Buddhist Studies Group, NUS

NUS Buddhist Studies Group wishes everyone a blessed Vesak. May all beings be well and happy! 🪷

Call For Papers | At the Crossroads: Dunhuang and Its Global Connections

Date: 08 Jan 2027 - 10 Jan 2027
Venue: National University of Singapore & Asian Civilisations Museum

CFP | At the Crossroads: Dunhuang and Its Global Connections » Asia Research Institute, NUS CALL FOR PAPERS DEADLINE: 15 JULY 2026 The Asian Civilisations Museum, in collaboration with the Courtauld Institute, the Asia Research Institute (National University of Singapore), the Harvard-Yenching Institute, and the Dunhuang Foundation, will host a three-day international conference in Singapo...

We are delighted to share that the "Taixu in Singapore: A 100-Year Commemoration" exhibition, curated by BSG Chair A/Prof Jack Meng-Tat Chia, has been newly relocated to the Wan Boo Sow Chinese Library, Level 6 (North Wing), where it will remain on view until 31 July 2026. We warmly invite you to visit the exhibition and explore this special commemoration!

A wonderful way to conclude this semester’s Foo Hai Seminar Series, with an engaging and thought-provoking talk by our very own Jesse LeFebvre. Many thanks to Jesse for his talk, “Generative Karma: Buddhist Disaster Response in Medieval Japan,” and to all colleagues, students, and friends who joined us for this final seminar of the term. It has been a real pleasure building this space for conversation and exchange together.

Wishing everyone a restful break, and we look forward to seeing you again this fall!

We are pleased to share that the video recording of the book launch for "Figures of Buddhist Diplomacy in Modern Asia" (Bloomsbury, 2026) is now available on YouTube. The event brought together colleagues, students, and friends for a thoughtful conversation on the role of Buddhism in diplomacy and transnational networks in the modern world.

We warmly invite you to watch the full recording here:

NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Book Launch: Figures of Buddhist Diplomacy in Modern Asia

How has Buddhism influenced Asian foreign policy?

A new book edited by BSG Chair Jack Meng-Tat Chia from the NUS Department of History spotlights this often overlooked dimension of global affairs. Figures of Buddhist Diplomacy in Modern Asia explores how Buddhist ideas, institutions, and objects have shaped cultural exchange, peacebuilding, and geopolitics across modern Asia.

Find out more at: https://news.nus.edu.sg/book-buddhist-diplomacy-and-its-influence/

How has Buddhism influenced Asian foreign policy?

A new book edited by renowned Buddhism expert Assoc ProfJack Meng-Tat Chia from the NUS Department of History spotlights this often-overlooked dimension of global affairs. “Figures of Buddhist Diplomacy” explores how Buddhist ideas, institutions and objects have shaped cultural exchange, peacebuilding and geopolitics across modern Asia.

Timely and thought-provoking, the book invites us to rethink boundaries between religion, culture and politics in the world today. NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

news.nus.edu.sg/book-buddhist-diplomacy-and-its-influence/

In the photo: Assoc Prof Chia (left) presented a copy of his book to Professor Chan Heng Chee, Deputy Chairman of the Social Science Research Council that funded the book, at the recent launch event.