Dr. Mahboubeh Asgari: Mahboubeh Asgari received her Ph.D. degree in Education from Simon Fraser University, followed by post-doctorals in Philosophical Inquiry with Children/Adults in the Faculty of Education at UBC in 2012-2017 (under the supervision of Dr. Barbara Weber). She is now a Research Associate at the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR) at the University of Victoria (their Vancouver office) using philosophical inquiry to develop teaching and learning resources on drug education. Dr. Asgari’s research background as well as her 20 years of teaching experience have helped her make meaningful connections between philosophical theories of dialogue and inquiry-based teaching methods. She is passionate about bringing inquiry and dialogue to schools, communities, and other settings to promote health and well-being.
Dr. Asgari is also the Founder/Director of The School of Inquiry (www.schoolofinquiry.com) in Vancouver, BC. The School of Inquiry offers a variety of programs and services for children, youth and adults to develop their critical, creative and caring thinking. Through the integration of philosophy, art, and literature, Dr. Asgari aims to promote inquiry, dialogue, and the ability to think for oneself. Her hope is that inquiry and dialogue become part of everybody’s life and a way of living and thinking in the world.
Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.” ~ Margaret Mead