Vedic Science-based Education, Poverty Removal and Social well-being A Case History of Cambodia from 1980 to 2015

Abstract

 Prior research has suggested the programs of Vedic Science can play a part in personal, social and educational renewal and in the removal of poverty. In Cambodia, ranked the poorest country in the world in 1992, the contribution of Vedic Science-based education has been significant, not only in the lives of thousands of students but also in the welfare of the broader economic community. This paper explores the economic and social dimensions of this phenomenon. Specifically, the long-term impacts of a social renewal and healthcare program initiated in 1992 and the establishment of an innovative university, called Maharishi Vedic University at the beginning of 1993, are considered using the Social Impact Assessment model, with data on gross domestic product, gross national income, inflation, poverty, health and education analysed to assess the influence of a “coherence-creating” group of meditating students on poverty removal rates and social well-being.