It's time to fill the wisdom gap.

Every day we face an ever more extensive suite of existential risks, from algorithms that compete for our attention, exponentially more powerful Artificial Intelligence models, geopolitical instability, climate change, and nuclear warfare. Moreover, we are immersed in an ever more polarized and reclusive society – less open to dialogue and more open to the pursuit of fast pleasure. And yet. Deep wellbeing and contentment are available to all us of, here and now.

To prosper collectively in the uncertain years ahead, we must first learn to flourish on the individual level. This begins by awakening to a state of innate wellness. Well-being and contentment are available to all of us, here and now. All of us have the responsibility to become contemplatively literate, turn our awareness inwards, discern truth from careful observation of our bodily and mental processes, and reclaim our birthright of living wondrous lives.

My pedagogy and passions revolve around fostering scientific, mathematical, technological, and contemplative literacy. I believe that meditation should be embraced as our universal mother tongue. It is essential for young minds to be well-versed in the languages of contemplation, inward reflection, curiosity, and wonder. Through this awakening, they will discover the boundless joy and well-being that every human is entitled to as their birthright. By initiating this profound journey early on, we pave the way for humanity to soar to even greater heights.

Education

M.A. Buddhist Studies | The University of Hong Kong
Dissertation: On Mind and Matter: A philosophical and psychological exploration of Satipatthana practice
B.Sc. Physics, Philosophy, & Mathematics | University of Toronto
Thesis: The Enigma: The challenge of dark matter to the modern scientific enterprise
PGCE Education | The University of Sunderland
Case Study: A case study on the multi-faceted application of Mindfulness-Based Interventions in a Hong Kong Secondary School

Professional Development & Licenses

Conference Abstract Reviewer National Science Teaching Association
Creating Balanced Assessment Systems Jay McTighe & Kevin Bartlett
Certified Carbon Literate The Carbon Literacy Project
Yoga and Child Development  Neuroscience & Yoga Conference
200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training Yoga Alliance & IAM Yoga
Foundations of Education for Sustainability The Cloud Institute for Sustainability
Reboot Curiosity in Education MIT & J-WEL World Education Lab
Creating Authentic Units for MYP International Baccalaureate
Pranayama in Medieval Yoga Dr. Jason Birch (DPhil, Oxon)

Ontario Certified Teacher (The Ontario College of Teachers)
Registered Teacher (Education Bureau of Hong Kong)
Registered Yoga Teacher (Yoga Alliance)

Professional Experience

Founding Teacher and Department Chair of Science and Mathematics Pine Street School (2023 - Present)
Mathematics Faculty Bridge to Enter Advanced Mathematics (BEAM)
Curriculum Designer & Module Writer Common Ground Collaborative, Portrait of a Learner
Teacher of Science, Mathematics, & Outdoor EducationKawartha Montessori School
Science Teaching Fellow & Deputy Sustainability CoordinatorChinese International School
Program LeaderUniversity of Toronto Science Unlimited Camp
Trip LeaderWestcoast Connection
JudgeCanadian Young Physicists’ Tournament
Community Engagement LeadThe Entrepreneurship Hatchery
WriterSubstack &Medium
Fitness TrainerGoodLife Fitness
Fitness AssistantHKU Centre for Exercise and Performance
VolunteerInternational Association of Buddhist Studies

Awards

Edyth May Sliffe Award for Distinguished Mathematics Teaching (2026)
Mathematical Association of America (MAA)

International Congress of Mathematicians Outreach Grant (2025)
International Mathematical Union and Simons Foundation

Early Career Research Travel Award (2025)
International Society of Contemplative Research

Center for Buddhist Studies Postgraduate Scholarship (2019)
The University of Hong Kong

Tung Lin Kok Yuen Postgraduate Scholarship (2019)
The University of Hong Kong

Dean’s International Initiatives Fund (2017)
University of Toronto

Refereed Conference Presentations:

Manu, S. (2025, November). Standards Based Approaches to Contemplative Studies for Adolescent Learners. To bepresented at the International Society for Contemplative Research Annual Meeting, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.

Manu, S. (2025, September). The Art of Interdisciplinary Thinking. Presented at the annual Medium Day Event, Online.

Manu, S. (2025, June). Transcendental Outcomes: Developing a Standards-Based Framework for Teaching Buddhist Contemplative Practices to Adolescents. Presented at the Bhutan Meditation Conference on Science, Mindfulness, and Meditation, Thimphu, Bhutan.

Manu, S. (2025, March). Leveraging AI to Enhance Science Literacy in STEM Education. Presented at the National Science Teaching Associations’ Annual Conference, Philadelphia, PT, USA.

Selected Invited Lectures and Panels:

Commencement Address for Pine Street School’s Inaugural Middle School Graduating Class. New York City, NY. (June 2026)

Building a math universe: Creating curious learners with robust understanding. Pine Street School coffee chat for parents. New York City, NY. (February, 2026).

Making Sense of Assessment in the Middle Years Program. Pine Street School webinar for parents. New York City, NY. (October, 2025).

Creating Differentiated Resources with AI. Cordell Hull Foundation workshop and orientation for international educators. New York City, NY. (September, 2025).

The Importance of Digital Fluency in Education. Pine Street School Community Panel for Educators. New York City, NY. (March, 2025).

The Power of Inspirational Pedagogy. Keynote presentation for the faculty and student body of Fractal University for their summer cohort. New York City, NY. (July, 2024).

Mathematics of Sustainability. Presented with Kevin Bartlett of the Common Ground Collaborative as part of a lecture series. Online. (November 2023)
Sustainability Starts Within: Chinese International School Community Conversations panel with Sean Lynch. Online. (April, 2022).

Going with the Flow: Empirical Science and Contemplative Practice. Presented at a TEDxYouth event hosted by the Chinese International School. Hong Kong. (March 2021).
Mental Hygiene for Deep Rest: Guided Meditation and Breathwork. Panel presentation at SoHo House on the importance of recovery. Hong Kong. (December, 2020).

Dark Matter and Instrumentation. Panel moderator of a debate between physicists and philosophers at the University of Toronto. Toronto. (March, 2019).

Selected Projects:

Realm of Reason - Co-Designer (2026)

• Standards-aligned mathematics card game funded by a $10,000 International Congress of Mathematicians Outreach Exhibition Grant; designed to cultivate quantitative reasoning, mathematical communication, collaborative argumentation, and real-world problem solving through strategic play

Portrait of a Learner - Co-Designer (2025)

• Collaborated with Kevin Bartlett, Managing Director of the Common Ground Collaborative, to co-write a Portrait of a Learner framework adopted across 20+ schools

Establishing Awareness: Introduction to Buddhist Theory and Practice - Creator & Facilitator (2023, 2024, 2025)

• Designed and taught a a six-week in-person course on Buddhist theory and contemplative practice; developed local studio and think-tank partnerships where I offered the course in Canada and the United States across three cohorts

Education is wondrous contemplation.

To be educated is to have opened oneself to the great mystery of life – something that is only possible through deep, conscious, and embodied experience. My most profound learning has occurred in immersive settings, from silent meditation retreats, mountain expeditions, to witnessing science in action. Similarly, my most profound teaching moments have occurred in nature, in the lab, and in a community.

To teach is to properly introduce.

As an educator, I aim to expand the worldview of my students through an experiential and conceptual understanding of the patterns of nature. As Joseph Campbell writes: “I don’t believe in being interested in subjects because they are said to be important and interesting. I believe in being ‘caught’ by it somehow or other.” Science expands your worldview and allows you to understand reality as a single interconnected system. However, this is not always made plain when exploring this enchanting discipline. I aspire to give all students a proper introduction to the subject – to present material in a way that is captivating and inspiring. Once a student’s innate curiosity takes over, I become a facilitator of learning, removing obstacles and accelerating development.

As within so without.

Experimentation, not opinion or consensus, is the test of scientific truth. All of our most powerful mathematics, from the field equations of both Maxwell and Einstein to Schrodinger’s Equation and Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle, model how reality is constantly changing. The premise is that if we align ourselves with this changing reality at the external level, through discerning general principles via the scientific method - we can intervene successfully in the processes of nature. The contemplatives have uncovered that if we align ourselves inwardly with the fact that reality is changing and impermanent - we can find lasting peace and liberation.

I’ve had the privilege of educating students in a variety of settings, from jungles in Thailand, glaciers of Iceland, science laboratories in Hong Kong, to the deep Canadian wilderness.

Moments

Ironman 70.3 Triathlon
Completed a triathlon consisting of a 1.9km swim, 90km bike, and 21km run
Ultramarathon Trekking
Hiked the entire 65km Hong Kong Coastal trail in 13 hours
Thru-Hiking the Big 4 Hong Kong Trails
MacLehose Trail, Wilson Trail, Lantau Trail, Hong Kong Trail
Climbing Mount Agung
The highest point in Bali and an active volcano
High Altitude Trekking in North-East India
Dzongri trail beginning in Yuksam, the ancient capital of Sikkim
Discovering Vipassana
First experienced the power of silent meditation retreats at age seventeen
Living in a Ch’an Buddhist monastery
Monastic discipline, pilgrimage up Mount Putuo, and silent retreat
Solo backpacking through India
Sivananda Yoga Ashram, Vipassana International Academy, and Dhamma Madhura

Interests

Meditation, Uncertainty, Meaning, Archetypes, AI Alignment, Scientific Literacy, Contemplative Literacy, Truth, Beauty, Yoga, Buddhism, Physics, Dark Matter, Cognitive Science, Lord of the Rings, Education 4.0, Physics, Pedagogy, Human Development, Interconnection, Satisfaction, Regenerative Kinship, Habits, Early Buddhism, Love, Harmonious Mindsets, Non-duality, Ethics