Third Circular, May 2025

(PDF Version Download Here)

XXth Congress of the International Association of Buddhist Studies

August 10 to August 15, 2025

Leipzig University, Germany

THIRD CIRCULAR: MAY 2025

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to share with you the Third Circular of the XXth Congress of the International Association of Buddhist Studies (IABS), which will be held at Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany, from August 10 to 15, 2025. The primary venue for the congress is the Augusteum, located at Augustusplatz 10, 04109 Leipzig, and its adjacent buildings.

This final circular includes the following information:

• Registration
• Congress Schedule
  • Overview
  • Academic Program
  • Livestreaming Information
• Mentoring Sessions
• Exhibitors and Posters
• Excursions
• Travel to and Stay in Leipzig
  • German Rail Congress Ticket / Deutsche Bahn Congress Ticket
• Sustainability, Accessibility, and Inclusion

For the most up-to-date information, please visit the official congress website: https://conference.uni-leipzig.de/iabs2025/ and/or follow us on social media: Facebook, Instagram, X.

General Information

Please be kindly reminded that a fully paid IABS membership for the year 2025 is required in order to present a paper, convene a panel, or simply participate in the congress on-site. To become an IABS member, please refer to the application process on the IABS website: https://iabsinfo.net/membership/application/. For any inquiries regarding IABS membership, you may contact Dr. Christoph Emmrich (secretary@iabsinfo.net) or Dr. Danielle Feller (iabs.treasurer@unil.ch).

We warmly welcome everyone interested in attending the IABS 2025 Congress, an occasion that brings together scholars from around the world to exchange research in the field of Buddhist Studies. Even if you are not presenting, you are most welcome to join as an auditor, provided you are an IABS member and have paid the congress registration fee.

This year, we are also offering livestreaming of selected panels for remote audiences, wherever located. Access is completely free—all you need is an internet connection. For more details, please refer to the relevant part in the “Congress Schedule” below.

Although our field encompasses a multitude of linguistic regions and our members come from diverse language backgrounds, in accordance with IABS policy, all official Congress proceedings, including papers and presentations, should be conducted in an English-language medium.

Registration

The deadline for registration and payment is June 15, 2025. We encourage all participants to register as early as possible to secure their attendance. Registration and payment should be completed through our secure online system on the XXth Congress website: https://conference.uni-leipzig.de/iabs2025/registration/.

Please be aware that on-site check-in does not replace online registration. All participants must register and pay online by June 15 in order to attend the Congress.

Congress Schedule

On Sunday, August 10, on-site check-in will take place from 12:00 to 15:00 at Schillerstraße 6 (Room S-102). From 15:00 to 18:00, the check-in will continue at the Info Point in the Foyer Augusteum (Augustusplatz 10). If you expect to arrive late, you may still check in during the week at the Info Point in the Foyer Augusteum.

Overview

Academic Program

The academic presentations are organized in the format of panels and sections. Each presentation is allocated a 30-minute slot, consisting of a 20-minute presentation and a 10-minute discussion. Kindly note that we are unable to accommodate individual requests for changes to the scheduled time slots.

To review the detailed academic presentation schedule, please access it via this link.

Please note that the Planning Committee reserves the right to make program changes as necessary.

Livestreaming Information

As a special feature of IABS 2025, we will provide free livestreaming of selected panels for our online audience.

Presentations in the following three rooms can be accessed through the links below:

Hörsaal 3: https://www.urz.uni-leipzig.de/streams/livestream-hoersaal-3

Hörsaal 1: https://www.urz.uni-leipzig.de/streams/livestream-hoersaal-1

Felix-Klein-Hörsaal: https://www.urz.uni-leipzig.de/streams/livestream-felix-klein-hoersaal

The streamed presentations and their corresponding room information will be included in the final program, to be released closer to the date of the congress.

Mentoring Sessions

As a special arrangement of IABS 2025, we are excited to offer four 60-minute Mentoring Sessions to connect Buddhist Studies graduate students and early postdocs (max. 2 years after graduation) with advanced scholars to build their professional network and seek advice and informal guidance within a structured setting of interactive group work sessions. Mentoring Sessions are limited to no more than 10 individuals in each session, and mentees should choose only one of the four sessions to enable as many mentees as possible to benefit from this program. 

We are very grateful to the mentors who will offer their precious time for this:

• Mentoring Session I (Monday, August 11, 14:00–15:00): Writing Research Grants with Prof. James Benn
• Mentoring Session II (Tuesday, August 12, 14:00–15:00): Navigating the Academic Job Market with Prof. Stephanie Balkwill
• Mentoring Session III (Wednesday, August 13, 14:00–15:00): Transitioning to the Class Room with Prof. Amy Langenberg
• Mentoring Session IV (Friday, August 15, 14:00–15:00): Publishing the Academic Monograph with Prof. Matthew King

Registration for the Mentoring Sessions is now open on a first-come, first-served basis. Please drop a quick e-mail to Prof. Dagmar Schwerk (dagmar.schwerk@uni-leipzig.de) with the following details: your name, preferred session (first and alternative option), year of graduate studies or year of doctoral graduation, institutional affiliation, and contact e-mail to follow up.

Exhibitors and Posters

We will have several exhibitors and publishers in our field to introduce their services and products at the congress. The exhibition space will be in the Foyer Augusteum.

More information will be made available in our final program.

Excursions

On the afternoon of Thursday, August 14, eight excursions are planned, offering you the opportunity to explore the charming musical and historical city of Leipzig. The excursions include:

• Guided Tour of the Bach-Museum Leipzig and St. Thomas Church
• World Famous City of Music – A Walk on the Leipzig Music Trail
• Peaceful Revolution – The Fall of 89 in Leipzig
• A City Stroll
• Guided Tour of the Botanical Garden of Leipzig University
• Tradition and Innovation in a Cup: Buddhist Scholastic Tea Party
• Guided Tour: Jewish Life in Leipzig
• Guided Tour: Leipzig and Colonial History

Your excursion preference should be indicated on the congress registration form. A spot on the chosen tour will be reserved, subject to availability. Payment (approximately 5–15 EUR, if applicable) must be made in cash, in the exact amount, and tickets will be distributed during on-site registration.

Please note that changes or cancellations may occur depending on registration numbers and external factors. We encourage you to stay updated via our website and social media channels.

Travel to and Stay in Leipzig

Airports

Berlin Brandenburg Airport offers the shortest connection to Leipzig. From the airport, you can easily reach Leipzig Hauptbahnhof (Leipzig Central Station) by rail in approximately 1.5 to 2 hours. You may book a rail ticket departing directly from the airport or other locations across Berlin, depending on your convenience.

If you arrive at Frankfurt Airport or Munich Airport, you can also travel to Leipzig Hauptbahnhof (Leipzig Central Station) by rail. The journey typically takes around 3.5 hours from Frankfurt Airport and around 4.5 hours from Munich Airport. Both airports and various locations within the cities are well-connected by rail, providing flexibility in choosing a departure point that best suits your itinerary. Alternatively, direct flights from Frankfurt and Munich to Leipzig/Halle Airport are also available.

Leipzig/Halle Airport is the closest airport to the conference venue. However, only a limited number of international airlines provide direct flights to this airport.

Out of concern for the environment, we encourage participants to prioritize train or public transport for their travel whenever feasible, and we provide helpful resources for that on our webpage “Travel.”

German Rail Congress Ticket / Deutsche Bahn Congress Ticket

We are also delighted to be now able to offer the just relaunched Deutsche Bahn (DB, “German Rail”) Congress Ticket to attendees of the IABS Congress 2025. It offers a significant discount (even compared with the already reduced Saver Fare options at Deutsche Bahn) and can be used on any train operated by Deutsche Bahn, including ICE, IC, EC Trains, and regional trains.

Please book the Deutsche Bahn Congress Ticket via this specific DB booking link. For further inquiries, please contact Deutsche Bahn directly.

We kindly remind all attendees that they are responsible for their own travel expenses to and from Leipzig.

Accommodation

There are a number of accommodation options in the city center of Leipzig. Please kindly find a list of accommodations near Leipzig University on our website. In addition, we gathered and provided information about the hotels and their environmental efforts and eco-labels. This allows you to plan a stay that is both enjoyable and environmentally conscious.

Please be advised that August is one of the busiest times of the year, so kindly book early if possible. Attendees of the Congress are responsible for arranging their own accommodation and covering all associated expenses.

Visa Information

While we are not in a position to offer guidance or assistance with visa applications for travel to Germany, we can provide letters confirming registration or participation in the Congress to support your visa application. If you require such a letter, please contact us at info.iabs2025@uni-leipzig.de.

Sustainability, Accessibility, and Inclusion

We are committed to minimizing the environmental footprint of the IABS 2025 Congress by mindfully managing energy and resources, and you can find a regularly updated overview of our efforts and recommendations for you on our webpage under “Sustainability, Accessibility, and Inclusion.” We would be happy if we could count on your support in achieving this goal, and we are very much interested in hearing back from you after the Congress about your experiences. We are especially grateful to The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Global for supporting several measures in sustainability, accessibility, and inclusion.

To reduce our carbon footprint for the IABS Congress, some of our measures include offering completely vegetarian/vegan food options with a focus on regional production, choosing, as best possible, sustainable materials, and reducing waste. Furthermore, Leipzig University already uses 100 % renewable energy.

Tree Sponsorship: “Baumstarke Stadt”

We are celebrating the XXth IABS Congress by sponsoring a tree in the planting project “Baumstarke Stadt (Tree-strong City Campaign).” In this long-term project, trees are planted in public parks, streets, squares, and municipal cemeteries in Leipzig, and the project is a significant contribution to a greener Leipzig.

Sponsored red-flowering horse chestnut tree (lat. Aesculus x carnea ‘Briotii’) in front of the department building of the Institute for South and Central Asian Studies, Schillerstraße 6. Photo: Feng Yang

Quiet Zone & Parenting Room

Additionally, we aim to ensure that the event is as accessible and inclusive as possible. Therefore, we offer a quiet zone for participants who wish to take a break from the conference in a calm setting. It is equipped with, for example, yoga mats, meditation cushions, water/glucose, reading materials, and other resources to promote relaxation and mindfulness.

Unfortunately, we cannot offer childcare services for logistical reasons, but we provide a separate Parenting Room that will give parents/partners and their children their own space. It is equipped with a kitchen, children’s toilet/nappy-changing place, sleeping room, and toys (for different ages). Keys can be individually requested.  

We encourage you to reach out to Prof. Dagmar Schwerk (dagmar.schwerk@uni-leipzig.de) if you require further assistance or have specific needs/questions regarding sustainability, accessibility, and inclusion. This will allow us to plan accordingly. 

We look forward to welcoming you to the XXth IABS Congress and to engaging in inspiring discussions and fruitful collaborations!

With kind regards,

Jowita Kramer

The Planning Committee of the XXth IABS Congress

President: Jens-Uwe Hartmann

Chair: Jowita Kramer

Academic Coordination: Beier Wang, Feng Yang

Members: Johanna Buß, Volker Caumanns, Philip Clart, Sadananda Das, Franz Xaver Erhard, Michelle Kienzler, Christoph Kleine, Ines Konczak-Nagel, Yasmin Koppen, Zhoulin Li, Cornelia Meinig, Stepan Musharov, Keiki Nakayama, Katrin Querl, Ira Sarma, Dagmar Schwerk, Lilli Sharma, Christof Spitz, Sonam Spitz, Marco Walther, Tenzin Yangzom, Monika Zin

Advisory Board: Christoph Emmrich (University of Toronto), Eli Franco (Leipzig University/Saxon Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Leipzig), Petra Kieffer-Pülz (Academy of Sciences and Literature, Mainz), Michael Radich (Heidelberg University)

Correspondent

Prof. Dr. Jowita Kramer

Chair, Planning Committee of the XXth IABS Congress

Leipzig University

Institute for South and Central Asian Studies

Schillerstraße 6

04109 Leipzig

Germany

E-mail: jowita.kramer@uni-leipzig.de

For general inquiries, please write to info.iabs2025@uni-leipzig.de.