08/12/2026
By Min Hyung Cho

Please join Venerable Pomnyun Sunim for a "Casual Conversation" at UMass Lowell.

  • Date: Sept. 21
  • Time: 1 p.m.
  • Location: Meehan Student Center, Moloney Ballroom 260

About Venerable Pomnyun Sunim

Venerable Pomnyun Sunim is a highly respected Korean Seon (Zen) Buddhist monk, humanitarian leader and founder of Jungto Society, a global volunteer-based organization dedicated to addressing social issues such as poverty alleviation, environmental sustainability and peacebuilding.

He is widely recognized for his leadership in environmental and peace movements, promoting nonviolence, ecological responsibility and sustainable living. His work uniquely integrates contemplative practice with practical social engagement, encouraging individuals and communities to take meaningful action toward positive change.

Venerable Pomnyun Sunim is especially known for his accessible, highly engaging teaching style and signature interactive format, “Casual Conversations” (즉문즉설), where he responds directly to real-life questions from audiences. These dialogues focus on practical wisdom and emotional clarity rather than religious doctrine, making them highly relevant across cultural, professional and generational boundaries.

He has delivered talks and interactive sessions at leading academic institutions including Columbia University, Harvard University, UCLA, California State University Northridge, Johns Hopkins University (2025) and the University of Toronto (2025). He has also spoken in major cities across North America, including New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Vancouver, Seattle and Washington, D.C.

In addition to academic and public engagements, Venerable Pomnyun Sunim has been invited to speak for staff members of major global institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. He has further engaged with professionals in leading technology companies, including Google, sharing insights on well-being, decision-making under uncertainty, resilience and human-centered perspectives in high-performance environments.

In 2002, he was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award — often regarded as Asia’s Nobel Prize — in recognition of his outstanding contributions to humanitarian service, peacebuilding and socially engaged Buddhism. His ability to translate deep philosophical insight into practical guidance for real-world challenges makes him a compelling speaker for UMass Lowell faculty, staff and students, particularly in the context of well-being, resilience and navigating complexity in modern workplaces.