Serving the Common Good

W.A.O fosters a commitment to the common good. In proclaiming and modeling the value of diversity and respect, we encourage researchers to do the same in their own present and future communities. In this regard we are guided by a central goal: that “each researcher thinks, acts, and leads with courage toward creating a more just and compassionate world.” Our commitment to justice and compassion reflects our distinctive aspiration: to educate the mind and heart. WAO inspires women and men enduring hope, a profound respect for the dignity of others, and a special commitment to the underprivileged.

We are

WAO is a community of scholarship and mentoring dedicated to developing the full potential of all its members. Our commitment to academic excellence goes beyond expanding researchers’ knowledge and skills, it seeks to cultivate modes of knowing and habits of mind that lead to lives of purpose and meaning. In the rich tradition of the liberal arts, WAO launches international researches’ on a quest for life-long learning and in the pursuit of truth for its own sake. As devoted mentor- researcher, faculty guide researchers in discovering the unique joys of intellectual inquiry. A thoughtful engagement with ideas of enduring significance endows students with a reflective and innovative approach to knowledge and problem-solving. By leading students to consider fundamental questions of human existence and confront the origins and implications of their own values. From a heightened understanding of the natural world to an appreciation of beauty, from moral reflection to interdisciplinary rigor.