The theravada civilizations project: Future directions in the study of buddhism in southeast asia

The aim of this notice is to share with interested colleagues in Buddhist Studies and related fields the present and future activities of the Theravada Civilizations Project, which is in initial operation during 2011-2014, with generous support from the Henry Luce Foundation under its Asia Responsive Grants Initiative. The Principal Investigator is Juliane Schober at Arizona State University, through which the project is being administered; Co-Principal Investigator is Steven Collins at the University of Chicago. Overall, the project envisions: (1) three international conferences, in Toronto in March 2012, Arizona State in March 2013, and Chiang Mai in summer of 2014; (2) workshops, at each of these meetings, for doctoral students and post-doctoral researchers; (3) a website with research findings, teaching materials, bibliographies, audio-visual resources, etc.; and (4) the publication of edited research collections. Arizona State University has committed substantial direct and in-kind support; the University of Toronto will contribute funds in support of the 2012 conference held there; and the École française d'Extrème-Orient will provide conference facilities in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2014. Core members of the project have met twice in previous years, at Arizona State University (ASU), March 2009 and in Chicago, September of 2010. The conference programmes for these two meetings (both of which were entitled 'Theravada encounters with modernity'), and that in Toronto 2012, are given in Appendix 1; faculty participants are given in Appendix 2.