# Jim Garrison

> Jim Garrison is the Founder and President of Ubiquity University, a next-generation global learning platform blending academic rigor with consciousness development, social innovation, and transformative education. Born in 1951 in Szechuan Province, China, to Baptist missionary parents, Garrison holds a PhD in Philosophical Theology from Cambridge and has spent five decades at the intersection of education, diplomacy, and civilizational transformation - co-founding the Gorbachev Foundation/USA with Mikhail Gorbachev after the Cold War, launching the State of the World Forum, and more recently convening Humanity Rising, a global summit initiative launched in 2020 that has engaged hundreds of thousands of activists worldwide.

- **Role:** Founder and President at Ubiquity University
- **Organizations:** Ubiquity University, Humanity Rising, State of the World Forum (former), Gorbachev Foundation/USA (former co-founder), Esalen Institute Soviet-American Exchange Program (former Executive Director), Wisdom University (former President), Virginia Tech (Emeritus Faculty)
- **From:** Szechuan Province, China
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** BA in World History (Magna Cum Laude), University of Santa Clara, MA / MTS in Christology and History of World Religions, Harvard Divinity School, PhD in Philosophical Theology, University of Cambridge
- **Known for:** Co-founded Gorbachev Foundation/USA with Mikhail Gorbachev following the Cold War, Founded and led the State of the World Forum (1995-2012), convening global leaders including Gorbachev, Mary Robinson, Marc Benioff, Jane Goodall, and Senator Alan Cranston, As Esalen Institute Exchange Director, facilitated key Soviet-American dialogues that contributed to perestroika, including connecting Gorbachev advisor Abel Aganbegyan with US leaders

## Career timeline

- **1951** — Born in Szechuan Province, China, to Baptist missionary parents
- **1953-1965** — Family lived in Taiwan; immersed in Buddhist and Taoist traditions
- **1965** — Family settled in San Jose, California
- **1973** — Graduated Magna Cum Laude from University of Santa Clara
- **1975** — Completed MA at Harvard Divinity School
- **1978** — Founded Radiation and Health Information Service
- **1980** — Founded East West Reach; published first book 'The Plutonium Culture'
- **1982** — Completed PhD at University of Cambridge; published 'The Darkness of God: Theology After Hiroshima'
- **1985** — Became Executive Director of Esalen Institute Soviet-American Exchange Program; joined Virginia Tech faculty
- **1985-1990** — Transformed Esalen exchanges from cultural to political engagement with Soviet leadership; facilitated contact with Gorbachev advisor Abel Aganbegyan
- **1992** — Co-founded Gorbachev Foundation/USA with Mikhail Gorbachev; served as President
- **1995** — Founded State of the World Forum with Gorbachev and Senator Alan Cranston
- **1995-2012** — Led State of the World Forum, convening global leaders and launching major international initiatives
- **2005** — Recruited as President of Wisdom University
- **2010** — Published 'Dewey and Eros: Wisdom and Desire in the Art of Teaching'
- **2012** — Published 'John Dewey's Philosophy of Education' (Palgrave-Macmillan); Ubiquity University restructured as B Corp
- **2013** — Founded Ubiquity University; merged with Wisdom University
- **2014** — Published 'Living as Learning: John Dewey in the 21st Century' (with Daisaku Ikeda)
- **2018** — Ubiquity University raised $3.5M Series A funding
- **2020** — Launched Humanity Rising global summit on May 22, 2020 in response to COVID-19 pandemic
- **2021** — Named Meshworker of the Year by Integral City for work with Humanity Rising
- **2021** — Named Emeritus faculty at Virginia Tech
- **2022** — Co-edited 'John Dewey and Chinese Education: A Centennial Reflection' and 'Deweyan Transactionalism in Education'
- **2026** — Featured speaker at Praxis Peace Institute on citizen diplomacy

## Achievements

- Co-founded Gorbachev Foundation/USA with Mikhail Gorbachev following the Cold War
- Founded and led the State of the World Forum (1995-2012), convening global leaders including Gorbachev, Mary Robinson, Marc Benioff, Jane Goodall, and Senator Alan Cranston
- As Esalen Institute Exchange Director, facilitated key Soviet-American dialogues that contributed to perestroika, including connecting Gorbachev advisor Abel Aganbegyan with US leaders
- Built Ubiquity University into a globally recognized transformative education platform
- Launched Humanity Rising in 2020, engaging hundreds of thousands of activists worldwide
- Named Meshworker of the Year 2021 by Integral City
- Emeritus Faculty at Virginia Tech
- Published over 10 books spanning theology, diplomacy, philosophy of education, and global affairs
- HuffPost author and contributor to Kosmos Journal and Integral Life
- Speaker at Kyiv International Economic Forum

## Latest updates

- **2026-02** — Featured speaker at Praxis Peace Institute on citizen diplomacy
- **2025-01** — Humanity Rising continues with regular summits and global activist engagement
- **2022-01** — Co-edited two major Dewey scholarship volumes: 'John Dewey and Chinese Education' and 'Deweyan Transactionalism in Education'
- **2021-05** — Named Meshworker of the Year by Integral City for Humanity Rising convening work
- **2021-01** — Named Emeritus Faculty at Virginia Tech

## Links

- Website: https://ubiquityuniversity.org
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-garrison-4b414163
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jimgarrison
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UbiquityUniversityOnline/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/jim-garrison
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-14