MIU is rapidly expanding its visibility and leadership within the United Nations system, with senior university figures participating in a series of high‑level UN‑sponsored events over the past two years.
From keynote addresses at the UN’s inaugural and second annual World Meditation Day observances to an upcoming academic presentation before a major UN scholarly council, MIU is helping shape global conversations on meditation, public health, and human resilience.
“The UN’s recognition of World Meditation Day reflects a growing understanding that inner development and outer peace are inseparably linked.”
— Dr. John Hagelin
“We are witnessing a shift in the global conversation — from meditation as a personal wellness tool to meditation as a strategic resource for public health and conflict prevention,” Dr. John Hagelin said. “The UN’s recognition of World Meditation Day reflects a growing understanding that inner development and outer peace are inseparably linked.”
A historic first: Dr. Tony Nader keynotes the inaugural World Meditation Day
Momentum began on December 20, 2024, when MIU President Dr. Tony Nader was invited as the sole non‑diplomat keynote speaker at the United Nations’ first‑ever World Meditation Day celebration in New York City. The event followed a unanimous General Assembly resolution establishing December 21 as an annual observance dedicated to “Inner Peace, Global Harmony.”
More than 200 attendees — including diplomats from roughly 30 UN member states and leaders of UN‑affiliated NGOs — gathered for the inaugural event. Senior diplomats from the six sponsoring nations — India, Sri Lanka, Liechtenstein, Nepal, Mexico, and Andorra — were prominently represented. Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, addressed participants live from Zurich.
In his keynote, Dr. Nader emphasized that “meditation is not a luxury — it’s a necessity,” describing the Transcendental Meditation technique as a universal, non‑religious technology for inner renewal. Citing the UNESCO constitution’s assertion that peace must be built in the minds of individuals, he argued that TM provides a systematic means of doing so.
Dr. Nader referenced more than 750 scientific studies on TM’s health benefits, along with over 118 studies showing reductions in crime, illness, and conflict during large‑group practice. He also recalled a landmark 1993 Washington, D.C., study in which researchers documented a significant drop in violent crime coinciding with a large meditation group assembled in the city.
The global observance drew more than one million participants worldwide on December 21, marking the start of what is now an annual UN‑recognized event.
Sustained engagement: Dr. John Hagelin at the International Day of Peace and World Meditation Day in 2025
Building on that foundation, MIU leaders again played a central role at the United Nations in 2025.
On September 21, Dr. John Hagelin delivered a keynote address as part of the International Day of Peace global celebration, coordinated internationally in connection with the UN. His talk, “World Peace through Inner Peace: An Evidence‑Based Approach,” outlined five core elements of the brain‑based / Consciousness‑Based® approach to peace. Watch the presentation here.
On December 21, 2025, Hagelin spoke at the second annual World Meditation Day commemorations at UN Headquarters, held in the historic Trusteeship Council Chamber. The gathering reflected growing institutional interest in meditation as a tool for public health, resilience, and peacebuilding. Speaking as a scientist and international president of the Global Union of Scientists for Peace, Hagelin presented research on the mechanisms by which large‑group meditation produces societal coherence, alongside diplomats, academics, and spiritual leaders.
Dr. Robert Schneider, originally scheduled to speak in Dr. Nader’s place on cardiovascular benefits of TM, arrived shortly before the conclusion due to weather‑related delays, and Hagelin presented in his stead.
In his remarks, Hagelin described meditation as a “non‑political, non‑coercive technology of peace — grounded in science and accessible to all,” noting a shift in global discourse toward its relevance for conflict prevention and public health.
Although World Meditation Day is only two years old, participants at the 2025 observance highlighted its role as a catalyst for new institutional pathways within the UN system.
Academic integration and policy impact
Emerging initiatives now involve engagement with the Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS), preparation for future Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Consultative Status applications, collaborations around the International Day of Yoga, and potential participation in interfaith and comparative religion conferences.
Central to MIU’s expanding role is the effort to introduce evidence‑based meditation research directly into UN academic and policy networks. Engagement with ACUNS — a key scholarly partner — offers opportunities to integrate meditation into discussions of sustainable development, mental health, environmental stress, and human security.
ECOSOC Consultative Status remains a strategic priority, enabling TM‑affiliated organizations to participate more formally in UN meetings, submit written statements, and host side events across the system.
Looking ahead: MIU to present at ACUNS annual meeting in Portugal
The next milestone comes on June 6, 2026, when Dr. Schneider and Dr. Charlotte Bech present peer‑reviewed research at the ACUNS Annual Meeting in Lisbon, Portugal. Their paper, “Environmental Stress, Cardiovascular Risk, and Human Resilience: Evidence‑Based Pathways for Multilateral Policy Integration,” examines cardiovascular disease as a downstream effect of environmental and psychosocial stressors.
They will outline preventive cardiovascular strategies for climate, environmental, urban, and social policy frameworks, and highlight evidence‑based stress‑reduction interventions — including TM — as components of resilience‑oriented public health policy.
“This places Dr. Schneider and TM in front of a very prestigious audience of academic advisers to UN leadership,” said Craig Hobbs, an organizer of MIU’s UN engagements. “It also adds credibility and visibility to Dr. Hagelin’s and Dr. Nader’s work with global governance bodies.”
“We are at a pivotal moment where meditation is no longer viewed as alternative or adjunctive, but as complementary and integrative within mainstream medical practice.”
— Dr. Robert Schneider
“We are at a pivotal moment where meditation is no longer viewed as alternative or adjunctive, but as complementary and integrative within mainstream medical practice,” Dr. Schneider said. “The data support its inclusion in preventive cardiology, workplace health programs, and trauma-informed care.”
A growing role on the world stage
From keynote speeches at UN headquarters to academic presentations shaping international policy conversations, MIU’s leadership is building a respected presence in multilateral discussions on peace, public health, and human development — and new avenues of engagement continue to open.
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Banner photo by Gavin Li on Unsplash.
Two MIU scholars were among a small group of invited international speakers at a major academic conference held last fall in conjunction with the birth centenary of Sri Sathya Sai Baba, one of India’s most influential spiritual leaders.
Dr. Fred Travis, Distinguished Professor of Neuroscience and Director of MIU’s Center for Brain, Consciousness, and Cognition, and Ramayan scholar Michael Sternfeld presented their work during a Vedic Centennial Conference held January 23–25, 2026, at Prasanthi Nilayam, the main Sai Baba ashram in Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh.
The academic sessions followed large‑scale centenary observances that drew hundreds of thousands of participants from around the world. The main celebration, on November 19, included a visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and marked the 100th anniversary of Sai Baba’s birth.
An unexpected invitation
Sternfeld, who has no prior institutional connection to the Sai Baba organization, said the invitation itself was unexpected.
“As a longtime student of Maharishi’s knowledge, I really didn’t feel that familiar or connected with the Sai Baba tradition,” he said. “But they were very intentional about inviting scholars from outside their own lineage, and they were genuinely interested in dialogue.”
Sternfeld earned an MA in Maharishi Vedic Science from MIU, where he became fascinated with the Ramayana and, using his producer skills, went on to create numerous productions of the great epic over the last 30 years, including theatrical productions, a theme park, and the first complete audio production of the unabridged Ramayana of Valmiki — 75 hours long, making it the world’s longest audiobook. His latest production, Sita’s Gems, retells the story from the vantage point of the divine feminine.
Travis was invited soon afterward and flew in briefly to speak at the conference’s central academic venue.
Neuroscience and lived experience
Travis’s presentation focused on the relationship between consciousness and brain functioning, drawing on decades of neuroscientific research on Transcendental Meditation and higher states of consciousness.
“The main point,” Travis said, “is that consciousness is primary. The brain isn’t producing consciousness — consciousness is structuring the brain.”
He emphasized that this perspective is not philosophical speculation but something that can be measured.
“When consciousness interacts with itself, we see it very clearly in patterns of brain functioning,” he said. “We can measure coherence in brainwaves, and we can see consistent changes during meditation and chanting.”
At the organizers’ request, Travis conducted a live demonstration using EEG equipment to show real‑time changes in brain activity during Vedic chanting.
“It wasn’t about convincing anyone,” he said. “It was simply about showing what happens in the nervous system during these experiences.”
Re‑reading the Ramayana
Sternfeld addressed a much larger audience in the ashram’s main gathering hall, speaking to several thousand people during a morning session. His talk explored the Ramayana not as a fixed moral code, but as a living guide to discerning increasingly subtle levels of right action.
“The Ramayana is often described as a textbook of dharma,” he said. “But dharma there isn’t black and white. It’s deliberately ambiguous, and that ambiguity challenges us to open our awareness to finer levels of discrimination.”
Central to Sternfeld’s presentation was what he described as the interweaving of love and dharma throughout the epic.
“This interweaving is much like the double helix of DNA, which acts as the ‘code of life,'” he said. Throughout the Ramayana, its central characters repeatedly encounter this apparent opposition between love and dharma. This dynamic tension serves as a refined crucible through which dharma is clarified, love expands, and consciousness evolves.”
He illustrated this dynamic through key episodes in the epic, including the emotionally charged exchange between Rama and Bharata during Rama’s exile.
“That moment captures the whole teaching,” Sternfeld said. “Bharata speaks from love. Rama speaks from dharma. The resolution honors both.”
Conference organizers asked Sternfeld to speak without slides or prepared text.
“They specifically said, ‘We want you to speak extemporaneously,’” he said. “They wanted it to come from lived understanding, not presentation polish.”
A meeting of traditions
Both speakers said they were struck by the intellectual depth of the conference and by how closely many presentations aligned with Maharishi’s teachings, despite coming from a different lineage.
“The level of scholarship was remarkably high,” Sternfeld said. “Many of the speakers were senior academics, government advisors, or heads of national institutes. And their understanding of Vedic knowledge was extremely refined.”
Travis agreed.
“What stood out was how natural the conversation was,” he said. “There wasn’t any sense of competition between traditions. There was mutual respect.”
At the same time, the differences were clear.
“The orientation there is much more outward — Vedic chanting and service based on devotion,” Travis said. “Maharishi’s emphasis is deeply inward, experience pure consciousness and bring it into your life.”
Conversations beyond the conference
Beyond their formal talks, Sternfeld and Travis met with senior leaders of the Sai Baba organization to explore possible future collaborations.
“We discussed three areas,” Sternfeld said. “Sending delegates to international conferences, potential collaborative research on meditation and chanting, and the importance of large groups practicing together.”
While no formal projects have yet been launched, both speakers saw the conversations as significant.
“The conference wasn’t framed as an endpoint,” Sternfeld said. “They were very explicit: this is meant to lead to ongoing work.”
A broader perspective
For both MIU faculty members, the experience offered a wider lens on how Vedic knowledge is being preserved, interpreted, and lived in different cultural contexts.
“It was valuable to be in another ashram environment and really see how it functions,” Travis said. “It helped clarify what’s essential and what’s stylistic.”
Sternfeld described the visit as affirming, both personally and professionally.
“To speak to thousands of people who are deeply established in a Vedic tradition — and to be received with respect as someone representing Maharishi’s work — that was meaningful,” he said. “It felt like a genuine meeting of knowledge.”
Click here for Michael Sternfeld’s presentation on Love & Dharma, here for his post-conference interview.
Click here for Fred Travis’s presentation on Neuroscientific Insights from Vedic Recitation, here for his post-conference interview.
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Banner image from “Aerial View of Prasanthi Nilayam Light Decorations | Birthday Lights” (YouTube).
On April 20, MIU’s Maharishi Vedic Science department will launch a new podcast that aims to bring the university’s long‑standing work on consciousness and human development into a wider global conversation.
April 20 is known in the Vedic calendar as Akshaya Tritiya, the most auspicious day to launch new initiatives.
Pictured above: Owen Blake, podcast director, and Joe Holland, podcast host.
Titled Consciousness & Human Potential, the podcast features in‑depth conversations with scholars, researchers, educators, and practitioners exploring questions at the intersection of consciousness, science, education, and human flourishing.
“This podcast places MIU at the center of one of the most significant and growing conversations of our time — the nature of consciousness, the science of human development, and what it truly means to realize our fullest potential as human beings,” said podcast director Owen Blake. Blake holds a PhD in Maharishi Vedic Science, serves as associate athletic director at MIU, and teaches in the MVS department.
“This has been a passion project for a long time,” Blake said. “I’m optimistic this podcast will place the flag of Maharishi Vedic Science within the global field of consciousness, spirituality, and meditation. Right now, MIU isn’t a major voice in the field, and I want to support us sharing more broadly the principles and ideas we care so much about.”
Produced on MIU campus in Fairfield, Iowa, the podcast will be available on YouTube and major podcast platforms, with potential future distribution through the Transcendental Meditation app.
The podcast is hosted by Joe Holland, who holds a master’s degree in Maharishi Vedic Science from MIU and teaches courses in Consciousness and Human Potential. Before joining the MIU faculty, Holland worked in radio broadcasting in London, an experience he says prepared him for the long‑form, exploratory conversations the podcast will feature.
“I used to host radio shows many years ago, but that often involved talking about what my bosses wanted me to talk about, or reacting to what callers were interested in,” Holland said. “I’m looking forward to these expansive conversations and to diving into rich domains of knowledge with fellow explorers.”
Plans for the first season
The first episode features Ed Sarath, a longtime leader in integrating music, higher education, and contemplative practice. Sarath explores improvisation not only as a musical skill but as a way of engaging with life itself, touching on creativity, sports performance, and moments of shared awareness.
Another upcoming guest is Molly Beauregard, a longtime educator at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit and author of Tuning the Student Mind. In her episode, Beauregard and Holland explore consciousness‑centered education, student mental health challenges, the role of meditation in the classroom, and the deeper questions of identity and creativity.
The team
The podcast’s production team also includes Ruta Matuleviciute, a member of the Lithuanian Artists’ Association, with an MFA in Painting from Vilnius Academy of Arts and an MA in Enlightenment and Leadership from MIU. With experience in curatorial practice, website creation, and project management, she is the director of Visual Arts for the NextGen Arts for Enlightenment project.
Rounding out the team is brand manager Marta-Kristi Põld, who brings a background in digital marketing and branding together with experience with Silicon Valley tech start-ups and Consciousness-Based businesses and nonprofits. She holds an MA in Consciousness and Human Potential from MIU.
A platform for dialogue and cross‑pollination
The timing of the podcast reflects broader cultural shifts, Blake said. Interest in meditation, spirituality, and consciousness research has expanded in recent years, driven in part by mental health concerns and renewed philosophical questions raised by advances in artificial intelligence.
“Questions about consciousness, the nature of reality, and what it means to be human have taken on new urgency,” Blake said. “MIU holds a distinctive position in this conversation, but our perspective is often underrepresented or misunderstood.”
“MIU holds a distinctive position in this conversation, but our perspective is often underrepresented or misunderstood.”
— Owen Blake
Rather than presenting a single authoritative viewpoint, the podcast is intended as a platform for dialogue and cross‑pollination, engaging voices from within and beyond MIU’s academic community. The team hopes it will encourage collaboration, inspire new research, and contribute to broader understanding of consciousness‑based approaches to education and human development.
Ultimately, Blake said, the goal is not only to expand MIU’s visibility, but to contribute meaningfully to conversations that are increasingly shaping education, science, and society at large.
“We want this to be a valued voice in the field,” he said, “and a place where real curiosity and meaningful inquiry can thrive.”
To follow the podcast:
- Instagram — Instagram page for the Maharishi Vedic Science Department, where announcements of episodes and “shorts” from each podcast episode will be posted:
- Maharishi Vedic Science department – YouTube – YouTube account for the MVS department where the podcasts will be posted.
Help the podcast get visibility — follow / subscribe to the accounts and interact with the content.
Information and photos provided by Owen Blake.
Nationally recognized education scholar and reform leader Dr. Pedro Noguera will serve as the commencement speaker for the Class of 2026. The graduation ceremony will take place on Saturday, June 20, beginning at 1:00 p.m., in the university’s iconic Golden Dome and will also be live‑streamed for remote viewers.
As part of the ceremony, MIU’s Board of Trustees will confer upon Dr. Noguera the degree of Doctor of Education honoris causa, in recognition of his lifelong service and leadership in advancing educational equity, engagement, and opportunity for the nation’s youth.
A sociologist whose work has focused on how schools can become more responsive to students’ academic, emotional, and social needs, Dr. Noguera is one of the country’s leading voices on urban education, school reform, and the social conditions that shape student success.
He is currently the Emery Stoops and Joyce King Stoops Dean of the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California.
The importance of student engagement and well-being
Throughout a career spanning more than four decades, Dr. Noguera has emphasized that academic achievement cannot be separated from student engagement and well-being.
In a recent interview, he noted that schools have “focused so much on measures of student achievement” while overlooking the fact that “the path to achievement is getting kids more engaged in learning.” He has consistently argued that meaningful learning begins when educators connect emotionally with students and inspire them to become self‑motivated learners.
Dr. Noguera has also spoken about the importance of practices that help students develop emotional regulation and inner stability — principles that resonate strongly with MIU’s educational philosophy.
“Transcendental Meditation is one tool that schools can draw upon to help kids get some control of their emotions.”
— Dr. Pedro Noguera
“Transcendental Meditation is one tool that schools can draw upon to help kids get some control of their emotions and bring calm to the individual and by extension the classroom,” he said. He emphasized that “anyone can meditate,” calling it an “incredible resource” in a society that focuses heavily on constant activity rather than cultivating “groundedness and peace of mind before we engage in doing.”
A prolific scholar, Dr. Noguera has written or edited 13 books and has published more than 250 research articles, chapters, and reports. His commentary on education frequently appears in major national media outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and the Los Angeles Times. He has also served on the boards of numerous national and local education organizations.
“His work exemplifies a commitment to educating the whole person.”
— Dr. Tony Nader
MIU President Dr. Tony Nader said the university is honored to welcome Dr. Noguera. “His work exemplifies a commitment to educating the whole person,” Dr. Nader said. “His vision speaks directly to the kind of graduates MIU seeks to educate — thoughtful, engaged, and grounded individuals prepared to uplift society.”
Members of the MIU community, families, and guests are invited to attend the ceremony in person or via live stream as the university celebrates its graduates and honors a distinguished leader in American education.
Click here for an interview with Dr. Noguera on Enjoy TM News.
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Photographs: https://www.pedronoguera.com/.
When the COVID-19 lockdowns gripped Uganda, women in Kampala’s city slums faced an impossible situation: dwindling food, lost work, and rising domestic tensions inside cramped homes.
In that crisis, researcher Leslee Goldstein, PhD, helped evaluate a simple daily practice — Transcendental Meditation — that, according to her newly published peer-reviewed randomized controlled trial, made a measurable difference.
The study, published in February in the journal Health Care for Women International, has received notable attention in online mental‑health and science‑reporting outlets.
In just three months, women who learned TM showed statistically significant decreases in perceived stress, anger, and fatigue, along with improved sleep quality and increased self-efficacy — their belief that they could cope with life’s demands.
“Our results indicate TM doesn’t just help women to manage stress — it helps them to reduce and eliminate it.”
— Leslee Goldstein
“TM significantly helped these women improve their mental and physical health and their ability to cope in this crisis,” Goldstein says. “Our results indicate TM doesn’t just help women to manage stress — it helps them to reduce and eliminate it.”
Years in the making
For Goldstein, the project was the result of more than a decade’s work.
From 2014 to 2023, she served as Consultant and Director of Research for the Rona and Jeffrey Abramson Foundation, working closely with the African Women and Girls Organization (AWAGO), the TM women’s organization in Uganda. “AWAGO’s direct focus on TM programs for women led to the opportunity for me to conduct three studies,” Goldstein says.
Her first study, published in 2018, tracked gains in self-efficacy, perceived stress, and quality of life among mothers living in poverty conditions in the urban slums of Uganda. Her second, published in 2024, focused on female youth, assessing changes in self-esteem, self-efficacy, and gratitude.
This latest study, her third, was prompted by the extremely challenging situation for women in the slums of Uganda caused by the two national lockdowns during the Covid pandemic, which created an urgent national crisis.
“Their circumstances were already demanding,” Goldstein said. “They are mostly mothers struggling to feed and clothe their children and send them to school. Most are the main breadwinners in their families. With the lockdowns, they had the added burden of finding food for survival along with increased domestic violence.”
The study design
The study involved 199 women ages 16 to 73 from urban slums. Of the 199, 96 were randomly assigned to learn TM, while the others were assigned to a waitlist control group. The control group participants were later invited to learn Transcendental Meditation, and all chose to do so.
Goldstein and her team administered a questionnaire at baseline to assess the women’s psychological distress and coping ability in the wake of the lockdowns. They administered a similar questionnaire three months later — and, compared to the control group, found a significant reduction in perceived stress, anger, and fatigue, and significant improvements in self-efficacy (one’s perceived ability to deal with challenging circumstances) and sleep quality.
In a follow-up questionnaire at eight months, participants reported improved physical and mental health, improved relationships with their children and neighbors, and decreased domestic violence.
Stories of rapid personal transformation
The women’s words bring the data to life.
“I now have inner peace and self-control,” one subject said. “I feel confident with new situations,” said another. Another said, “We now talk and laugh, which was not the case before meditation.” One mother summed up the transformation: “They even tell me I am the best mother now since I learned TM.” Another woman, reflecting on domestic tensions, said, “The fact that now I have peace of mind, it’s hard for me to pick up a fight.”
Community leaders noticed the same transformations.
“TM has changed these women and girls,” said Fausta Zadoch, local church leader and counsellor who also found fewer women and girls coming in for counseling. “They are now stress-free, and everything is changed and improved, spiritually, financially, and physically. We are grateful for this beautiful program and would like to see this program expand to many communities around the world.”
A team effort
“The results didn’t surprise us,” Goldstein said. “We heard the same outcomes from TM teachers in Uganda and from the many community organizations where TM has been taught. Our goal here was to conduct a professional research study, using a gold-standard randomized controlled design, that would document the benefits of TM for this population.”
“They feel better about themselves. They feel empowered from within, more capable of manifesting a smoother path forward in their lives.”
— Leslee Goldstein
Beneath the statistics is a theory Goldstein has helped refine across these studies: empowerment from within. “TM practice has given them greater inner strength,” she says. “They feel better about themselves. They feel empowered from within, more capable of manifesting a smoother path forward in their lives.”
That empowerment is practical as much as it is personal. “It is critically important for these women to have a tool that they can use themselves, for themselves, by themselves,” she says.
The personal side
Goldstein says she has benefited immensely from this work.
“While working closely with the AWAGO management team, I learned so much about the Ugandan culture, and I watched this organization grow to be one of the biggest and most successful TM Women’s organizations in the world,” she says.
The work often unfolded over Zoom, but the distance didn’t diminish the connection.
“These women became like family to me.”
— Leslee Goldstein
“These women became like family to me,” she says. “My life, my destiny, has been beautifully intertwined with this culture and with these women for so many years. I have experienced great heart expansion and appreciation for the power of our TM programs. I am extremely grateful, blessed, and honored with grace for this opportunity.”
What’s next? Goldstein isn’t slowing down.
“I am continuing to do TM research with women,” she says. “Currently, I am working on a research project with women in Nepal who are mothers of students at a secondary school where all the children learn TM as part of their daily school routine. I am planning another project with colleagues in Uganda to conduct a PTSD study with female refugees.”
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Funding for the study was provided by the Rona and Jeffrey Abramson Foundation.
Coauthors of the study are Daniela Romagnoli, PhD, and Sanford Nidich, PhD, Director of MIU’s PhD program in Physiology & Health and Director of the MIU Center for Social-Emotional Health & Consciousness.
MIU has announced a multi-year plan to close and redevelop Utopia Park, the longtime mobile‑home community on the north side of campus, with the transition scheduled to unfold in six phases through August 2028.
The decision follows a comprehensive infrastructure review conducted after MIU assumed full management of the property in July 2025. While many of the park’s mobile homes have received interior improvements in recent decades, the underlying water, sewer, and electrical systems — originally installed in 1983 — are now more than 40 years old. City regulations require that all utilities be fully removed and replaced before any new construction can begin, necessitating a complete clearing of the site.
A community with deep roots
Utopia Park was originally built at the end of 1983 as temporary housing for thousands of visitors attending MIU’s historic A Taste of Utopia assembly. Nearly 200 trailers were constructed in just weeks. In the years that followed, the park became an important source of affordable housing close to the Golden Domes for students, faculty, staff, and community members, often serving as a first residence for newcomers to Fairfield.
In May 2022, during the university’s Golden Jubilee celebration, MIU leaders announced plans to redevelop the area as the Global Peace Village. In June 2023, the Global Peace Village was inaugurated with six new townhouses. The event, led by Dr. John Hagelin and Raja Howard Settle, marked the largest step yet in the long-term redevelopment plans.
Six‑phase closure through 2028
The newly announced transition plan outlines a gradual, two‑and‑a‑half‑year closure intended to give residents time to prepare while allowing crews to safely remove structures and utilities. The phased timeline is intended to create as smooth and supportive a process as possible.
The phases are scheduled as follows:
- Phase 1: February–July 2026 – Rows L and M, plus E21–22 & F21–22
- Phase 2: July–December 2026 – Row J
- Phase 3: December 2026–May 2027 – Rows A, B, & C
- Phase 4: May–October 2027 – Row K
- Phase 5: October 2027–March 2028 – Rows G, H, & I
- Phase 6: March–August 2028 – Rows D, E, and F
The work will move in a coordinated inward pattern to ensure safe demolition while minimizing disruption.
Support for residents
MIU leadership emphasized that supporting residents throughout the transition is a top priority. University leaders have held two informational town hall meetings to share details, answer questions, and discuss individual needs. Additional sessions will continue throughout the transition period.
To assist older adults in particular, MIU is partnering with Milestones Area Agency on Aging, which will provide one‑on‑one assistance to residents aged 60 and above. Milestones will help individuals review housing options, complete necessary documentation, and access available support services.
Residents can direct questions or request assistance by emailing utopiaparktransitions@miu.edu. MIU has also launched a website — https://utopia-park.miu.edu — to provide ongoing updates, resources, and the latest timeline information.
Redevelopment plans ahead
Once the park is fully cleared and infrastructure replaced, MIU plans to redevelop the property according to Maharishi Vastu architectural principles. Planning for the new construction is in early stages, and university officials estimate that new housing is still several years away.
“Even as we begin the process of renewal, we remain committed to sustaining the spirit of Utopia Park.”
— MIU CEO Bill Smith
“Utopia Park has played an enormous role in MIU’s history,” said MIU CEO Bill Smith. “And we know this redevelopment marks the end of an era. But as we begin the process of renewal, we remain committed to sustaining the spirit of Utopia Park. We are also committed to transparency, thoughtful planning, and support for every resident affected by this transition.”
Drone photography by Ron Wilson
Amine Kouider, chair of the Department of Cinematic Arts and New Media at MIU, recently returned from a wide‑ranging visit to Japan that highlighted growing international interest in Consciousness‑Based Education, creativity, and global academic partnerships.
Pictured above: Welcome party in the office of Dr. Chieko Kato, Chair of the Department of Information Sciences and Arts, Toyo University, Japan.
MIU has a longstanding memorandum of understanding with Toyo University in Japan, a major private university with approximately 30,000 students. Kouider’s visit was designed to strengthen this relationship and explore new areas of cooperation in teaching, cultural exchange, and Consciousness‑Based educational initiatives.
Kouider was invited by two Toyo University leaders — Dr. Kensei Tsuchida, dean of computer science, and Dr. Chieko Kato, chair of psychology, sports science, and statistics. Both are long‑time Transcendental Meditation practitioners (Dr. Tsuchida also practices the TM-Sidhi program), and both have expressed interest in strengthening ties with MIU, including future reciprocal faculty visits.
Kouider spoke to multiple student groups, including a large lecture of more than 100 students on the inner source of creativity. He was also invited to lead a smaller seminar with graduate psychology students, where the discussion focused on Consciousness‑Based Education and the role of developing consciousness in learning and creativity.
During the visit, Kouider met with former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, a longtime supporter of MIU who delivered MIU’s commencement address in 2015. Hatoyama encouraged Kouider to introduce students to meditation during his lecture.
“When you actually meet people at different universities around the world, you see how deeply relevant the knowledge we have at MIU really is.”
— Amine Kouider
“We all closed our eyes together, and there was a very palpable silence in the room,” Kouider said of the student meditation session. “The faculty were deeply appreciative of that moment.”
“When you actually meet people at different universities around the world, you see how deeply relevant the knowledge we have at MIU really is,” Kouider said.
Meeting with Japanese government leaders
Beyond Toyo University, Kouider met with members of Japan’s parliament, the Indian ambassador to Japan and other representatives of the Indian Embassy and Consulate in Tokyo, and municipal leaders in several regions.
In the city of Izumi, near Osaka, Kouider met with the mayor and education officials to discuss the possibility of sister‑city and sister‑school relationships with Fairfield and MIU, as well as introducing consciousness‑based education in local schools.
“Ken Suzuki kept saying MIU is the field of all possibilities,” Kouider said. “His story really reminded me of the kind of graduates we have — people who simply don’t see limits.””
— Amine Kouider
Kouider met with several MIU alumni making an impact in Japan, including Kenichi Suzuki, an MIU graduate who helped manage Yukio Hatoyama’s successful prime ministerial campaign and is a senior leader of Japan’s Constitutional Democratic Party and represents the party internationally.
“Kenichi Suzuki kept saying MIU is the field of all possibilities,” Kouider said. “His story really reminded me of the kind of graduates we have — people who simply don’t see limits.”
He met with the principal of a secondary school in Greater Tokyo, Mrs. Shimo-yamada, on how to implement Transcendental Meditation into her school. He also met Ms. Noriko Miyakawa, the noted film editor who worked extensively with film director David Lynch across several major projects.
And he met with Mr. Taihei Takizawa, who wants to help create a Maharishi School in a community in the Yatsugatake mountains in central Japan, west of Tokyo.
The visit included cultural exchanges, such as attending a classical dance performance at the invitation of the Indian Embassy.
And he visited two sacred sites that Maharishi had also visited in Japan. One was the historic Sengen Shrine near Mount Fuji, a Shinto shrine where Kouider and his hosts participated in a traditional ceremony dedicated to peace. The other was to the Sanjūsangendō Temple, home to 1000 Golden Buddhas, in Kyoto.
Reflecting on the experience, Kouider emphasized its broader meaning for MIU faculty and staff. “We get caught up in day‑to‑day responsibilities,” he said, “but this trip reminded me how rare and important this work really is. What we’re doing at MIU matters to the world.”
Coordination by MIU graduate Shizuo Suzuki
Dr. Shizuo Suzuki coordinated Kouider’s visit and itinerary. Suzuki graduated from MIU in 1983 with a degree in education and became one of the most successful Transcendental Meditation teachers in the world.
He became the leader of Japan’s national TM organization and wrote a best-selling book about TM in Japan. He has taught the TM technique to more than 2,000 people, including prime ministers and first ladies, government ministers and members of parliament, a state governor, city mayors, and leading business executives, and he has implemented TM Corporate Development Programs in more than forty companies, including some of Japan’s largest. He is now the Raja or global administrator of the TM organization in Japan.
In 2023, MIU awarded him an honorary Doctor of World Peace degree in recognition of his lifetime achievements.
Over the break between the January and February blocks, Professor Vicki Alexander Herriott took a team of MIU’s Fairfield undergraduates to the University of Central Florida in Orlando to compete in the 2025-26 International Intercollegiate Mediation Tournament, held February 7–9 and hosted by the International Association for Dispute Resolution (INADR).
Pictured above: Professor Vicki Alexander Herriott, Kozbie Lamb, Polo Altynksky-Ross, and Caresse Rodriguez.
The tournament is open to law, graduate, and undergraduate students worldwide.
MIU’s team consisted of undergraduate students Polo Altynski-Ross, Kozbie Lamb, and Caresse Rodriguez. They competed against 18 other three-person teams from the USA and Singapore over four rounds spanning two days. MIU’s team was the smallest school in the tournament.
Students played the roles of mediators and disputants in cases drawn from real life. Their performances were evaluated by experienced mediators who observed the 90-minute mediation sessions.
MIU came away with two awards:
- 5th-place team award for Mediator — awarded based on the combined performance of a school’s student mediators as they serve in the neutral facilitator role, guiding both sides through the dispute‑resolution process with skills such as listening, neutrality, collaboration with a co‑mediator, and helping the parties move toward mutually acceptable solutions.
- 7th-place team award for Advocate-Client — awarded based on how effectively a school’s advocate‑client pairs work together during mediation, including how clearly they present their side of the dispute, communicate their interests, collaborate as a pair, and engage constructively with the mediator to pursue resolution. INADR scores advocates and clients jointly because their performance is interdependent.
Professor Alexander Herriott receives INADR’s Coach of the Year Award
In the awards ceremony, Professor Alexander Herriott was given the INADR’s Coach of the Year Award in recognition of her service to INADR through the Midwest regional mediation tournaments that she has hosted at MIU and her teaching of the course MGT 484 Mediation and Negotiation over the past 18 years.
“I’m very proud of our team,” Professor Herriott said. “We were one of only four schools that made the semifinals in both categories. This meant that all three team members were very strong as mediators and as advocate-clients. They were all very well prepared and very professional. They were calm, friendly, willing to think outside the box to solve the problem — ideal examples of Consciousness-Based Education.”
“An incredibly meaningful experience”
“Participating in the mediation tournament was an incredibly meaningful experience,” said Kozbie Lamb. “It deepened my understanding of conscious communication and reminded me how powerful empathy and presence can be in resolving conflict. I’m grateful to represent MIU in a space that reflects the principles we study every day.”
“The mediation tournament was an excellent learning opportunity and one of the most meaningful experiences I’ve had so far,” Caresse Rodriguez said. “Everyone brought such rich perspectives and unique skills, and I learned an incredible amount simply by working alongside and observing others in action. As an aspiring attorney, it was my first real opportunity to operate in a simulated professional environment where I could apply theory in real time, think critically under pressure, and better understand what it truly means to advocate, listen, and problem-solve with intention. Overall, the experience reaffirmed how universally valuable these skills are, professionally and personally.”
“We’d recommend this experience to all future MIU students. And anyone else, for that matter — conflict resolution strategies are important for everyone.”
— Polo Altynski-Ross
“It was a pleasure to represent MIU and compete against the other schools at the tournament,” Polo Altynski-Ross said. “Since roughly 90–95% of civil cases are resolved before trial — often through mediation! — it’s a powerful way to settle disputes amicably. It can be nerve-racking to be judged by veteran professionals in the field, but they were very encouraging, and we’d recommend this experience to all future MIU students. And anyone else, for that matter — conflict resolution strategies are important for everyone.”
How a mediation tournament works
At the INADR mediation tournament, student teams participate in simulated dispute‑resolution sessions designed to mirror real‑world mediation practice. Competitors rotate through different roles — mediator, advocate, and client — allowing each participant to experience mediation from multiple perspectives. The event typically includes three preliminary rounds, followed by semi‑final and championship rounds for the highest‑scoring teams.
Mediation rounds are structured to emphasize professionalism, collaboration, and problem‑solving. Students acting as mediators often work with co-mediators from different schools, encouraging cooperation across institutional lines. Judges evaluate them on skills such as listening, clarity, neutrality, teamwork, and their ability to guide parties toward mutually acceptable solutions without being adversarial or inventing facts.
The focus throughout is on educational growth, ethical practice, and the cultivation of real mediation skills rather than winning at any cost.
When serving as advocates or clients, students present their side of a dispute, communicate interests (not just positions), and work with mediators to explore resolutions. Judges score participants individually and in teams, awarding distinctions for mediator performance, advocate/client pairs, and overall team achievement. The focus throughout is on educational growth, ethical practice, and the cultivation of real mediation skills rather than winning at any cost.
2025 mediation tournament at MIU
Last year’s annual tournament was held at MIU. Twelve teams participated, including a team from Singapore, two teams from Texas, two from Florida, and teams from Indiana, Missouri, and Illinois. Below is the group photo taken at the close of the tournament.
Last June, Fairfield was named one of the Top 7 Intelligent Communities of 2025 by the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF), an organization dedicated to helping communities around the world build prosperous, inclusive, innovation‑driven local economies by using digital technology to deepen social connection and cultural vitality.
Pictured above: Nahom Abegaze, Bob Ferguson, Margaret Dwyer, and Seth Miller — the team representing Faifield at the ICF Global Summit
Last December, MIU’s Nahom Abegaze was part of the team representing Fairfield at the ICF Global Summit 2025 in Binh Duong, Vietnam — where one community from those Top 7 was selected as 2025’s most intelligent community.
Abegaze is MIU’s Director of Continuous Improvement, working in the Operational Excellence department.
Joining Fairfield in the Top 7 communities were:
- Assaí, Paraná, Brazil
- Bursa, Türkiye
- Hilliard, Ohio, USA
- Durham Region, Ontario, Canada
- Kingston, Ontario, Canada
- Las Rozas de Madrid, Spain.
These seven cities were the finalists in a long process. Each year, the ICF invites cities around the world to submit nominations. They welcome communities of any size — small, midsize, and large. From this pool — as many as 400 cities — they choose 21 semifinalist cities.
And from those 21, they chose the “Top 7 Intelligent Communities.” This was the result of a year-long process of evaluating how communities leverage the six ICF indicators — connectivity, workforce development, innovation, digital inclusion, sustainability, and community engagement — to create long-term vitality.
Notably, Fairfield was the smallest community selected, standing out among cities with populations in the millions.
Last September, as part of selecting a winner, ICF sent a representative to visit and audit each city in person.
At the ICF Global Summit
The ICF Summit in Vietnam, held December 2–3, brought together communities that are advancing innovation, digital infrastructure, sustainability, and inclusive growth, creating space to share learning, forge partnerships, and benchmark progress. More than 600 urban leaders, technology experts, and investors gathered to discuss smart, sustainable, innovation‑driven community development.
During the Summit, each Top 7 city gave a 15‑minute presentation showcasing its intelligent community achievements, including how they have applied the Community Accelerator Strategy.
Fairfield sent four representatives altogether. Along with Abegaze, they included Bob Ferguson, Fairfield City Councilor At-Large; Margaret Dwyer, a longtime community leader and Executive Committee member of the Sierra Club’s Iowa Chapter; and Seth Miller, President of Advocacy & Administration at Cambridge Investment Research.
The top city was selected through jury voting by international experts. And at the closing ceremony, Canada’s Durham Region was officially named Intelligent Community of the Year, succeeding last year’s winner, Curitiba, Brazil.
Recognition for MIU
“We may not have come up with the top award,” Abegaze said, “but this was tremendous recognition for Fairfield and MIU. Just making the Top 7 was an amazing achievement.”
“The experience exceeded our expectations,” Abegaze said. “We were blown away by how thoughtfully and thoroughly we were hosted — no detail was missed. It was also inspiring to be among the other Top 7 communities and see the innovative work happening around the world.”
The team hhighlighted MIU as Fairfield’s primary educational institution and a key economic driver, supporting Fairfield’s economic stability, workforce development, and long-term vision. “People saw that MIU’s people, programs, and daily operations are part of what makes Fairfield globally competitive,” Abegaze said.
“What stood out most was the rigor of the evaluation,” he said. “Fairfield was assessed alongside cities of three to four million people using technical, data-driven standards — not just narrative or perception. The judges didn’t stop at the data. One came to Fairfield, walked the city, met with leaders and local organizations, and spoke with residents to confirm that the lived experience matched the numbers.”
Just the beginning
Abegaze found being recognized in this way to be both affirming and motivating.
“It’s meaningful to be acknowledged for what Fairfield has already accomplished, and it’s equally energizing to see this as a beginning, not an endpoint,” he said. “There is so much opportunity ahead to continue improving the quality of life in Fairfield, and this recognition encourages us to aim even higher.”
This recognition is more than a “pat on the back,” he said. “It’s an invitation — to stay engaged, to collaborate, and to recognize the collective impact of the work happening every day at MIU.”
Additional reporting by Nahom Abegaze and Samantha Vento.
MIU leaders recently met with top officials from the University of Iowa to explore potential collaborations bridging integrative and conventional medicine. The discussions centered on developing innovative models of team-based clinical care, research, and education.
Pictured above: Dr. Robert Schneider, Dr. Denise Jamieson, Dr. Edith Parker, and Murali Prasanna, cofounder of Total Health Centers LLC.
Dr. Robert Schneider, Director of the Institute for Natural Medicine and Prevention and Dean Emeritus of the College of Integrative Medicine, met with Dr. Denise Jamieson, Vice President for Medical Affairs and Dean of the Carver College of Medicine, and Dr. Edith Parker, Dean of the College of Public Health.
Dr. Jamieson and Dr. Parker had visited MIU last November for an initial meeting, leading to this recent follow-up in January.
According to Dr. Schneider, the follow-up meeting concentrated on “practical implications and next steps” for collaboration among the UI Carver College of Medicine, the UI College of Public Health, and Total Health Centers — launching soon in Iowa City/Coralville.
“Very open and engaged”
“The University of Iowa leaders are very open and engaged,” Dr. Schneider said. “Our discussions focused on how integrative and systems-based approaches to health care can complement academic medicine and public health. This is an important step toward establishing cross-institutional partnerships.”
The discussions identified three primary domains of potential cooperation: clinical care, education, and research. Dr. Parker proposed that MIU present its work to the College of Public Health faculty as part of a “Spotlight presentation” or other college-wide session designed to highlight shared research and teaching interests.
Meanwhile, Dr. Jamieson connected the MIU team with several key figures at UI Health Care, including the UI Health Care Chief Clinical Strategy Officer and the Associate Dean for Medical Education Integration and Innovation at UI Carver College of Medicine.
These introductions, Dr. Schneider said, will help “explore collaborative care models and educational opportunities for medical and graduate students, residents, fellows, and faculty as well as continuing medical education for practicing clinicians.
Dr. Schneider described the interactions as “constructive and well aligned,” noting that both institutions emphasized the development of “a systems-oriented, team-based model that serves patients and advances the goals of both institutions.”
During the Fairfield visit, the UI delegation learned about MIU’s research on group meditation and its physiological and societal effects.
“These collaborations are about transforming health care — building on MIU’s leadership in whole-person health to create evidence-based models that can reach many people and elevate society’s health.”
— Dr. Robert Schneider
“The visiting leaders of medicine and public health in Iowa were impressed by the scientific foundation of group meditation for individual and collective stress reduction,” Dr. Schneider said.
He also shared MIU’s recent commentary in Nature Reviews Cardiology, which places the American Heart Association’s recommendation of Transcendental Meditation in a broader scientific context, grounded in decades of NIH-funded research by MIU scientists and collaborators at leading medical centers across the United States.
“These collaborations are about transforming health care — building on MIU’s leadership in whole-person health to create evidence-based models that can reach many people and elevate society’s health,” Dr. Schneider said.
Photo by Craig Pearson