A.A.C Board is Academy Advisory Council,
This council run by Members of Academic Advisory Committee,
Members of Academic Advisory Committee
- Dr. Yuval Noah Harari: is a world-renowned historian and professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He bridges heavy academic literature on the history and future of humanity with a deep, public-facing dedication to Vipassana meditation, frequently speaking on how mindfulness acts as a psychological armor against the chaotic modern age.
- Dr. Lauren Winner: An Associate Professor of Christian Spirituality at Duke Divinity School, Dr. Winner remains a key academic voice bridging personal spiritual evolution with historical analysis. Her memoirs and theological texts examine unconventional, highly modern approaches to spiritual crises and institutional faith.
- Professor Nobuhiko Maeda (Ritsumeikan University): A leading voice in sociology and education, Professor Maeda has been driving academic discourse on the concept of “spiritual capital.” Speaking on behalf of the Japan Society for the Study of Catholic Education, his work frames spirituality as an intangible capital that breathes deeper ethical values into modern, material wealth, transcending specific institutional boundaries.
- Dr. Li Na : Scholars associated with bodies like the Society for the Study of Chinese Religions are producing essential work on how folk traditions and Daoism adapt to contemporary society. Notable ongoing academic work in 2026 centers on modern Chinese salvationist religions and the historical integration of Quanzhen Daoism within multiethnic state narratives.
- Dr. Robert Buswell Jr.: Widely recognized as the pioneering Western scholar of Korean Buddhism, Dr. Buswell is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus at UCLA Buddhist Studies. Before his long academic career, he lived as a Seon monk in Asia for seven years. He established the first major outside-of-Korea endowed chair in Korean Buddhist Studies and translated foundational source texts covering historical masters like Chinul.
- Dr. Milad Milani (Western Sydney University): Serving as a past AASR president (2023–2025) and current co-editor of the Journal for the Academic Study of Religion, Dr. Milani is a prominent philosopher and historian of religion. His research explores Islamic history, Sufism (Islamic mysticism), and Western representations of Eastern spirituality.
- Dr. Amir K. Darwish: is an international medicine physician and global organizational leader who serves as a Co-Founder and Multicultural Spiritual Leader within the MK Spiritual Central of MK.
