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Professor Jinhua Chen (PhD, McMaster University, 1997) is a leading scholar in East Asian Buddhism at the University of British Columbia’s Department of Asian Studies, Faculty of Arts. Holding a Canada Research Chair (2001-2011) and inducted into the Royal Society of Canada (2020), his work spans trans-regional Buddhist narratives, monastic institutions, relic veneration, and technological innovations in medieval Asian religions. Key Affiliations: UBC Buddhist Forum (Director), Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies (Resident Scholar), and editorial roles in Brill Book Series on East Asian Religions and Studies in Chinese Religions . Research Themes: Combines textual analysis with interdisciplinary methods to explore Buddhist sacred sites, doctrinal transmissions, and church-state dynamics. His projects include From the Ground Up (SSHRC Partnership Grant 2016-2023), examining East Asian religions through multi-media sources, and studies on ruixiang (propitious signs) in medieval Chinese prognostication. Scientific Awards: Royal Society of Canada Fellow, Canada Research Chair, SSHRC Insight Grants, Humboldt Research Fellowship, and Max Planck Institute funding. Publications: Over 30 book chapters and journal articles (2000-2016), including monographs on Fazang, Shingon-Tendai conflicts, and Buddhist sacred geography. Teaching: Courses on Chinese thought, Chan/Zen Buddhism, and Buddhist text interpretation, emphasizing methodological rigor and cross-cultural analysis. Projects: Directed international collaborations on Buddhist manuscripts, palace chapels, and relic cultures, with grants totaling over $4 million CAD.

• East Asian Buddhism
• Buddhist Transmission Narratives
• Church-State Relationships
• +6 more

Neil Dalal is an Associate Professor at the University of Alberta, holding a joint appointment in the Department of Philosophy and the Religious Studies Program. He specializes in South Asian Philosophy and Religious Thought, with expertise in Advaita Vedānta, Yoga philosophies, and Buddhist thought. His research bridges Philosophy and Religious Studies, focusing on contemplative practices, meditation, and self-inquiry in classical Indian traditions. Education: PhD in Asian Cultures and Languages (University of Texas at Austin), MA in East-West Psychology (California Institute of Integral Studies). He has also engaged in extensive fieldwork with Indian monastic renouncers and traditional scholars. Research interests include sudden vs gradual enlightenment in Advaita, meditational roles of memory, philosophy of dreaming, and Yogic approaches to well-being. Current projects explore these themes through close readings of Advaita philosophers like Śaṅkarācārya and their interpretations of Upaniṣads and Bhagavadgītā. Teaching spans undergraduate and graduate courses such as 'Happiness in Indian Philosophy,' 'Meditation and Mind in Indian Philosophy,' 'Advaita Vedānta: India’s Philosophy of Nonduality,' and courses on Hinduism, Buddhism, and Eastern Religions. He also teaches Environmental Ethics and Comparative Philosophy. No scientific awards or grants are explicitly listed in the provided texts. His academic service includes course coordination in Philosophy and Religious Studies programs.

• South Asian Philosophy
• Religious Studies
• Indian Philosophy
• +10 more

Dr. Don Baker is a Professor of Korean Civilization in the Department of Asian Studies at the University of British Columbia (UBC), and Co-Director of the Centre for Korean Research at the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs (SPPGA). He has been involved with Korea since 1971, serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Gwangju. He earned his Ph.D. in Korean history from the University of Washington (1983) and has taught at UBC since 1987. His research focuses on the intersection of philosophy, religion, and state in Korean history, with particular emphasis on religious communities' contentious relationships with the state. Recent work includes analyzing the role of religious groups during the 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement. He has authored books such as Korean Spirituality and Catholics and Anti-Catholicism in Chosŏn Korea , and is general editor of the upcoming Cambridge History of Korea . He advises students in Asian Studies and contributes to policy research through SPPGA. His scholarship bridges historical analysis with contemporary regional dynamics.

• Korean History
• Philosophy
• Religion
• +3 more

Henry C. H. Shiu is an Assistant Professor in Chinese Buddhist Studies at the University of Toronto, affiliated with New College and Emmanuel College. He holds degrees from the University of Toronto’s Centre for the Study of Religion, including a BA, MA, and PhD. BA, Department of Religious Studies, University of Toronto MA, Centre for the Study of Religion, University of Toronto PhD, Centre for the Study of Religion, University of Toronto His research spans Mahayana Buddhism , focusing on historical and doctrinal aspects of Madhyamaka and Yogacara traditions, and the theory of Tathagatagarbha. He also explores contemporary Buddhist movements, Buddhist Chaplaincy, and Buddhism in Canada. Additional interests include Western classical music (with three publications via Oxford University Press) and Daoist texts like the Laozi and Zhuangzi. Shiu’s publications span Buddhist studies, ethics, and musicology, with a recent emphasis on Canadian Buddhist communities and cross-disciplinary intersections. He co-edited a special issue of the Canadian Journal of Buddhist Studies on Applied Buddhism and contributed to dialogues on Buddhist architecture and animal release practices. He has taught courses such as Buddhist Ethics, Buddhist Contemplative Care, and Buddhist Psychology, while serving as guest editor and receiving the Wabash Digital Salon Grant for documentary work. His affiliations include the American Academy of Religion and the International Association of Buddhist Studies.

• Mahayana Buddhism
• Madhyamaka
• Yogacara
• +7 more

André Laliberté is a Full Professor at the University of Ottawa's School of Political Studies , focusing on the intersection of religion and politics in East Asian societies. His work spans comparative politics, Chinese and Taiwanese politics, social policy, and political anthropology. Ph.D. (1999) and M.A. (1992) from the University of British Columbia , B.A. (1991) from Université du Québec à Montréal . His research explores Buddhist philanthropy , secularism , and welfare regimes , with fieldwork in Shanghai, Beijing, Taiwan, and Hong Kong . Recent publications analyze religion-state dynamics in China's pandemic response, filial piety's legal revival , and geopolitical challenges in Buddhist internationalism . He has supervised students across these themes and collaborated with institutions like the Groupe Sociétés, Religions et Laïcités (Paris) and Center on Religion and Chinese Society (Purdue University) .

• Religion and Politics
• Chinese Politics
• Taiwan Studies
• +9 more

Shayne Clarke is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Religious Studies, McMaster University. His work focuses on Indian Buddhist monastic law codes (Vinaya) preserved in Sanskrit, Pali, Tibetan, and Chinese, with additional interests in humor in religious texts, manuscript studies, and East Asian religions. Primary research: Indian Buddhist monasticism, Vinaya textual analysis Key languages: Sanskrit, Tibetan, Chinese, Pali Recent projects: Survey of Tibetan Dunhuang manuscripts, edition of Vinayakārikā texts Research interests include family dynamics in monastic Buddhism, gender and ordination practices, and legal narratives in Vinaya texts. His publications examine topics like: Pregnant nuns and monastic motherhood Humor in Indian Buddhist legal codes Comparative analysis of Pārājika penance Monastic expulsion vs. local community exclusion Teaching includes graduate courses on Indian Buddhist texts (RELIGST 715, 714) and undergraduate courses like What is Buddhism? (SCAR 2K03) and Sex and the City in Buddhism (RELIGST 2BN3).

• Indian Buddhist monasticism
• Buddhist monastic law (Vinaya)
• Sanskrit
• +7 more

Evan Thompson is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of British Columbia (UBC), with associate memberships in the Department of Asian Studies and Department of Psychology (Cognitive Science Group). He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. His research focuses on philosophy of mind, cognitive science, phenomenology, and cross-cultural philosophy, particularly Indian and East Asian traditions. Thompson holds a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto and previously taught at the University of Toronto for eight years before joining UBC in 2013. His work bridges Western and Eastern philosophical traditions, emphasizing embodied cognition, consciousness studies, and the interplay between science and human experience. Research Interests: Thompson explores embodied cognition, neuroscience of consciousness, phenomenology, and comparative philosophy. He critiques reductive approaches in cognitive science and advocates for an enactive framework that integrates biological, psychological, and cultural dimensions of mind. His work often addresses the 'explanatory gap' between consciousness and brain processes. Publications: Thompson has authored influential books such as Mind in Life (2007), The Embodied Mind (1991, co-authored with Francisco Varela and Eleanor Rosch), and Waking, Dreaming, Being (2016). His recent work examines AI limitations, Buddhist philosophy, and the role of human experience in scientific inquiry. Awards: Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (2010). Labs/Teams: Thompson collaborates with interdisciplinary teams in cognitive science, neuroscience, and philosophy, emphasizing neurophenomenology and enactive approaches.

• Philosophy of Mind
• Cognitive Science
• Phenomenology
• +5 more

Andre Laliberte is a Professor at the University of Ottawa , affiliated with the School of Political Studies . His research focuses on religion and politics in East Asia , particularly state-Buddhist interactions and secular governance in societies with Chinese cultural heritage. His work examines how Chinese and East Asian states negotiate religious legitimacy through welfare regimes, policy frameworks, and historical institutionalism. Recent publications analyze religious responses to public health crises in Taiwan, secularism measurement , and Buddhist geopolitical dynamics . He has edited volumes on multiple secularities , Buddhist revival post-Mao , and methodological approaches to Chinese religions . Key trends in his 20+ publications include interdisciplinary analysis of state-religious symbiosis , filial piety in law , and authoritarian regime resilience . His research bridges political science , religious studies , and comparative social policy .

• Religion and Politics
• East Asian Studies
• Chinese Politics
• +7 more

James Alexander Benn is a Professor of Buddhism and East Asian Religions in the Department of Religious Studies at McMaster University, where he also serves as Director of the McMaster University Centre for Buddhist Studies. His research focuses on medieval Chinese religions (Buddhism and Taoism), examining practices and worldviews through analysis of primary sources in literary Chinese. His work centers on three primary areas: bodily practices in Chinese religions, transmission of religious practices/doctrines, and religious dimensions of commodity culture. Education: Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Oriental Studies (Chinese), University of Cambridge Master of Arts Eastern Religions, University of London Master of Arts Oriental Studies (Chinese), University of Cambridge PhD East Asian Languages and Cultures (Buddhist Studies), University of California Los Angeles Research Focus: Professor Benn specializes in the religious and cultural history of medieval China, with particular emphasis on self-immolation practices, Chinese Buddhist apocrypha, and the religious significance of tea culture. His research employs close textual analysis to understand how religious practices were created, transmitted, and practiced in historical contexts, especially regarding bodily practices and material culture. Publications Overview: Benn's scholarly output includes extensive work on Chinese Buddhist texts, ritual practices, and cultural history. His publications frequently examine themes of asceticism, apocryphal literature, and material culture in medieval East Asian religions. Recent works demonstrate continued focus on textual analysis of Buddhist scriptures and their socio-cultural contexts, with particular attention to the Diamond Sutra and Lengyan Jing.

• Buddhism
• East Asian Religions
• Religion and Culture
• +4 more

David Quinter is an Associate Professor at the University of Alberta, holding a 50/50 joint appointment between the Department of East Asian Studies and the Program in Religious Studies. His primary research focuses on medieval Japanese Buddhism, particularly the Shingon Ritsu movement and its engagement with the Mañjuśrī cult. He examines intersections of narratives, rituals, and material culture in devotional practices, with special attention to outcasts and social welfare in Japanese religion. Teaching areas include East Asian religions, Japanese Buddhism, and methodological approaches to the study of religion. He has taught courses such as 'East Asian Religions,' 'Buddhism in Japanese History,' and 'Lived Religion in Asia.' Quinter's publications include the monograph From Outcasts to Emperors: Shingon Ritsu and the Mañjuśrī Cult in Medieval Japan (Brill, 2015) and numerous articles on topics like Eison's role in religious innovation, Manjusri iconography, and medieval Buddhist material culture. His work bridges textual analysis with material and ritual studies, emphasizing how religious practices shaped social and political dynamics in premodern Japan.

• East Asian Buddhism
• Japanese Religions
• Medieval Japan
• +6 more

John Harding is Professor of East Asian Religions in the Department of History and Religion at the University of Lethbridge, Canada. He has served multiple terms as department chair (2010-2013, 2015, 2018, 2022-2023) and was the founding coordinator of the Asian Studies minor (2013-2017, 2022). He currently teaches Zen Buddhism and World Religions and is a visiting scholar at Aarhus University, Denmark (April–May 2024). Education: BA, Asian Studies (minor Religion), University of Puget Sound, 1994 PhD, Religious Studies, University of Pennsylvania, 2003 Research stays in Japan and one year at the University of Cambridge, England Research Interests: Harding specializes in Japanese Buddhism and the global modernization of Buddhism over the past 150 years. His work emphasizes cross-cultural exchanges between Asia and the West, including studies of Buddhism in Canada (notably Jōdo Shinshū in southern Alberta) and transnational Buddhist networks. A secondary focus is the theory and method of studying religion, reflected in widely used textbooks co-authored with Hillary Rodrigues. Recent Publications & Trends: From 2008 to 2024, his publications reveal a sustained investigation into the globalization of Buddhism. Monographs such as Mahayana Phoenix (2008) and Buddhism in the Global Eye (2020) map Japanese and Canadian Buddhist identities within transnational contexts. Edited collections including Wild Geese (2010) and Flowers on the Rock (2014) extend this inquiry to Canadian Buddhist communities, while theoretical pieces interrogate secularization and pedagogy in religious studies. Grants & Awards: SSHRC Insight Grant, “The Modernization of Buddhism in Global Perspective,” 2013–2022, CAD $258,659 (PI, with Victor Sōgen Hori & Alexander Soucy) University of Lethbridge Research Fund, “CREDO: Buddhist Developments of the Western Frontier,” 2009–2011, CAD $17,300 University of Lethbridge Research Fund, “Cultural Responses to Contested Claims of Sacred Place,” 2005, CAD $8,500 Labs, Teams & Service: Harding co-directs the Global Buddha research network (globalbuddha.org) with Hori and Soucy, which disseminates findings from their SSHRC project. He is a past president and current board member of the Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden, serves on editorial boards, and regularly delivers public lectures such as the “Buddha’s World Tour” PUBlic Professor Series talk (2015).

• Japanese Buddhism
• Global modernization of Buddhism
• Buddhism in Canada
• +2 more

Jessica Main is an Associate Professor in the Department of Asian Studies at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Faculty of Arts. She serves as Associate Head, Internal and as Chair and Director of The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Program in Buddhism and Contemporary Society. She began her work at UBC in 2009 as the Tung Lin Kok Yuen Canada Foundation Chair and Director of UBC's Buddhism and Contemporary Society Program, which was renamed in 2014 to its current title as part of a global network supported by The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation. Dr. Main's research focuses on modern Buddhist ethics, social action, and institutional life in East and Southeast Asia. Her specific interests include: Buddhism, Ethics, and Human Rights Modern Buddhist Institutions, Law, and Governance Buddhists and Buddhist Institutions Active in Modern Society (Social Welfare, Healthcare, Rehabilitation, Incarceration) Modern Japanese Religions and Society Japanese True Pure Land Buddhism (Jōdo Shinshū) Her scholarly work demonstrates a consistent focus on the intersection of Buddhist ethics with social justice issues, particularly regarding descent-based discrimination in Japanese society. She has made significant contributions to understanding how Buddhist institutions engage with contemporary social issues including healthcare, human rights, and social welfare. Her research often examines the historical development of Buddhist responses to social problems, with particular attention to Japanese Shin Buddhism. Dr. Main has received notable recognition through her appointment to prestigious chairs including the Tung Lin Kok Yuen Canada Foundation Chair and The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Chair. She is also a member of the steering committee for the International Association of Shin Buddhist Studies (IASBS). Her teaching portfolio includes courses such as ASIA 110: Religions in Asia, ASIA 211: Sex, Sexual Ethics, and Asian Religions, ASIA 250: Introduction to Buddhism, ASIA 301: Buddhism in Modern Asia, and various specialized courses on Buddhist studies. She has been actively teaching these courses from 2021 through the upcoming 2025 Winter Term. Dr. Main completed her PhD at McGill University in 2012 with a dissertation on descent-based discrimination, human rights, and Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism in Japan, focusing on the problem of caste-based discrimination (burakumin) in Pure Land Buddhism. She also holds a certificate from Otani University in Kyoto (2006-2008) and a BA in General Studies from the University of Calgary (1997).

• Buddhist Studies
• Japanese Studies
• Asian Studies
• +7 more

Christina Laffin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Asian Studies at the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Arts. Her research focuses on medieval Japanese women's literature, education, and cultural practices. Affiliation : Faculty of Arts, Department of Asian Studies Academic Rank : Associate Professor Research Interests : Dr. Laffin specializes in medieval travel diaries , women's education before 1600 , and poetic practices in waka culture . Her work engages with gender theory , autobiographical writing , and noh theatre , using comparative frameworks to analyze medieval literature across cultural boundaries. Publication Trends : Her scholarship combines analysis of classical Japanese texts like The Diary of the Sixteenth Night with comparative studies of European medieval literature. She contributes to ecocriticism in Japanese studies and examines textual transmission in female-authored works, including translations and critical editions of premodern sources. Academic Contributions : Dr. Laffin has organized international workshops on waka culture and Komonjo manuscripts , co-edited volumes on noh theatre , and served as managing editor for Gender and Japanese History . She has presented at conferences in Japan, Europe, and North America on topics ranging from female courtly advice to poetic capitals and journeys .

• Medieval Japanese Literature
• Women's Education and Socialization before 1600
• Poetic Practices
• +5 more

Dr. Alexander Soucy is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at Saint Mary's University, with a secondary appointment as a Research Associate at the Centre for the Study of Sport and Health. He holds a PhD in Anthropology from The Australian National University, an MA in History and Philosophy of Religion, and a BA in Religion from Concordia University. His research bridges religious anthropology and sustainable urban planning. Primary research focuses on Vietnamese Buddhist practices, exploring how globalization and secularization reshape religious orthodoxies. His book The Buddha Side examines gendered participation in Vietnamese Buddhism, while Zen Conquests analyzes global Buddhist discourses through a case study of Hanoi's expanding Zen temples. Recent work addresses 're-enchantment' and the erosion of modernist secular narratives in Vietnam. In parallel, Dr. Soucy applies anthropological methods to urban sustainability, co-founding the Halifax Bike Lab to study cycling infrastructure's impact on cultural and environmental outcomes. Collaborations include projects with the Ecology Action Centre and Halifax Cycling Coalition, emphasizing community science approaches like the Pedal Poll/sondo vélo study. His research themes intersect across: Buddhist modernity, gender studies, transnational religious flows, urban mobility, and the interplay between religion and globalization. Teaching innovations include metacognitive pedagogy experiments in religious studies curricula.

• Buddhism Studies
• Religious Anthropology
• Globalization Studies
• +3 more

Mikaël Bauer is an Associate Professor of Japanese Religions (Buddhism) and Director at the School of Religious Studies, McGill University , with an associate appointment in the Department of East Asian Studies . His work bridges Buddhist studies, Japanese history, and ritual theory. Ph.D. in East Asian Studies from Harvard University B.A. and M.A. in Japanese Studies from Catholic University of Louvain (KULeuven) Specialized in Sanskrit at Banaras Hindu University Studied at Kanazawa Daigaku, Osaka University of Foreign Studies, and Otani Daigaku His research focuses on premodern Japanese rituals , lineages , and sovereignty , particularly the interplay between Buddhism and state. He explores themes such as the materiality of Buddhist/Shinto rites, doctrinal-ruler legitimacy, and performative aspects of medieval religious practices. Key trends in his publications include analyses of Kofukuji Temple , the Fujiwara Clan , and the Yuima-e/Vimalakirti Assembly as mechanisms of political and religious authority. His work spans monographs, edited volumes, and peer-reviewed articles in journals like Monumenta Nipponica and Pacific World . Scientific awards include: Japan Foundation Conference Support Grant (2018) Sasakawa Foundation Research Grant (2013) BDK Research Fellowship (2009) Reischauer Institute Supplementary Dissertation Grant (2010-2011) Bauer supervises graduate students specializing in Classical or Medieval Japanese Buddhism and has organized international conferences at McGill, Harvard, and Cambridge University. His current project examines the ritual history of Kōfukuji Temple.

• Japanese Buddhism
• Medieval History
• Buddhist Rituals
• +4 more