Find Academic Supervisors

Professor David A Palmer is a distinguished academic jointly appointed by the Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences and the Department of Sociology at the University of Hong Kong, where he has been teaching since 2008. His interdisciplinary work bridges anthropology, sociology, religious studies, and Sinology, establishing him as a leading scholar in Chinese religious studies and transnational religious movements. Palmer's educational background includes a PhD in Anthropology of Religion from Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes (Sorbonne, Paris), an MPhil in Clinical Psychology/Medical Anthropology from University of Paris-VIII, and a BA in Anthropology and East Asian Studies from McGill University. His scholarly contributions span multiple disciplines with particular emphasis on Chinese religious traditions and their global manifestations. His research interests focus on the anthropology and sociology of spirituality and religion, especially Daoism and Chinese religion; religion in modern and contemporary China; inter-Asian and transnational religious circulations; Baháʼí Faith; civil society, volunteering, philanthropy, community engagement; and cultural and religious interactions on the Belt and Road. His work examines how religious traditions navigate modernity, state power, and globalization, with particular attention to the Belt and Road Initiative's cultural dimensions. Palmer's publications reveal a consistent focus on understanding Chinese religious traditions within broader theoretical frameworks of social theory, civil society, and transnational religious networks. His articles demonstrate how Chinese religious practices and institutions both adapt to and shape contemporary social and political contexts, with particular attention to the intersections of spirituality, modernity, and state-society relations. Joseph Levenson Award of the Association for Asian Studies PROSE award of the American Publishers' Association Francis L.K. Hsu Award of the Society for East Asian Anthropology Edward Bruner Prize for the best book in Anthropology of Tourism HK Research Grants Council RGC Research Fellowship (2021-2025) HK Research Grants Council Humanities and Social Sciences Prestigious Fellowship (2019) Palmer currently leads multiple significant research projects including 'Global China, Local Cultures: Chinese Modernity and Soft Power on the Belt and Road' (RGC Research Fellowship, 2021-2025), 'Infrastructures of Faith: Religious Mobilities on the Belt and Road' (CRF, 2019-2023), 'Rituals and Manuscripts of the Lanten Yao (Laos)' (GRF, 2021-2024), and 'Religious Cosmopolitanism in China, 1895-1927' (GRF, 2021-2024). He leads the 'Asian Religious Connections' research cluster at HKIHSS, co-convenes the 'Culture, Community and Social Equity' research cluster in the HKU Faculty of Social Sciences, and serves as co-convenor of the HKU Anthropology Research Network. As President of the East Asian Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, he plays a key role in advancing scholarly understanding of religion in the region.

• Anthropology of Religion
• Sociology of Spirituality
• Daoism
• +7 more

Professor Max Deeg is a leading scholar in Buddhist Studies at Cardiff University , holding a personal chair since 2009. With a career spanning institutions in Germany, Austria, and the UK, his research focuses on transcultural Buddhist history from India to East Asia, Chinese Buddhist travelogues , and interreligious encounters in medieval China. He has held visiting positions at universities in Japan, Nepal, the US, and Germany, and currently directs the Centre for the History of Religion in Asia (CHRA) . PhD from University of Würzburg (1990) Dr. phil. habil. in Religious Studies (1998) Full Professor at University of Vienna (2002-2006) His research explores Buddhist narratives as tools for constructing religious identity, foundation myths in trans-Himalayan contexts, and terminology evolution in Chinese Buddhist translations. Recent publications analyze Indian Buddhist monasticism through Chinese sources and religious concepts like xin (trust) across Buddhist, Manichaean, and Christian traditions. Awarded the KHK Visiting Research Fellowship (2016) and a DAAD Scholarship (1986-87) , Prof Deeg contributes to editorial boards of major journals. He supervises PhD students and teaches Buddhist Studies , Life of the Buddha , and Chinese Buddhist Texts .

• Transcultural Buddhist History
• Spread of Buddhism in Asia
• Buddhist Narratives
• +7 more

D. Max Moerman is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Cultures at Barnard College, Columbia University. He holds an A.B. from Columbia College (1986) and a Ph.D. from Stanford University (1999). His research focuses on East Asian Buddhism, particularly the visual and material culture of Japanese religions. His current book project, Geographies of the Imagination: Buddhism and the Japanese World Map , explores intersections between religious thought and cartographic representation. He serves as Co-Chair of Columbia’s Buddhist Studies Seminar and Associate Director of the Columbia Center for Buddhism and Asian Religions. Key research interests include sacred texts like the Lotus Sutra , medieval religious practices, and pilgrimage traditions. His work integrates textual analysis with material culture studies, addressing themes of defilement, sacred geography, and iconography. Teaching responsibilities include courses such as Colloquium on Major Texts: East Asia and The Lotus Sutra . He actively contributes to interdisciplinary dialogues on Japanese religious history through his academic leadership roles and publications in journals like the Japanese Journal of Religious Studies .

• East Asian Buddhism
• Visual Culture of Japanese Religions
• Material Culture Studies
• +3 more

Clare Harris serves as Professor of Visual Anthropology and Head of the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography at the University of Oxford, concurrently holding curatorship of Asian Collections at the Pitt Rivers Museum and a Fellowship at Magdalen College. Her academic leadership spans institutional administration, museum curation, and doctoral supervision within Oxford's anthropological ecosystem. Her educational foundation includes a BA from the University of Cambridge and MA/doctorate from SOAS, University of London. Early career roles comprised Lecturer in Anthropology of Art at the University of East Anglia (1994-1998) before her Oxford appointment. Harris pioneers research at the intersection of visual anthropology, Tibetan studies, and museum decolonization. Her work critically examines Himalayan visual culture, colonial/post-colonial photography, and museum representation politics, evolving toward digital repatriation and community-centered curation. She integrates anthropological fieldwork (conducted in Tibetan diaspora communities since the 1990s) with art historical analysis and archival research. Her 13 recent publications (2004-2022) reveal a progressive trajectory from Tibetan art history toward urgent museum decolonization debates, with consistent focus on photographic practices and cross-cultural representation. Key thematic developments include the shift from historical analysis to active digital repatriation projects and increased engagement with contemporary artists. Harris's accolades include: Fellowship of the British Academy (2019) E. Gene Smith Prize for The Museum on the Roof of the World (2014) Visual Anthropology Prize for In the Image of Tibet (2000) She currently supervises five DPhil students while examining over 25 completed doctorates globally. Research funding spans British Academy personal grants, Leverhulme Trust support, and major collaborative projects including AHRC, Wenner-Gren Foundation, and EU grants—most notably the current AHRC-funded Decolonising the Museum: Digital Repatriation of the Gaidinliu Collection . At the Pitt Rivers Museum, Harris leads high-impact curatorial initiatives including the Abramović collaboration ( Gates and Portals ), Nyema Droma's Performing Tibetan Identities , and community projects like My Tibet Museum , establishing innovative frameworks for museum-public engagement.

• Visual Anthropology
• Material Culture
• Tibetan Studies
• +4 more

Lucia Dolce serves as the Numata Professor of Japanese Buddhism within the Department of Religions and Philosophies at SOAS University of London, part of the School of History, Religions and Philosophies. Her academic base is room 342 in the Russell Square: College Buildings campus. Her educational background includes: Laurea MA (University of Venice) PhD (Leiden University) Professor Dolce's research centers on two interconnected projects: first, the discourse on the body in medieval Japanese Buddhist rituals and its connections to continental Tantric practices, emphasizing ritual fluidity and performative theory applications; second, contemporary Buddhism-Shinto syncretism with focus on revival of premodern practices in Kyoto shrines. She also examines Tokyo's urban pilgrimage routes like the Seven Gods of Fortune, analyzing institutional negotiations and religious marketing dynamics. Her journal articles (1992-2023) consistently explore ritual knowledge transfer in Japanese Buddhism, with recent works on scriptural repurposing and tantric exegesis highlighting material culture and practice-centered approaches. Earlier publications establish foundational studies on Nichiren Buddhism's esoteric dimensions, astrological cults, and celestial body worship, revealing enduring thematic threads across three decades of scholarship. Scientific awards: No awards listed in provided text Advising and grants: She currently supervises four PhD candidates: Rachel Williams (Japanese Secularity), Haruka Saito (Repentance Rituals), Sooyeun Yang (Korean Astrological Buddhism), and Yeonju Lee (Korean Nationalism). Previous supervisees include twelve PhD graduates such as Emanuela Sala (2022, Sannō Shintō), Ronit Wang (2022, Thai Hell Parks), and multiple 2011 completions. Dolce led the Newton Fellowship-associated project 'The Lucky Gods of Tokyo' (2014-2016), investigating spatial politics in Buddhist-Shinto pilgrimage networks.

• Japanese Buddhism
• Medieval Japanese Religious Culture
• Ritual Studies
• +7 more

Hiroto Yoshihara is a Professor at Waseda University's Faculty of Letters, Arts and Sciences, School of Culture, Media and Society, specializing in Japanese intellectual history, Buddhist studies, and Sino-Japanese comparative literature. With a Master of Arts from Waseda University, he has conducted extensive research on ancient and medieval Japanese literature, religious history, and cultural exchange between Japan and China. Yoshihara's research interests focus on Japanese intellectual history, ancient and medieval history, Japanese and Chinese literature, Buddhist studies, and Shinto studies. His work particularly examines the intersection of religious thought and literary expression in premodern Japan, with special attention to figures like Prince Shotoku and Sugawara no Michizane (deified as Tenjin). His comparative approach reveals the complex cultural flows between Japan and continental Asia. His scholarly output shows a consistent focus on religious narratives, particularly Buddhist traditions, and their literary expressions. A significant portion of his recent work analyzes the reception and adaptation of Chinese literary and religious traditions in Japan, especially during the Heian period. His research demonstrates how Japanese intellectuals engaged with continental models while developing distinctive local traditions. Yoshihara received the Kubota Utsuho Award in 1987 for his contributions to Japanese literary studies. His research has been supported by numerous grants from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, including projects on East Asian cultural exchange and religious thought during Japan's regency and Insei periods. He has directed significant research projects, including the Institute for Japanese Religions and Cultural History at Waseda University (2021-2025). His international collaborations, particularly with Chinese academic institutions, reflect his commitment to cross-cultural scholarship and the global dimensions of Japanese religious and literary history.

• Japanese literature
• Japanese history
• History of thought
• +8 more

Stephen F. Teiser is the D.T. Suzuki Professor in Buddhist Studies and Professor of Religion at Princeton University. He holds the Old Dominion Research Professor title in the Humanities Council (2022-2023). His work focuses on Buddhist rituals, Chinese religious history, and the intersection of Indian and Chinese religious traditions. Teiser delivered lectures at Fudan University, shaping his research into broader scholarly discourse. His book Ritual and the Study of Buddhism (2022) explores Buddhist rituals in Chinese contexts, emphasizing cross-cultural and methodological insights. His research bridges medieval Chinese religious practices with modern academic frameworks, addressing topics like funerary rituals, lay communities, and textual interpretation. His academic contributions span Buddhist historiography, ritual studies, and East Asian religious history. Notable works include analyses of the Ghost Festival, Dunhuang liturgies, and comparative religious texts. Teiser’s interdisciplinary approach highlights the adaptation of Buddhism in Chinese culture and its global scholarly relevance. Awards: Old Dominion Research Professor (2022-2023) Teiser’s research also engages with collaborative international projects, such as co-editing volumes on divination and East Asian manuscripts. His work emphasizes the importance of language and cultural context in interpreting religious practices, making his scholarship foundational for understanding Buddhism’s evolution in China.

• Buddhist Studies
• Chinese Religion
• Medieval Chinese History
• +3 more

Michele Matteini serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Art History at New York University's College of Arts and Science, specializing in Late Imperial Chinese painting and material culture (ca. 1400-1800) with focus on Qing dynasty antiquarianism, collecting practices, and eighteenth-century transnational artistic exchanges. His academic credentials include: Ph.D. (2012) in History of Art from the Institute of Fine Arts M.A. (2004) in History of Art from New York University B.A. (2000) summa cum laude from the University of Venice, Ca’ Foscari Research interests encompass Late Imperial Chinese painting, antiquarianism, collecting culture, Qing history, urban culture, inter-Asian artistic exchanges, eighteenth-century globalism, craft traditions, embodied knowledge, and art historical methodology. His interdisciplinary approach bridges anthropology, religious studies, and art history to examine material culture across East Asia. Recent publications reveal consistent thematic focus on eighteenth-century material practices, analyzing antiquarian objects, historical figure cults, and cross-cultural artistic production. Works integrate art historical analysis with anthropological perspectives on topics like rock collecting, filial piety, and sacred materiality, demonstrating how objects functioned within social and global contexts. His scholarly recognition includes: The Andrew Mellon Foundation Fellowship for Assistant Professors, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton (2013-2014) Ittleson Fellowship, Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, National Gallery of Art (2007-2009) Panofsky Distinguished Fellowship, Institute of Fine Arts, New York University (2002-2007) Matteini's research has been supported by major fellowships from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and National Gallery of Art. While current advising activities and grant projects beyond these fellowships are not detailed in available sources, his extensive publication record indicates sustained scholarly productivity focused on East Asian material culture.

• Late Imperial Chinese painting and material culture
• antiquarianism and collecting culture
• Qing history
• +6 more

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

Xiaofei Tian is Professor of Chinese Literature in the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations at Harvard University's Faculty of Arts and Sciences. She joined Harvard in 2000 after teaching positions at Colgate University and Cornell University. Her research centers on Chinese literature and cultural history from the Middle Period (1st–13th century CE), with expertise in manuscript culture, courtly literary production, and Buddhism's influence on poetic traditions. She also investigates late imperial/modern Chinese literature, travel writing, and Cultural Revolution trauma narratives. Professor Tian's scholarly contributions have earned significant recognition: Patrick D. Hanan Book Prize for Translation (2016) for The World of a Tiny Insect Choice Outstanding Academic Title 2006 for Tao Yuanming and Manuscript Culture Choice Outstanding Academic Title 2018 for The Oxford Handbook of Classical Chinese Literature She mentors graduate students while teaching courses including Art and Violence in the Cultural Revolution , and currently serves as Editor of Early Medieval China and founding co-editor of The Nanyang Journal of Chinese Literature and Culture .

• Medieval Chinese Literature
• Chinese Cultural History
• Manuscript Culture
• +8 more

Ryuichi Abe is the Reischauer Institute Professor of Japanese Religions at Harvard University, currently on leave during 2025-26. He holds a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Columbia University and teaches graduate and undergraduate courses on East Asian religions, premodern Japanese religions, and Buddhism. Education B.A. in Economics from Keio University M.A. from School of Advanced International Affairs, Johns Hopkins University M.Phil. and Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Columbia University Professor Abe's research focuses on Japanese Buddhism and its intersections with visual culture, literature, and gender studies. He explores historical developments of esoteric Buddhist traditions and interactions between Shinto and Buddhist practices. His work spans critical analyses of Buddhist textual theory, medieval origin narratives, and the cultural impact of figures like Zen Master Ryōkan. Publications include studies on Kūkai's esoteric discourse, the Lotus Sutra's medieval interpretations, and Xuanzang's Heart Sutra in Japanese kami worship contexts. Key themes in his research include ritual consecration, medieval Buddhist environments, and the symbolic integration of Shinto elements into Buddhist frameworks. He has contributed to journals such as Japanese Journal of Religious Studies and Impressions .

• Buddhism and visual culture
• Buddhism and literature
• Buddhist theory of language
• +5 more

Wei-Cheng Lin is Associate Professor of Art History and the College at the University of Chicago , specializing in Chinese art and architecture. He serves as Faculty Director of the Dispersed Chinese Art Digitalization Project , sits on the steering committee of the Center for the Art of East Asia , and acts as Architectural Studies Advisor. His office is located in CWAC 268 with weekly office hours on Wednesdays. Educational background details are not explicitly provided in the text; however, he held an appointment as Assistant Professor of East Asian Art and Architecture at Iowa State University during 2006–2007. Lin’s research interrogates the intersections of visual and material culture in medieval Chinese Buddhist art and architecture and the ritual dimensions of Chinese funerary practices . Current book projects include Performative Architecture of China , which explores how architecture enacts meaning through historical performance, and Necessarily Incomplete: Fragments of Chinese Artifacts , which investigates the active roles of fragmentary artifacts in shaping multivalent cultural significance. Across more than twenty publications, Lin’s scholarship ranges from detailed studies of Mount Wutai and Dunhuang to theoretical inquiries into architectural historiography , materiality , and contemporary Chinese art . His work bridges art history, architectural history, religious studies, and digital humanities. Grants & Digital Initiatives: Faculty Director, Dispersed Chinese Art Digitalization Project (DCADP) — supported by the Cyrus Tang Foundation Manages DCADP publication series, including Beijing Zhihua Temple (2024) and Exhibiting East Asian Art in a Global Context (2025, co-edited with Chelsea Foxwell) Laboratories & Teams: Lin leads collaborative efforts through the Center for the Art of East Asia and the UChicago Center in Beijing , organizing exhibitions, international conferences, and digital humanities workshops that integrate art-historical research with cutting-edge visualization technologies.

• Chinese art history
• Chinese architectural history
• Buddhist art and architecture
• +7 more

Paul Harrison is the George Edwin Burnell Professor of Religious Studies at Stanford University , with a courtesy appointment in East Asian Languages and Cultures. He serves as Co-Director of the Ho Center for Buddhist Studies , focusing on Buddhist literature, history, and manuscript analysis across Mahāyāna and Mainstream traditions. Specializes in Buddhist manuscripts in Sanskrit, Chinese, and Tibetan Current projects: Editions of the Vajracchedikā (Diamond Sutra) and Vimalakīrtinirdeśa Research emphasizes textual authority, transmission, and innovation in Mahayana Buddhism Contact: paulh1@stanford.edu | Office: Building 70, Room 72E

• Buddhist Literature
• Mahāyāna Buddhism
• Buddhist Manuscripts
• +3 more

Melissa McCormick, Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Japanese Art and Culture at Harvard University, holds a Ph.D. in Japanese Art History from Princeton University (2000) and a B.A. in art history and Japanese from the University of Michigan (1990). She has taught at Columbia University as the Atsumi Assistant Professor of Japanese Art (2000-05) and at Harvard since 2005, where she was promoted to Professor with tenure in 2009. She has held visiting professorships at the University of Zurich and Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Brazil. Education : University of Michigan (B.A.), Princeton University (Ph.D.), Gakushūin University (1996-98) Affiliations : Harvard Art Museums, Metropolitan Museum of Art, NHK Documentaries, Getty Foundation Her research explores the interplay of text and image in Japanese art, focusing on emaki (narrative scrolls), The Tale of Genji , and Buddhist themes. Her 2018 monograph The Tale of Genji: A Visual Companion and 2009 book Tosa Mitsunobu and the Small Scroll in Medieval Japan established new frameworks for analyzing scroll format and narrative. Current projects examine Buddhist nun-artist Ōtagaki Rengetsu and bridal manuscript traditions. Selected articles highlight her work on Hakubyō (ink-line painting), medieval Genji genealogies, and the poetics of chigo (novice) tales. She has contributed to exhibitions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Dartmouth College’s Hood Museum. Scientific Awards : Mellon Fellowship in the Humanities (1990) At Harvard, McCormick teaches courses ranging from introductory surveys ( Arts of Japan ) to advanced seminars on gender, tea culture, and museum research. She co-curated the 2019 Tale of Genji exhibition at the Met, which received critical acclaim, and developed an edX course with over 20,000 enrollments. Her consultancy work extends to opera and dance companies, including Japan Society and Asia Society of Texas.

• Japanese Art History
• Visual Storytelling
• Text-Image Relationship
• +7 more

Mark Halperin is a Professor of Chinese and Department Chair of East Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of California, Davis. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley (1997). His research focuses on Medieval Chinese literature, religion, and literati culture, with particular emphasis on Chinese conceptions of fatherhood and interreligious dynamics in pre-modern China. Education: Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley (1997). Research interests encompass: Medieval Chinese literature and its religious contexts Buddhist and Daoist traditions in literati culture Gender and religious practice in Song China Confucian and Daoist textual traditions His publications explore themes such as Buddhist hagiographies, Song Dynasty religious interactions, and Daoist movements. Recent work includes a translation of Lu Rong's Ming Confucian's World (2022) and articles on medieval Chinese religious narratives. No scientific awards listed. No advising/grant details provided. No labs or teams explicitly mentioned in the profile.

• Medieval Chinese literature
• Chinese religion
• Literati culture
• +3 more