Huaiyu Chen

Huaiyu Chen is a Professor of Buddhism and Chinese Religions at Arizona State University (ASU), with a joint appointment in the School of International Letters and Cultures. He holds affiliations with the Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict and the Center for Asian Research. His research bridges history, religious studies, and animal studies, focusing on cultural exchanges along the Silk Road, medieval Chinese religious history, and the role of animals in religious practices.

Education: Ph.D. in Religious Studies (Princeton University, 2005), M.A. in Religious Studies (Beijing University), B.A. in Religious Studies (Beijing Normal University).

Research interests include Buddhism, Chinese religions, Silk Road connections between China and Central/South Asia, Dunhuang manuscripts, and the intersection of animals and religion in medieval China. He has held visiting positions at institutions like the Institute for Advanced Study (Princeton), Cambridge University, and Tsinghua University.

Awards include the Gerda Henkel Foundation Scholarship (2021), Spalding Fellowship at Cambridge (2014-2015), and grants from the American Academy of Religion and Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation.

Recent research explores Buddhist rituals, monasticism, and the Sinification of religious practices. He has published extensively on topics like stone lanterns in Buddhist rituals, the cult of animals in medieval China, and transnational religious networks.