The Charter for Compassion is honored to present Dr. Lobsang Tenzin Negi with the 2025 Karen Armstrong Humanitarian Award—in recognition of a life devoted to cultivating the science, spirit, and practice of compassion in service to all beings.
“When compassion becomes our way of being,” Dr. Negi teaches, “we not only heal ourselves—we begin to heal the world.”
Dr. Lobsang Tenzin Negi is a pioneering scholar, educator, and contemplative practitioner whose life bridges the wisdom of ancient Tibetan traditions with the rigor of modern science. Born in the remote Himalayan region of Kinnaur, adjacent to Tibet, he began his monastic education at the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics in Dharamsala, India, and went on to receive the Geshe Lharampa—the highest academic degree in Tibetan Buddhism.
Today, Dr. Negi serves as a Professor of Practice in Religion at Emory University and as Executive Director of the Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion-Based Ethics (CCSCBE), an evolution of the Emory-Tibet Partnership he co-founded. He is also the spiritual director of Drepung Loseling Monastery, Inc. in Atlanta—the North American seat of a six-hundred-year-old monastic university. Through these roles, he has become a global voice for compassion as a practical, trainable skill essential for human flourishing.
Over the past two decades, Dr. Negi has led transformative initiatives that have reshaped how compassion is understood, taught, and applied in education, healthcare, and society. Among his most influential contributions are:
- Cognitively-Based Compassion Training (CBCT®) – a secular, evidence-based program that translates Tibetan contemplative practices into modern contexts, helping people cultivate compassion and resilience. CBCT is now taught worldwide to educators, healthcare professionals, veterans, and community leaders.
- SEE Learning™ (Social, Emotional, and Ethical Learning) – a free, global education program developed with the support of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, integrating compassion, ethics, and emotional intelligence into classrooms from kindergarten to university.
- The Emory-Tibet Science Initiative – a landmark collaboration that introduces science education into Tibetan monastic institutions, creating a living bridge between contemplative wisdom and scientific inquiry.
Through these initiatives, Dr. Negi has built a new field of study and practice—one that grounds compassion not in sentimentality, but in understanding, training, and measurable impact.
In his writings, Dr. Negi reminds us that compassion is not a luxury but a lifeline: “Compassion is a necessity, not a luxury—without it, humanity cannot survive. At its heart, compassion has to do with a sense of meaningful connection, a warm-hearted, tender connection with each other.”
He often speaks about compassion’s universality: “Whether someone is my friend, a stranger, or even an enemy, they too have the same aspiration—to be happy. And if we can connect with that, compassion naturally arises."
These words reveal the heart of his teaching: that compassion is both the root and the result of recognizing our shared humanity.
Dr. Negi’s leadership exemplifies the mission of the Karen Armstrong Humanitarian Award—to honor those whose life work transforms compassion from an ideal into a force for change. His approach unites scientific research, contemplative practice, and moral imagination in ways that strengthen both individuals and societies.
As the founder of Emory’s compassion programs, he has touched the lives of tens of thousands—educators and students, healthcare professionals and caregivers, spiritual practitioners and secular leaders—guiding them to rediscover compassion as an inner resource for healing and an outer practice for justice.
From a small Himalayan village to the global stage of universities, monasteries, and humanitarian gatherings, Dr. Negi’s journey embodies the truth that compassion is both deeply personal and profoundly universal. His work continues to inspire a generation of scholars, teachers, and peacebuilders who recognize that inner transformation and outer service are inseparable.
With warm regards,
Marilyn Turkovich
