News and Events

News and events related to Buddhist Studies and the members of Edinburgh Buddhist Studies.

Events

We hold a range of events for different audiences: 

  • public lectures, seminars and academic conversations 
  • works-in-progress workshops for network members
  • special webinars for school teachers

For more information about our previous activities, visit our Past Events section.

 

Call for Papers: Edinburgh Buddhist Studies “Work-in-progress Workshop” 

23 February 2024 

Submission Deadline: 12 December 2023 

 

EBS (Edinburgh Buddhist Studies) is a network of research scholars based at the University of Edinburgh and with members from across the north of the UK. With a focus on Buddhism in a range of contexts and encounters with other aspects of culture and society, EBS involves a truly interdisciplinary range of expertise and interests. 

 

The “Work-in-progress Workshop” is an annual event within the EBS network, offering a space for scholars, including PhD students, to share their research questions and benefit from discussion of their preliminary findings. We invite scholars and PhD students who are based in the UK to share their work at the next event. The topics of submission can address any area of Buddhist studies, and contributions should be based on research that is still underway, rather than on finished projects or polished papers. We particularly welcome proposals from early career scholars including late-stage PhD students. 

 

The workshop will be held at the University of Edinburgh. We have limited funds to support the attendance of those without access to institutional travel funding. Please let us know with an estimated sum if your attendance depends upon such funds. Although we encourage participants to join in person, we will offer hybrid provision for participants who find themselves unable to attend. 

 

Please submit your proposal by 12 December 2023 via email with the following contents: 

  1. Title 
  2. Abstract (around 150 words) 
  3. Author information: name, affiliation, and email address. If a PhD student, year of study. 

 

The organising committee will endeavour to communicate decisions about accepted papers before the Christmas break.

 

Edinburgh Buddhist Studies

Contact Email: buddhist.studies@ed.ac.uk 

Classical Languages in Buddhist Studies: How and Why?

An Edinburgh Buddhist Studies “In Conversation” event 

Tuesday 7th November 2023, 3-4.30 pm, Senate Room, New College

 

Is the study of classical languages a necessary part of Buddhist Studies? Must all “serious” scholars of Buddhism learn Sanskrit, Chinese, Tibetan and more? What are the benefits of language study for the field and for individuals? What are the downsides of prioritising language competence and textual studies over other disciplinary expertise? If languages do remain crucial, how can we ensure the next generation has the opportunity to study them?

 

About the speakers: 

Naomi Appleton is Professor of Buddhist Studies and Indian Religions, and reads Sanskrit and Pali, as a well as more recently attempting Classical Chinese. While a text-historian by training, she is more interested in the approaches of literary studies and intellectual history. 

Joachim Gentz is Professor of Chinese Philosophy and Religion. As well as having combined training in Sinology, Religious Studies and Philosophy, he also uses Cultural Studies frameworks. He mostly works with Classical Chinese sources. 

Upali Sraman is a new Lecturer in Buddhist Languages and Cultures, appointed with the support of the Khyentse Foundation to teach classical Buddhist languages at the University. He has Sanskrit, Pali and Tibetan (classical and conversational). 

 

All are welcome. 

For Zoom link register interest by emailing buddhist.studies@ed.ac.uk by Friday 3rd November. 

More info on EBS: https://buddhist-studies.ed.ac.uk 

News

Since January 2022, the Khyentse Foundation generously offered us a new grant to pursue our outreach work in schools.

Along with the tools and resources for teachers, more information can be found on the School Teaching page.

 

EBS Welcomes Dr Upali Sraman for Buddhist Languages & Cultures Post

We are delighted to write with the good news that EBS has made an exciting hire for the Buddhist Languages & Cultures post.

This position has been made possible through generous funding from the Khyentse Foundation and Divinity at the University of Edinburgh. We had an outstanding pool of candidates, and we are pleased to welcome Upali Sraman to our team. Upali is currently pursuing his PhD in Religion at Emory University and is an ordained Buddhist priest with an MDiv from Harvard. He brings a wealth of expertise to our program and will be teaching Sanskrit, Pali, and Tibetan, in addition to offering courses on his dissertation research on bodily practice within the Vinaya. We look forward to having him join us and make significant contributions to our community.