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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

Prof. Carmen Meinert holds the Chair for Central Asian Religions at Ruhr University Bochum's Center for Religious Studies (CERES), a unique position in German academia. She specializes in Buddhist Studies, Tibetan Studies, and Sinology, focusing on Central Asian religions' systematic development through international cooperation. Deputy Director of CERES and Principal Investigator of the ERC-funded BuddhistRoad project, her research integrates fragmented disciplines into comparative religious frameworks, emphasizing Central Asia's historical and cultural crossroads. Education: Studied at Universities of Bonn, Hamburg, Peking, Sichuan (Chengdu), Vienna, and the Institute of Advanced Study in Essen. Previously held roles as lecturer, substitute professor, and Visiting Research Fellow at the Käte Hamburger Kolleg. Research interests include medieval Buddhist transmission across Central Asia, tantric traditions, manuscript studies (e.g., Dunhuang, Kharakhoto), and contemporary issues like Buddhism and human rights, environmental/climate change. She co-edits the Climate and Culture series and leads projects on metaphors of religion (CRC 1475) and Dzogchen textual history. Publications focus on Buddhist networks, tantric rituals, environmental studies, and comparative religious dynamics. Recent works include Buddhism in Central Asia III (2023) and contributions to Brill’s Dynamics in the History of Religions series. Labs/Teams: Leads CERES research projects, collaborates with international networks, and coordinates the BuddhistRoad initiative. Her work bridges philological rigor with broader cultural and environmental contexts.

• Central Asian Religions
• Buddhist Studies
• Tibetan Studies
• +6 more

Professor Ann Heirman is a distinguished scholar of Buddhist studies at Ghent University (Belgium), where she serves as Professor of Classical and Buddhist Chinese within the Department of Languages and Cultures at the Faculty of Arts and Philosophy. She currently holds multiple leadership positions including Head of the Department of Languages and Cultures (since 2018), Head of the Examination Commissions of the Faculty of Arts and Philosophy (since 2012), and Head of the Ghent Centre for Buddhist Studies, an international research center focusing on India and China. Previously, she served as program director of Oriental Languages and Cultures from 2006 to 2016. Her research expertise centers on Chinese Buddhist monasticism, particularly the development and transmission of disciplinary rules (vinaya) from India to East Asia. She has published extensively on Buddhist nuns, monastic regulations, and the material culture of Buddhist monasteries, with special attention to bodily practices and purity regulations. Her major publications include Rules for Nuns according to the Dharmaguptakavinaya (2002), The Spread of Buddhism (2007), A Pure Mind in a Clean Body (2012, co-authored with Mathieu Torck), and Buddhist Encounters and Identities Across East Asia (2018). Her most recent work examines Buddhist perspectives on animals, as seen in her 2024 article about oxen in Daoxuan's vinaya commentaries. Her current research portfolio includes numerous projects extending through 2028, focusing on Buddhist initiation rituals, vinaya texts from Dunhuang, Buddhist material culture, and the evolution of Buddhist practices in medieval China. Her scholarly approach combines textual analysis with attention to material culture and historical context, revealing how Buddhist monastic practices were adapted as they traveled across Asia. Professor Heirman has supervised numerous PhD students including Xiaoxiao Xu, Anna Sokolova, Jianhong Zeng, Laura Lettere, Ang Zou, Tzu-Lung Chiu, Claire Maes, and Julia Schneider. Her collaborative work extends across international boundaries, reflecting the transnational nature of Buddhist studies. As head of the Ghent Centre for Buddhist Studies, she leads a vibrant research community dedicated to advancing our understanding of Buddhist traditions across Asia, with particular emphasis on the historical and cultural connections between India and China. Her administrative leadership has strengthened Ghent University's position as a significant center for Buddhist studies in Europe.

• Buddhist studies
• Chinese Buddhism
• Monasticism
• +7 more

Steffen Döll is the Numata Professor of Japanese Buddhism at the University of Hamburg’s Faculty of Humanities, affiliated with the Asia-Africa Institute. He leads the 'World Genealogy' project within the Cluster of Excellence ‘Understanding Written Artefacts’ (UWA) and holds roles such as Co-Editor of Hamburg Buddhist Studies and Journal of Chan Buddhism . His research focuses on Japanese Buddhism’s transmission, Buddhist philosophy, and East Asian religious and written cultures. Education: PhD (2009, Munich), M.A. (2004, LMU Munich), studies at Kyoto University (1998–2008). Notable roles include Guest Professor at Hamburg’s Numata Center (2013) and Fellowship at the Junge Kolleg (2010). Research Interests: Buddhist textual practices, religious authority, cross-cultural genealogies, and East Asian intellectual history. His work bridges historical analysis with philosophical inquiry, emphasizing Japan-China interactions. Key Projects: Head of Zen Buddhist Genealogical Diagrams in Early Modern Japan (2023–2026), contributor to UWA’s 'Creating Originals' field. Awards: Junge Kolleg membership (2010), recognition for academic leadership in Buddhist Studies.

• Japanese Buddhism
• East Asian Intellectual History
• Buddhist Philosophy
• +3 more

Stephanie Balkwill is an Associate Professor in the Department of Asian Languages & Cultures at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her academic focus centers on the intersection of Buddhism, gender, and political power in early medieval China, specifically examining the period between the 4th and 6th centuries. Dr. Balkwill's research investigates whether Buddhist affiliation provided new social and educational opportunities for women during this historical period and argues that women were influential in the early spread of Buddhist traditions throughout East Asia. She is currently pursuing two major research projects: the first examines the political lives of Buddhist women in the Northern Wei dynasty (386-534 CE), identifying it as the earliest known case study of women, Buddhism, and political power in medieval East Asia; the second studies female-to-male sex transformation narratives in Mahāyāna Buddhist texts within the context of gendered Buddhist practice. Her work challenges traditional narratives about women's roles in religious history and highlights the complex interplay between gender, religion, and power in premodern East Asia. Dr. Balkwill's scholarly contributions span Buddhist studies, gender studies, and Chinese history, with numerous publications focusing on Buddhist women, textual analysis, and the intersection of religion and political power. Her research demonstrates how Buddhist women navigated religious institutions and political structures in early medieval China, revealing their significant contributions to both religious development and political affairs. She is actively engaged in public scholarship, contributing to broader conversations about Buddhism's relevance to contemporary issues through various media and platforms. As co-Director of the Buddhist Bodies Collective, Dr. Balkwill curates and publishes new Open Access, body-centered resources for teaching Buddhism at the introductory level and across the humanities. Her commitment to open access scholarship is evident in her numerous publications through this medium, making her research accessible to a wider audience beyond academic circles. She is also working on a book-length study of Northern Wei Empress Dowager Ling titled 'Numinous Under Heaven: The Rise and Fall of a Female, Buddhist Regent in 6th Century Luoyang,' scheduled for Open Access publication.

• Buddhist Women Studies
• Early Medieval Chinese Buddhism
• Gender and Religion
• +5 more

Sven Markus Bretfeld is a Professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), located at Låven, Dragvoll campus. His research focuses on South and Central Asian religious history, particularly Theravada Buddhism, systematics of religious studies, and intra-religious non-conformity. He teaches courses such as RVI2160 (Between Science and Spirituality), RVI1040 (Religions of South Asia), and RVI2135 (Science and Religion). His work examines transnational religious dynamics, including conspiracy narratives in Sri Lankan Buddhism, the later spread of Buddhism in Tibet, and the role of monastic historiography. Bretfeld has delivered lectures at prestigious institutions including the University of Austin, SOAS (London), and the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster. Notable outreach activities include presentations on the Dalai Lama phenomenon and transnational Theravada studies. Publications span monographs, academic chapters, and conference papers exploring Buddhist sectarianism, material culture, and historical transmission. His 2022 Routledge chapter on Mahavihara historiography and 2019 Oxford chapter on Theravada Buddhism exemplify his deep engagement with textual and historical analysis.

• South and Central Asian Religious History
• Buddhism
• Systematics of Religious Studies
• +3 more

Torkel Brekke is a Professor of Religion and Society at MF University College of Theology, Religion and Society, Norway. He specializes in the intersection of religion with politics, globalization, and ethics, with a focus on South Asia and contemporary Western societies. His research explores topics such as Islamophobia, religious nationalism, military ethics, and the role of religion in international relations. Brekke teaches courses including Religion and Politics, Theories and Debates in the Study of Religion, and Religion and Empire. His research interests span sociology of religion, Hinduism, Buddhism, and the ethics of war, with notable works analyzing global Islamophobia dynamics, Christian Right movements, and the economic practices of Muslim entrepreneurs in Nordic countries. He has led projects like FINEX (Financial Exclusion and Islamic Finance in the Nordic Countries) and INTERSECT (Intersecting Flows of Islamophobia). Recent publications (2020–2024) highlight his engagement with contemporary challenges such as conspiracy theories targeting Christianity in Norway, the globalization of religious discrimination, and the role of imams in family counseling. Brekke’s work bridges theoretical frameworks with empirical studies, emphasizing the societal impact of religious beliefs and policies. Education: Advanced academic training in religious studies, history, and international relations (details not explicitly provided). Grants/Projects: FINEX (PRIO collaboration), INTERSECT (MF-led). Labs/Teams: Collaborates with interdisciplinary teams in religious studies, sociology, and political science.

• Sociology of Religion
• Hinduism
• Buddhism
• +7 more

Mark Rowe is an Associate Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at McMaster University. His research focuses on East Asian Religions , Japanese Buddhism , and Socio-Cultural Anthropology , with a particular emphasis on the lived experiences of "non-eminent" Buddhist priests and the adaptation of doctrinal ideals to local contexts. He employs ethnographic methods to study how Buddhist teachings are negotiated and reshaped in daily practice, challenging frameworks that prioritize doctrinal orthodoxy over grounded realities. Education: Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Religious Studies from McGill University Master of Arts in Religious Studies from Kyoto University PhD Equivalent (Hakushi Katei) in Eastern Religions from Kyoto University PhD in Religious Studies from Princeton University Research Trends: His publications analyze themes like death rituals, gender dynamics in monastic institutions, and the socio-political dimensions of Buddhism in Japan. Articles span from ethnographic studies of female Buddhist priests (2017) to critiques of temple worldliness (2009), with recurring interest in funerary practices and Shin Buddhism . Teaching: He instructs courses such as Anthropological Approaches to the Study of Asian Religions (RELIGST 709), Japanese Film and Religion (SCAR 3E03), and language courses in Japanese reading. Teaching spans 2000–2025, reflecting sustained engagement with Japanese religious culture and ethnographic theory . Grants: Mentioned in McMaster's $5.8M SSHRC funding announcements, though specific grants for him are not detailed in the dataset.

• East Asian Religions
• Eastern religions
• Ethnography
• +2 more

Mitch Hendrickson is an Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Illinois Chicago, affiliated with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. He directs major projects such as the Industries of Angkor Project, exploring iron technology and political change in the Khmer Empire, and co-directs the Two Buddhist Towers and Iron and Angkor Projects examining religious transitions and metallurgy. Education: PhD in Archaeology (University of Sydney, 2007), MA (University of Calgary, 2001), BA (University of Calgary, 1995). Research focuses on Angkorian Khmer Empire dynamics, including transportation networks, iron production, Buddhist religion, and urban development. His work integrates multi-scalar datasets to address state formation, technological exchange, and material culture. Key projects investigate iron smelting landscapes, temple architecture, and religious transitions at sites like Preah Khan of Kompong Svay and the Midewin Tallgrass Prairie. Collaborations include international teams at CNRS and the Field Museum. His publications analyze Angkorian road systems, pyrotechnologies, and the role of iron in empire expansion, with recent focus on Theravada Buddhist transitions and archaeological methodological innovations. Labs/Teams: Industries of Angkor Project, Two Buddhist Towers Project, Iron and Angkor Project, Tallgrass Prairie Archaeological Landscape Project.

• Landscape Archaeology
• Angkorian Khmer Empire
• Iron Technology
• +7 more