Academics
Here, I will showcase some of my activities and experiences relating to academics and research
Harvard Summer Program: Buddhist Philosophy
As part of the Harvard Summer Program, I completed a 7-week course in Buddhist Philosophy, earning an 'A'. The course explored major Buddhist traditions, including Abhidharma, Madhyamaka, and Yogacara, through the study of translated texts. I critically examined the intersection of Buddhist ethics with metaphysical and epistemological systems, producing two analytical papers on Śāntideva’s Bodhicāryāvatāra and Vasubandhu’s Twenty Verses. This program deepened my understanding of Eastern philosophical traditions and enhanced my analytical writing skills.
On the right, you can see my finals paper, which argues that Santideva’s Bodhicāryāvatāra’s guidance is fundamentally flawed due to the incoherency between the deterministic assertions behind the rationality of anger and the assumptions of free will for personal change
Research Video Project: Philosophy of Mind and Epistemology
For this independent research project, I explored complex philosophical topics such as Kant’s synthetic a priori knowledge, Aristotle’s hylomorphism, and Heidegger’s theory of authenticity. As part of my research, I created two educational animation videos that simplified these philosophical concepts, making them accessible to a broader audience. The videos, which were published on YouTube, combined scholarly research with creative presentation techniques, allowing me to merge my interests in philosophy and digital media to engage and educate others.
IB Extended Essay
Research Question: How and to what effect does Generation Z meme culture reflect nihilism and absurdism through the ironic interplay of text and image?
In my IB Extended Essay, I explored how Generation Z’s meme culture on Reddit reflects philosophical concepts of nihilism and absurdism, particularly through the use of irony. Focusing on subreddits like r/nihilism, r/PhilosophyMemes, and r/nihilistmemes, I analyzed the visual and textual elements of selected memes to demonstrate how they critique modern existence, the inevitability of death, and societal norms. Drawing on thinkers such as Camus and Sartre, I argued that these memes serve as a form of rebellion, allowing Generation Z to confront existential crises with humor, irony, and post-ironic detachment. By examining the combination of digital media and philosophy, I highlighted how these memes become a tool for coping with the absurdity of life in the post-pandemic era.