Doctoral School “Demystifying Chan (Japanese: Zen) Buddhism”, July 4-8, 2022 (3/15/2022) - Abstract: This (on campus) course is aimed at PhD students and will focus on the rise and success of Chan Buddhism (known in Japan as Zen) in medieval China. It will cover (1) Indian and Chinese doctrinal antecedents; (2) the… Read more
Lecture “Buddhism in Late Tang: Centre-Periphery Relations”, University of Naples L’Orientale, March 8, 2022, by Anna Sokolova (2/28/2022) - Next week our own Anna Sokolova will give a talk at Naples. Read more
Ghent-Harvard-Munich workshop “Connecting Asian Buddhism(s) Past, Present, and Future”, Ghent University, May 4–6, 2022 (2/3/2022) - Venue: Het Pand, room August Vermeylen, Onderbergen 1, 9000 Gent The workshop is sponsored by the Strategic Institutional Partnership (SIP) scheme, the Tianzhu Foundation, and Ghent University, Harvard University, and the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. Ghent Centre for Buddhist Studies (GCBS),… Read more
2022 PTBS Lecture Series (1/5/2022) - Our Spring 2022 Lecture Series highlighted a diverse spectrum of topics related to Buddhism. March 10: Nan Ouyang (UGent) “Constructing the Divine Abode of Dizang Bodhisattva: Mt. Jiuhua in Late Imperial China" This talk focuses on the historical transformation… Read more
Publication highlights (2021): Precious treasures from the diamond throne: finds from the site of the Buddha’s enlightenment (7/16/2021) - Sam van Schaik, Daniela De Simone (UGent) , Gergely Hidas and Michael Willis, eds. Precious treasures from the diamond throne: finds from the site of the Buddha's enlightenment. In British Museum Research Publications 228. British Museum, 2021. The Mahābodhi temple… Read more
Doctoral School “Buddhism and Medicine in East Asia”, June 28-July 2, 2021 (2/15/2021) - Abstract: This specialist course will focus on an interdisciplinary approach to the intersection of religion and medicine in medieval and late imperial East Asia, with a particular focus on Buddhism. As a religious and cultural tradition with transnational scope, Buddhism… Read more
2021 PTBS Lecture Series (1/8/2021) - March 9: Anna Andreeva (Uni Heidelberg & Ghent University) “Buddhism and Women's Health in Medieval Japan” March 16: Matthew Orsborn (Oxford University) “Monastic Training and Education in Contemporary Taiwanese Buddhism" Since the middle of the 20th century, Buddhism in the… Read more
Publication highlights (2020): Chán Buddhism in Dūnhuáng and beyond: a study of manuscripts, texts, and contexts in memory of John R. McRae (11/16/2020) - This volume is dedicated to the memory of the eminent Chán scholar John McRae and investigates the spread of early Chán in a historical, multi-lingual, and interreligious context. Combining the expertise of scholars of Chinese, Tibetan, Uighur, and Tangut Buddhism, the… Read more
Short-term visiting scholar 2019–2020: Prof. Dr. James A. Benn (McMaster University, Canada) (11/5/2020) - Professor James A. BENN was trained primarily as a scholar of medieval Chinese religions (Buddhism and Taoism). His research is aimed at understanding the practices and world views of medieval men and women, both religious and lay, through the close reading of… Read more
Doctoral School “Sino-Tibetan Languages: Research Methodologies and Approaches to Linguistic Field Studies and Language Documentation among Tibeto-Burman Speaking Minorities in China”, October 26–30, 2020 (8/16/2020) - Abstract: This specialist course will focus on an interdisciplinary approach to the Sino-Tibetan (ST) language family, with an emphasis on languages of the Tibeto-Burman (TB) branch spoken by ethnic minorities in China. In the course there will be an emphasis… Read more
Long-term visiting scholar 2019–2020: Prof. Dr. Xuan Fang (Renmin University, China) (4/5/2020) - Professor XUAN Fang 宣方 is a research fellow of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Religion, Renmin University of China, as well as the executive member of Journal of Religion. His main academic interests focuse on Chinese Buddhist meditative tradition and Modern Chinese… Read more
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