Washington:The Dalai Lamahas been named as a professor at a leading American private researchinstitution, Atlanta's EmoryUniversity,in the first such appointment the Tibetan spiritual leader has accepted.

The appointment reflects a partnership between Emory andTibetan exiles that includes a major project to provide a comprehensive scienceeducation curriculum to Tibetan Buddhist monks, the university said yesterday (Feb 5,2007).

Emory has named the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize laureate apresidential distinguished professor and he will deliver a lecture and takepart in a conference on science and spirituality during a visit Oct 20-22, itsaid in a release.

"I look forward to offering my services to the Emorystudents and community. I firmly believethat education is an indispensable tool for the flourishing of human well-beingand the creation of a just and peaceful society, and I am delighted to make asmall contribution in this regard through this appointment," the releasequoted the Dalai Lama as saying.

"I have long believed in and advocated a dialogue andcross-fertilisation between science and spirituality, as both are essential forenriching human life and alleviating suffering on both individual and globallevels,"he said.

"I deeply appreciate that EmoryUniversityhas made a commitment to fully collaborate with the Library of Tibetan Worksand Archives to develop and implement a comprehensive and sustainable scienceeducation programme for Tibetan monastics," he added.

The Dalai Lama will also hold an interfaith session onreligion as a source of conflict and a resource for peace building and isscheduled to give a public talk, "Educating the Heart and Mind," atan Emory-sponsored event.

"To have a colleague of the Dalai Lama's stature in ourcommunity will be a constant source of inspiration and encouragement to ourfaculty, staff and students as we strive to realize the vision of educatingboth the heart and mind for the greater good of humanity," Emory PresidentJames Wagner said.

"His presence will contribute significantly tofulfilling the university's strategic goals, including bringing engagedscholars together in a strong and vital community to confront the humancondition,"he said.

"The Dalai Lama's appointment is the most recent outgrowth ofthe Emory-Tibet Partnership, which was founded in 1998 to bring together thebest of Western and Tibetan Buddhist intellectual traditions," sources said.

Emory is recognized as one of the premier centres of studyof Tibetan philosophy and religion in the West, primarily due to theuniversity's extraordinary relationship with Tibetan Buddhist institutes ofhigher learning based in India,including the Drepung Loseling Monastery and the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics in Dharamsala, the seat of the Tibetangovernment-in-exile.

"Many of Emory's university-wide strategic plan initiativesaddress the interface between religion and science. The Dalai Lama haspioneered in promoting a genuine and substantive dialogue between science andspirituality, sources said.

Emory's commitment to developing and implementing a scienceeducation programme for Tibetan monks and nuns will help realize the DalaiLama's vision of offering comprehensive science education within the monasticcurriculum.

As Presidential Distinguished Professor, the Dalai Lama willcontinue to provide private teaching sessions with students and faculty duringEmory's study-abroad programme in Dharamsala, as well as provide opportunitiesfor university community members to attend his annual teachings.

He also will make periodic visits to Emory to participate inprogrammes. Emory will establish afellowship in the Dalai Lama's name to fund annual scholarships for Tibetanstudents attending Emory undergraduate and graduate schools, the release said.

In September 2006, the US Congress passed a bill to awardthe Dalai Lama the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest US civilian honour, for his advocacy ofreligious harmony, non-violence and human rights throughout the world, and forhis efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Tibet issue through dialogue withChinese leadership.