Jean Decety, the Irving B. Harris Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry and the Director of the Child Neurosuite, was on sabbatical last academic year in South Africa. During this time, Dr. Decety continued a long-term collaboration with colleagues in Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Cape Town (UCT). Together they examined the relation between empathy and forgiveness in victims of the apartheid era. To do this, the project used functional MRI and psychiatric assessments, as well as video footage from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (a court-like restorative justice body assembled in South Africa in 1994, following the abolition of apartheid). 

Beyond continuing existing collaborations, Dr. Decety also got the chance to start a new project during his sabbatical. The new project aims to better understand the impact of undernourishment and hunger on children’s moral cognition and behavior in several regions of the world (South America, Africa and South East Asia) where undernourishment is a dramatic problem, according to the World Health Organization and the United Nations. In addition to research, Dr. Decety also enjoyed teaching during his time in Cape Town. He taught a class on “Naturalizing Morality” that integrated multiple disciplines including evolutionary biology, developmental psychology, neuroscience, and neuroethics. He also gave a series of seminars at the African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg. Finally, Dr. Decety along with his wife and son (now a freshman at Bard College) had a wonderful time visiting many parts of South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Tanzania. They were captivated by the exceptional beauty and vibrant energy of Africa!