Lectures & Workshops Series by Dr. Lia Wei 魏離雅, February and March 2020 (12/10/2019) - Dr. Lia Wei (Lecturer in Archaeology & Museum Studies, School of History, Renmin University, China) will give a series of lectures and workshops supported by the Tianzhu Foundation and Ghent University. The program includes the following topics: landscape painting, ink art,… Read more
Doctoral School “Chinese Buddhist Historical Records in the Context of Digital Humanities”, October 21–25, 2019 (8/25/2019) - Abstract: The Doctoral School’s specialist course will focus on historical literature, including local gazetteers and Transmission of the Lamp texts, of the Chinese Buddhist schools. While adopting a diachronic perspective, covering texts between the 10th and the 17th century, the… Read more
Long-term visiting scholar 2019–2020: Dr. Lia Wei (Renmin University, China) (8/5/2019) - Dr. Lia WEI is currently based at the Department of Archaeology and Museum Studies in Renmin University of China, conducting research and teaching on the archaeology of culture contact and the intersection between intangible and material cultural heritage, as well… Read more
Special Guest Lecture “The Uneven Terrain of Gender and Diversity: The View from the Humanities” by Natasha Heller (4/8/2019) - A Hot Topic Lecture part of the Doctoral School "Women and Nuns in Chinese Buddhism" By Natasha Heller, Associate Professor of Chinese Religions, University of Virginia June 6, 2019; 19:00-21:00 Ghent university, Auditorium P (Zaal Jozef Plateau), Campus Boekentoren. Map Abstract… Read more
Short-term visiting scholar (2019, 1-10 June): Prof. Dr. Li Yu-chen 李玉珍 (National Cheng Chi University, Taiwan) (4/4/2019) - Dr. Yu-chen Li received her Ph.D. degree in 2000 from Cornell University. She is currently the chair of the Graduate Institute of Religious Studies at National Cheng Chi University. Yu-chen Li focuses on gender issues in Buddhism, such as the… Read more
Doctoral School “Women and Nuns in Chinese Buddhism”, Ghent University, June 3–7, 2019 (2/18/2019) - Abstract: The Doctoral School specialist course will focus on “Women and Nuns in Chinese Buddhism”. While adopting a diachronic perspective, it will give ample space to the twentieth and early twenty-first century. This will offer students insight into the status… Read more
Short-term visiting scholar (March 3-17, 2019): Prof. Dr. Albert Welter (University of Arizona) (2/2/2019) - Lectures “Integrating Buddhism into Chinese Culture or How Did Buddhism Become Chinese? Buddhist Junzi (法門君子) & The Administration of Buddhism." Within the framework of a lecture series integrated in the MA course ‘Culture in Perspective: South and East Asia lecture‘… Read more
Long-term visiting scholar (March 15 – June 12, 2019): Prof. Dr. Lin Ching-hui 林靜慧 (Chung-hwa Institute of Buddhist Studies, Taiwan) (1/10/2019) - Lin Ching-hui received her PhD from the Chinese Culture University (Taipei). Her dissertation is titled A study of political views in Laozi, Zhuangzi and The Yellow Emperor's Four Classics. She is project assistant at the Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts. Currently she works as an editor… Read more
2019 PTBS Lecture Series (1/7/2019) - 06.03 Albert Welter (University of Arizona, US) "A New Look at Old Traditions: Reimagining East Asian Buddhism through Hangzhou" The history of Buddhism incorporates East Asia in meaningful ways, but still tends toward Indo-centrism in its overall conception. This makes… Read more
Tianzhu Fieldwork Fellowship 2018-2019: Jasper Roctus (8/27/2018) - Tianzhu Foundation provides funding for one Ghent University graduate student to travel to East Asia to do Buddhism-related fieldwork. We are happy to announce that for the academic year 2018-2019, this award has been given to Jasper Roctus (MA student Chinese… Read more
Visiting scholar 2018-2019: Prof. Dr. Lei Hanqing (Sichuan University, PRC) (8/25/2018) - Hanqing, Lei graduated from Fudan University at the School of Chinese Language and Literature. He was a visiting scholar at UC Irvine in 2011, and at the Research Institute of Zen at Hanazono University in Japan. Currently, he is a… Read more
Doctoral School “Chinese Writing and Lexicography in Medieval China”, October 8-12, 2018 (8/23/2018) - Abstract This Doctoral School will address key questions concerning medieval Chinese writing practices and manuscript culture, in addition to providing an introduction to important historical lexicographical material. As such, the course will address essential issues concerning the research of and… Read more
Publication highlights (2018): Buddhist Encounters and Identities across East Asia (5/30/2018) - Encounters, networks, identities and diversity are at the core of the history of Buddhism. They are also the focus of Buddhist Encounters and Identities across East Asia, edited by Ann Heirman, Carmen Meinert and Christoph Anderl. While long-distance networks allowed… Read more
Publication highlights (2018): The life of Padma, Volume 1 (5/16/2018) - The first English translation of the oldest extant work in Apabhramsha, a literary language from medieval India, recounting the story of the Ramayana. The Life of Padma, or the Paümacariu, is a richly expressive Jain retelling in the Apabhramsha language… Read more
Lecture by Prof. Dr. Hong Xiuping, “A variety of perspectives on the Southern Chan school’s specificity, departing from the meanings of the character Mind 心”, April 27, 2018 (2/25/2018) - Within the framework of his research stay at Ghent Centre for Buddhist Studies, Prof. Dr. Hong Xiuping 洪修平 will deliver a lecture “从‘心’义种种看南宗禅的特色” [A variety of perspectives on the Southern Chan school’s specificity, departing from the meanings of the character… Read more
Long-term visiting scholar 2017-2018: Pu Chengzhong (Shanghai University, PRC) (2/20/2018) - Length of Stay: March 23-May 25 Chengzhong Pu completed his PhD in Buddhist Studies at SOAS, London University and did a one-year Post-doctorate with Professor Jonathan Silk at LIAS, Leiden University, followed by serving as an associate researcher for nearly… Read more
Long-term visiting scholar 2017-2018: Prof. Dr. Li Gang (Academia Turfanica, PRC) (2/20/2018) - Length of Stay: April 3-June 29 Li Gang obtained his PhD from Minzu University of China. A Xinjiang native, he is currently Associate Professor at Academia Turfanica and the English-language chief editor for the journal Turfan Studies. As a member… Read more Short-term visiting scholar (April 16-April 30, 2018): Prof. Dr. Hong Xiuping 洪修平 (Nanjing University, PRC) (2/2/2018) - Prof. Dr. Hong Xiuping 洪修平 received his MA degree from the Department of Philosophy of Nanjing University (南京大学) in 1985 and his PhD degree from Fudan University in Shanghai (复旦大学) in 1988. He was senior visiting scholar in the United States… Read more
Doctoral school “Buddhism and Silk Culture”, May 28-June 1, 2018 (2/2/2018) - Abstract: Doctoral school on "Buddhism and Silk Culture" features Stuart Young as a guest lecturer. The course aimed to enhance the PhD researchers' understanding of key questions pertaining to the role of Buddhism in these contexts. While offering a thorough… Read more
Lecture by Dr Georgios T. Halkias “The Shitro Ceremony and Lay Tantric Buddhism in Amdo, Qinghai Province”, March 8, 2018 (1/10/2018) - Within the framework of his long-term research stay at Ghent Centre for Buddhist Studies, Dr Georgios T. Halkias will give a lecture "The Shitro Ceremony and Lay Tantric Buddhism in Amdo, Qinghai Province". Professional practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism belong either… Read more
Short-term visiting scholar (March 2-March 12, 2018): Dr. Georgios T. Halkias (Centre of Buddhist Studies, The University of Hong Kong) (1/10/2018) - Dr. Georgios T. Halkias is a specialist on Tibetan forms and practices of Buddhism in Tibet, Central Asia and the NW Himalayas. He completed his MA (Comparative Philosophy) at the University of Hawai‘i and his DPhil (Oriental Studies) at the… Read more
Tianzhu Fieldwork Fellowship 2017-2018: Daphne Stremus (8/26/2017) - Tianzhu Foundation provides funding for one Ghent University graduate student to travel to East Asia to do Buddhism-related fieldwork. We are happy to announce that for the academic year 2017-2018, this award has been given to Ms. Daphne Stremus, who will… Read more
2017 PTBS Lecture Series (1/12/2017) - Programme 07.03 Mick Deneckere (Ghent, Belgium): “Japanese True Pure Land Buddhism, the Meiji Restoration (1868) and the First Japanese Buddhist Mission to Europe” 14.03 Tim Kragh (Poznan, Poland): “A Buddhist Theory of Relations” 21.03 Christophe Vielle (Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium): “The Pairi Daiza Collection of… Read more
Doctoral School “East Asian Historical Phonology in a Comparative Perspective”, March 13-17, 2017 (1/8/2017) - This Doctoral School is open to a limited number of external PhD students (free of charge)! For more information, please contact christoph.anderl@ugent.be. Monday, March 13th 9:30: Welcome of the participants by the Doctoral School organizers (Christoph Anderl, Ann Heirman) 10:00… Read more
2016 PTBS Lecture Series (1/6/2016) - 2016 Programme 01.03.2016: Jonathan Silk (Universiteit Leiden, the Netherlands) "Buddhism, Social Justice and the Status of the Caṇḍāla" 08.03.2016: Petra Kieffer-Pülz (University of Mainz, Germany) "Observations on the relation between Sri Lanka and South India during the centuries" 15.03.2016: Pieter Verhagen… Read more
Doctoral School “Chinese Buddhist Apologetic Literature in aDiachronic Perspective”, September 28 – October 2, 2015 (8/18/2015) - Abstract: The course will introduce Chinese Buddhist apologetic texts from two different periods. Dr. Jülch will deal with the Zhenzheng lun 甄正論 written in the Tang dynasty, and Dr. Zhang with the Dayuan zhiyuan bianwei lu 大元至元辨偽録 written in the… Read more
2015 PTBS Lecture Series (1/10/2015) - 2015 Programme 10.03.2015: Christoph Anderl (UGent, Centre for Buddhist Studies, Belgium) "Aspects of the Maitreya Cult in China: Past and Present" 17.03.2015: Erika Forte (Ruhr Universität Bochum, Germany) "Buddhism along the Silk Road and the Oasis of Khotan — An… Read more
2014 PTBS Lecture Series (1/11/2014) - 2014 Programme 11.03.2014: Ann Heirman (UGent, Centre for Buddhist Studies, Belgium) "Boeddhistische lichaamsverzorging in een multireligieuze context" 18.03.2014: Thomas Jülch (UGent, Centre for Buddhist Studies, Belgium) "Chinese Buddhist Apologetic Thought" 25.03.2014: Stefano Zacchetti (Oxford University, UK) "Dating the Dharma: Some… Read more
2013 PTBS Lecture Series (1/12/2013) - 2013 Programme 19.02.2013: Gudrun Pinte (UGent, Centre for Buddhist Studies) Majesteiten en monniken: een kritische blik op de boeddhistische tijdrekening in de Dīpavaṃsa 26.02.2013: Marie-Hélène Gorisse (UGent, Indology) Jain Theories of Inference in the Light of Modern Logics 06.03.2013: Freddy Mortier… Read more
Piblication highlights (2012): Zen Buddhist Rhetoric in China, Korea, and Japan (12/20/2012) - One of the key factors for the success of the Chán/Sǒn/Zen schools in East Asia was the creativity of their adherents concerning the development of innovative literary genres and the skillful application of linguistic and rhetorical devices in their textual… Read more