What makes a university program unforgettable? In the opening episode of this five-part series in the Buddhist Studies Footnotes podcast, Frances Garrett introduces the University of Toronto’s Buddhism, Psychology, and Mental Health (BPMH) program through the voices of students whose lives it transformed. As students describe finding an intellectual home where neuroscience, philosophy, psychology, and Buddhist Studies could be explored together, a portrait emerges of a rare academic community built on mentorship, curiosity, and belonging. But despite what a uniquely transformative experience students find this undergraduate minor, in 2024 they were suddenly prevented from joining it. The story reported on in this series begins with a question: what happens when a university fails to recognize the communities it has created?

Find the episode on Castos at The Place They Found or on the usual podcast platforms.