Gregory Kourilsky

Gregory Kourilsky is a Lecturer in Buddhist Studies at the École française d'Extrême-Orient (EFEO), based at their Vientiane Center in Laos. He holds a PhD in Religious Anthropology and History of Religions from the École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE), Paris. His academic journey includes previous positions as Lecturer and head of Laotian studies at Inalco (Paris), and a Research Fellowship at the University of Bristol under the EU's Marie Curie program.

Kourilsky's research examines Buddhist societies in mainland Southeast Asia through historical anthropology, focusing on Tai populations across Thailand, Laos, Burma, and Southern China. Core interests include:

• Adoption/adaptation of Buddhist doctrines to indigenous social structures
• Evolution of Buddhist law and monastic governance
• Manuscript cultures and Pali/vernacular literature
• Ancestor worship and filial piety traditions
• Digital preservation of Tham script manuscripts

His publications demonstrate thematic diversity across Buddhist law, philology, colonial religious history, and ritual practices. Recent works emphasize 16th-century legal texts, monastic regulations, and cross-regional religious exchanges, utilizing primary sources like palm-leaf manuscripts and inscriptions.

Awards & Fellowships:

• Marie Curie Fellowship (EU)
• EFEO Doctoral Scholarship

Major Grants & Projects: Kourilsky has led research initiatives supported by the Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation (Hong Kong), Lumbini International Research Institute (Nepal), Reiyukai Institute (Japan), and PSL University. His documentary film Caring for the Beyond (co-directed) explores Lao Buddhist mortuary rituals.