepreneurship—the basics of business, entrepreneurship, and eco-economics that drive sustainable communities;
* Social-ecological interface—bio-cultural ethics, environmental law, and an overview of mega-sustainability issues.

Sample courses
An example of one of the courses in this programme is Field Ecology:
In a special six-week course that integrates the core principles and practical applications of ecology from the perspective of human consciousness, students learn how the Laws of Nature evolved the biosphere to provide a support system for the miraculous complexity of life.

Students use their deep experience of consciousness to appreciate the power and majesty of Nature, the primal forces that manifest creativity and intelligence in the universe.

This course exposes the processes that make life what it is: so much more than a series of intricate, dynamic structures interlinked through constant flux and transformation. The course is project based, so students will spend most of their time in the field or performing research aimed at adding value to real world developments. The course covers speciation and interactivity, social interaction, natural selection, and adaptation in nature. Students work in groups to develop the leadership and team-building skills needed for effective transformations to sustainability.

Another course is Physiology, Health, and the Environment:
Individual health is a microcosm of the health of the planet. To prepare students for creating a non-toxic, disease-free society, they learn self-care. This course provides understanding of the different elements of the body and how to keep them balanced and strong. Health-care experts teach useful information about one’s own body as it relates to health, longevity, relationships, family, and career.

Rather than an in-depth anatomical analysis of the body, the emphasis is on practical information, including identification of environmental threats to human physiology, and how to protect against those threats. Maharishi Consciousness-Based Health CareSM, the world’s oldest system of natural health care, will be prominently featured in the course.

The course Leadership and Team-Building awakens inner silence as the basis of unifying individuals into powerful teams directed by strong leaders.

Living in a sustainable manner requires a special kind of creativity—the ability to solve long-standing problems and integrate diverse areas of life. This course expands one’s capacity for seeing new angles and finding innovative solutions. Students learn how to act in harmony with Nature’s laws and thereby achieve maximal results with minimal effort. They gain thorough understanding of the creative cycle of germination, assimilation, and completion, and at the same time, learn the gentle art of inspiring and mobilizing others, including tools for motivating and harmonizing different personality profiles.

The MBA in Sustainability
The MBA in Sustainability is a one or two year programme that covers five key areas:
* Self Sustainability—develops the student’s total inner potential and leadership abilities through Consciousness-Based education
* Sustainable Entrepreneurship—focuses on creating successful green businesses that produce real value for society
* Sustainable Business Solutions—provides the knowledge and skills needed for transforming and managing businesses for lasting sustainability
* Sustainable Management—emphasizes the people and organizational skills needed for managing projects and operations
* Sustainable Living—provides advanced knowledge and experience in renewable energy, organic agriculture, and the other principal fields of sustainable living

University Projects
Many courses in the MBA in Sustainability include valuable projects for city and county government, local businesses, and the university administration. Examples of these projects include:

* Planning a municipal electrical utility for the City of Fairfield, Iowa, where the university is located
* Designing the new $32 million Jefferson County Hospital to be sustainable
* Performing feasibility studies for the City of Fairfield Wastewater Treatment Plant to recover energy from anaerobic solid waste digestion, installation of a wind turbine to supply energy to the City Water Works operation, and creating a municipal solid waste-recycling program
* Planning and implementing business process improvement using Lean Thinking at local manufacturing and service companies including: Creative Edge (the world’s largest water jet company), Cambridge Research Investments (the fastest growing financial broker service company in the US with over 200 employees), The Sky Factory (the world’s leading manufacturer of luminous virtual windows and ceiling panels)
* Planning and implementing a campus-wide project to retrofit and build sustainability into every part of the University’s 200-acre campus.

Demonstrating M.U.M.’s commitment
Demonstrating its commitment to applying the principles of sustainability to its own campus to the maximum extent possible, Maharishi University of Management serves organic vegetarian meals daily, often with produce from its own greenhouses or grown locally.

Maharishi University of Management pledges to eliminate greenhouse emissions Maharishi University of Management joins over 300 colleges and universities across the US in signing a climate agreement pledging to eliminate campus greenhouse emissions over time. University President Dr Bevan Morris signed the American College and University Presidents Climate. The University is a ‘Charter Signatory,’ meaning it is among the first group of institutions to sign the agreement.

Presidents who sign the Climate Agreement are committing to: Completing an emissions inventory; within two years, setting a target date and interim milestones for becoming climate neutral; taking immediate steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by choosing from a list of short-term actions, including integrating sustainability into the curriculum and making it part of the educational experience; making the action plan, inventory, and progress reports publicly available.

For more information and details about sustainability at Maharishi University of Management, please visit: http://www.mum.edu/sustainability.html

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