Recap — Immersive Learning for Global Health: Bridging Data, Complexity, and Wisdom with Pravin Pillay

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Published on December 12, 2025

On November 5, 2025, Dahdaleh community fellow Pravin Pillay presented his work on immersive learning using embodied systems as a method of furthering sustainable development goals in global health.

Pillay began with incorporating an immersive exercise that allowed participants to experience data points via audio. Following this, Pillay dove into the differences between data visualization and data poetics. Data visualization is a science-based approach that allows for the data to be observed by an individual whereas data poetics invites individuals and collectives—from dyads and triads to communities and even species-level systems—into an embodied encounter with complexity, immersing them in the data so that new patterns, meanings, and forms of understanding can emerge.

Following the introduction of data poetics, Pillay challenged participants to consider the nature of intelligence and wisdom and the idea of life versus how to live it. He spoke on how technology can appear to solve important issues but also cause unplanned consequences and as a result, we as humans need to be aware. In the context of planetary health, Pillay proposed that there needs to be a change in how we think about consequences and that perhaps unintended consequences of actions can undo progress that has been achieved.

Pillay proposed the need for a shift from systems thinking toward complexity thinking. He discussed the idea that a problem solution mindset can be helpful in certain cases but may not always be ideal for social or ecological concepts. Specifically in the concept of sustainable development goals, Pillay stressed the importance of sharing and transmitting information outside of silos to achieve the SDGs. Building on these ideas, Pillay discussed the need for an increase in our wisdom quotient, based in traditional knowledge and ancient wisdom that has been passed on from generation to generation.

Concluding the seminar, Pillay posed the question of how to continue and improve current systems without completely dismantling them. He also touched on the use of artistic inquiry as a research method, utilizing responses to the present moment, lived reality and how it affects perception as well as the idea that art is an invitation for participation.

Connect with Pravin Pillay

Materials to be referenced after watching the seminar can be found here.

Watch the full seminar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8gAugi5Dk8

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