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In collaboration with the Sino-Tibetan Buddhist Studies Association in North America (henceforth, STBSA), the Renmin University of China (previously the People's University of China) and China Tibetology Publishing House will establish a Centre for Sino-Tibetan Buddhist Studies in June 2008. The goal is to establish Renmin University as one of the major international centres in Buddhist studies. This historical event marks the beginning of a cultural and international collaboration between Chinese and Canadian scholars to promote academic exchange on Buddhist Studies. It is the first academic Religious Studies collaboration of its kind.
The Centre for Sino-Tibetan Buddhist Studies is established to provide innovative training to Chinese students who are interested in a career in education and research in Buddhism, in particular Sino-Tibetan Buddhism. Although Tibetan Buddhism, particularly Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, is a popular research area in the West, its relationship with Chinese Buddhism is often neglected. The mission of the Centre is to train a new generation of scholars in China, especially at the doctoral level. The aim is to
- Help promote awareness of Sino-Tibetan Buddhism within China through education, cultural exchange and mentorship;
- Encourage students to conduct research by
- Promoting further understanding of the Buddhist practice via linguistic concordance work. Scriptures written in different languages, particularly Chinese, Tibetan, as well as extinct languages such as Sanskrit and Tangut, are studied in comparative approach, leading to critical editions and consistent translations of these scriptures in Chinese and English;
- Providing unique understanding of Buddhist scriptures from various perspectives. Aside from the linguistic interests, the scriptures will be studied on the basis of its pedagogical purposes as well as the discussions from the perspective of a Buddhist practitioner;
- Promote international collaborations. Students are encouraged to publish in international peer-reviewed journals. The study of Sino-Tibetan Buddhism will offer a unique perspective which will complement the existing body of scholarly work in the field of Buddhist Studies, as well as new insight into Tibetan and Chinese Buddhism.
The initial plan for the Centre is to have a five-year doctoral degree program commencing September 2008. Students are given training in a number of areas including, but not limited to, language studies (Tibetan, Sanskrit, and Tangut) and a thorough understanding of the Buddhist practice in relation to scriptures from different schools. A number of eligible students may have the opportunity to take part in a student exchange for doctoral and post-doctoral programs in North America or Europe.
Beginning March 2008, STBSA will begin a series of lectures on Mahayana Buddhism, aiming at Buddhist students at the introductory levels. The lectures will be given by Master Tam (see the appendix for a short biography) in Toronto and will be broadcasted to the students in Renmin University in China. These lectures will also be broadcasted in Vancouver, Canada, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.
In the past two years, STBSA and partners have published the Monograph Series in Sino-Tibetan Buddhist Studies, a series of interdisciplinary study, annotated translation and critical commentary on a number of Mahayana scriptures. Most notably, the inaugural volume of the Monograph Series, Buddhism and Arts in China and Tibet, came out in 2007. Other publications include a comparative study of the Tibetan and Chinese translations of an early Mahayana text, the Dharani of Entering into Non-conceptuality (Avikalpapravesa-dharani), a study and translation of two Tibetan works on the doctrine of Buddha-nature (tathagatagarbha) by the eminent 19th century Tibetan scholar, Mi pham rgya mtsho, as well as a four-volume study on the Dharmadharmatavibhanga, a Yogacara treatise, by Raymond E. Robertson.
In 2007, the Foundation of Sino-Tibetan Buddhist Studies was established to cover the operational cost of the centre. As of January 2008, $5M RMB has been raised for the initial start-up cost. This includes scholarships, especially for students with difficult financial circumstances. The fund will also cover the cost of classroom equipments, visiting lecturers and international scholars, as well as the costs of publishing the Monograph Series and other studies on Sino-Tibetan Buddhism. Finally, if feasible, the fund will support a number of students to continue their studies in doctoral and post-doctoral programs in North America or Europe.
Headed by Master Tam Shek-wing, STBSA will provide most of the initial academic resources for the Centre. Master Tam, a Canadian, is a recognized scholar in Sino-Tibetan Buddhism, and is the academic consultant for the Monograph Series in Sino-Tibetan Buddhist Studies. Along with Dr. Henry Shiu of University of Toronto Scarborough and Dr. Weirong Shen of Renmin University of China, STBSA includes a group of prominent scholars such as Peter Schwieger of Universitaet Bonn and Dr. Leonard van Der Kuijp from Harvard.
The collaboration between Chinese and Canadian scholars is the first academic Religious Studies collaboration of its kind. Currently, we have received solid support from a variety of individual scholars and many academic and government organizations have expressed interest. The STBSA and partners continues to solicit support and endorsement from related organizations and groups, in order to ensure the continuous growth and success of the Centre for Sino-Tibetan Buddhist Studies.
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