Stanford University offers ‘Namjooning’ course inspired by BTS leader RM
Stanford University is offering a course inspired by BTS leader Kim Nam-joon, popularly known as RM, focusing on mental health and well-being.
Titled “Namjooning, and other well-being inspiration from BTS,” the course will explore practices that support mental health and overall well-being, drawing inspiration from the South Korean rapper’s interests and personal approach to life.
“Kim Namjoon, better known as RM, is the leader of BTS, the groundbreaking South Korean music group that has become a global cultural phenomenon (and which performed at Stanford in May 2026). Namjoon is also an avid art collector and will co-curate an exhibit at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art starting October 2026,” the university said.
“Although renowned as a musician, song writer, and performer, Namjoon is also frequently quoted for his approaches to mental health and well-being,” it added.
The course is an IntroSem (Introductory Seminar), which Stanford describes as a series of “small-group, hands-on courses.”
Among the topics to be discussed are nature, biking, art, and literature, collectively known by some fans as “Namjooning.”
It will also cover sleep, anxiety, creative block, self-love, self-awareness, medications and substances, diet and exercise, nutritional supplements, psychotherapy, and coaching, among others, which will be discussed with the use of quantitative approaches.
They will also work on a final project inspired by RM’s first-ever solo album “Indigo.”
“We will read fiction and analyze scientific papers. We will view art and YouTube videos. Assignments will include brief in-class presentations, brief writings, some quantitative reasoning, and a final project inspired by RM’s Indigo. Prerequisites for this class are a desire to flourish at Stanford and in life, an appetite for data, and a healthy respect for BTS,” the university added.
The class will be led by James R. Jacobs, an associate professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, who also serves as Stanford’s associate vice provost for health and well-being and executive director of Vaden Health Services.
The course is being offered to first-year students and carries three academic units.
Meanwhile, BTS is currently at the Asian leg of its Arirang World Tour this November and December, with scheduled performances in Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
The group is also set to return to the Philippines for three shows on March 13, 14, and 16, 2027, at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan.