Ancient Wisdom Practices in Education - A Conversation with Bade Kucukoglu and Satheesh Namasivayam

Jun 14, 2025

Join Satheesh Namasivayam and Bade Kucukoglu, co-founders of MindVISA and the Center for AWE, as they explore the intersection of ancient wisdom and modern education. They discuss how cultural practices like dance and rituals can help adolescents connect more deeply with themselves and their communities. Their transformative journeys highlight the need for holistic education that embraces diverse cultural insights. Discover the benefits of sensory awareness and emotional expression in fostering creativity and unity among youth.

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ANECDOTE

Journey to Work with Adolescents

Satheesh and Bade left lucrative careers to work with adolescents in an Indian village.
They mixed students from rural, urban, and foreign schools to explore social and self-integration challenges.

ANECDOTE

Learning from Global Wisdom Practices

Bade and Satheesh traveled to about 40 countries over a year by public transit.
They sought practices for self-knowledge, social connection, and emotional expression.

ANECDOTE

Examples of Ritual Practices

On Olhon Island, they met a former table tennis champion fostering kids' global interactions.
In Uganda, women used ritual song and dance to express joy before trading beads.

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This week, we're diving deep into a conversation that bridges ancient wisdom and modern learning. Joining Tim are two incredible thinkers and practitioners, Satheesh Namasivayam and Bade Kucukoglu. We explore how ancient wisdom practices—from dance, to creative arts, ritual and community performance —can inform and inspire us to create different kinds of spaces in our schools and communities and help us address the growing disconnection young people feel in modern education.

Satheesh and Bade left their lucrative careers to pursue their passion to work with adolescent children. Over the last 15 years, they have co-founded two organizations - MindVISA and the Center for AWE (Ancient Wisdom Engagement) - that build adaptive capacities in adolescents to face the uncommon challenges of the fast-evolving world. Exclusively focusing on handholding young people both in embracing their inner selves and in connecting with the outer world, their work draws extensively from wisdom practices of ancient civilizations.

Prior to co-founding these organizations, Satheesh advised corporate boards on leadership and governance, across the world. He has spoken at prominent international institutions, and is the co-author of "Leading without Licence". Satheesh holds a Masters degree with a major in leadership from Harvard University's Kennedy School. Bade, after graduating from Brandeis University with a master's degree in sustainable international development, was a development economist working with MIT faculty directing a team of researchers; and was also the Secretary General of Women Entrepreneurship Association of Turkey.

To begin their educational experiments, they first traveled in about 40 countries - on a listening tour - learning from the wisdom of local people in varied cultures and civilizations to help young people build adaptive capacities to face their unknown futures. Through their work they pioneered the concepts of "Ancient Wisdom Engagement" (AWE) and "Ways of Seeing".

Links:

Centre for AWE website: https://www.centerforawe.com/

MindVISA website: https://www.mindvisa.com/

Article: Opinion | India’s ‘AWE’ Factor: Ancient Wisdom In The Age Of AI: https://www.news18.com/opinion/opinion-indias-awe-factor-ancient-wisdom-in-the-age-of-ai-9238780.html

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bade-kucukoglu-26871110/

Email: info@mindvisa.com