Media Room

A team of eight University of the Rockies faculty and doctorate students will travel from Colorado Springs to China to present at a series of conferences and meetings on existential psychology.

The educational journey will take place March 25 through April 5 and will include events in Nanjing, Hong Kong, Shuzhou, Qufu and Shanghai.

As a field of study, existential psychology operates on the belief that inner conflict is a result of an individual’s attitude about four “ultimate concerns”: death, freedom and responsibility, isolation, and meaninglessness. In their presentations, University of the Rockies faculty and students will address the Western perspectives of existential psychology as it relates to a range of topics, including religion, spirituality, stress management and organizational issues.

“Our Eastern counterparts are very interested in how religion can support individuals and improve physical and psychological health. From a cultural perspective, the East and West have very different attitudes about religion,” said Dr. Hoffman, core faculty member and editor-in-chief of University of the Rockies press.

The trip is led by Hoffman, who is also a co-organizer of the Existential Psychology East-West Conference in Nanjing, China. He will be joined by faculty members Dr. Heatherlyn Cleare-Hoffman and Dr. Jim Oraker; and by students Trent Claypool, Jason Dias, Michael Moats, Anthony Nkyi and Elizabeth Saxon. In China, the group will be joined by student Albert Chan who lives in Hong Kong, and by distinguished visiting faculty members Dr. Kirk Schneider (San Francisco) and Dr. Ed Mendelowitz (Boston).

"Our goal is not to teach – but to create a dialogue and an exchange about our differences and to learn from those,” said Hoffman. “The outcome isn’t East vs. West, but an emergent understanding of where we both stand.”

This is Hoffman’s fourth annual trip to China as a presenter and the third annual trip for University of the Rockies students.

About University of the Rockies

University of the Rockies is a graduate school specializing in master's and doctorate degree programs in psychology. Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (www.ncahlc.org), classes are offered online and at the University's Colorado Springs, Colorado, campus. For more information, please visit www.rockies.edu or call Shari Rodriguez, director of Public Relations, at 866.621.0124 x2513.