Dr. Barbara Weber is an Associate Professor in Human Development, Learning and Culture in the Department of Educational Psychology & Counselling Psychology and Special Education. She is presently coordinating the BC hub called “Engaged Philosophical Network Consortium” (EPIC: http://blogs.ubc.ca/epic/) that meets bi-monthly at UBC and brings together scholars from local universities and colleges, school practitioners and graduate students.

Dr. Weber has a PhD in Philosophy, Psychology and Education from the Ludwig-Maximillian University in Munich, Germany and was a full Professor of Philosophy at the University of Regensburg before she moved to Vancouver in 2013.

Dr. Weber has been working in the field of philosophical inquiry for 12 years. In 2004, she authored a complete curriculum and delivered a 168 hour certification program for elementary and high school teachers on EPI. This program was certified and nationally accredited by the German Ministry of Education. In 2005, she co-designed the structure and content of a University Program for philosophy students at the University of Philosophy, Munich.

Her research at UBC investigates the impact of philosophical inquiry on the development of social-emotional skills such as empathy and perspective-taking. She also conducts qualitative research on how children think about core philosophical and sociological topics including nature, the environment, human and children’s rights, and globalization.