First Circular, April 2023
Dear Colleagues,
The XXth Congress of the International Association of Buddhist Studies (IABS) will take place at Leipzig University, Germany, from August 10th to 15th, 2025. I am very pleased to extend my warm invitation to Buddhist Studies scholars worldwide to come to Leipzig, a charming city located in the heart of Europe, and take part in this prominent conference in the field.
General Information
The First Circular is being sent to all current IABS members. We would like to remind all prospective participants that they must have a valid IABS membership for the year 2025 in order to attend the congress. To apply for or renew the membership, please follow the instructions on the IABS website. Initial enquiries about eligibility should be sent to the association’s General Secretary.
All congress participants will also be requested to pay a registration fee to help us cover the cost of hosting the event. The exact amount will be announced in the Second Circular. Furthermore, we are considering options for virtual participation and will provide more information on the hybrid format of the congress in subsequent circulars.
Future circulars and announcements will be delivered via email. Please fill out the Mailing Request Form on our website as soon as possible in order to keep updated. The latest information and news about the XXth Congress of the IABS can also be found on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Please feel free to share this information among your colleagues and graduate students who do not hold current IABS membership but might be interested in participating in the congress.
Academic Program
The aim of this congress is to create an open environment for scholarly exchange in the form of publicizing new findings, promoting collaborations, and incubating future directions in the field of Buddhist Studies. To fulfil the aim and optimize the academic communication, the Planning Committee declares the following format of proceedings:
(i) In order to accommodate as many participants as possible and maximize the variety of research topics, only one paper per participant is permitted.
(ii) Each conference day will consist of one morning session and one afternoon session, each with several panels and sections convening concurrently. In each panel or section, a maximum of five or six papers will be presented. Each presentation will have a 20-minute time limit, followed by a 10-minute Q&A session for questions and discussions.
(A) Panel: A panel is devoted to papers focusing on a specific topic, organized by a convenor. All panels will be limited to half a day, excepting for special cases. Convenors will contact the selected contributors directly.
(B) Section: A section groups individual papers submitted under one theme. A list of general topics will be proposed by the Planning Committee in the Second Circular (April 2024).
Call for Panel Proposals
The Planning Committee would like to invite initial panel proposals from scholars and colleagues from all areas of Buddhist Studies. If you are interested in convening a panel, please provide us with a 200-word description of the proposed topic as well as a tentative list of potential contributors (not counted within the 200-word limit). Once the selected panel topics are presented in the Second Circular, interested individuals should contact the panel convener directly to inquire about joining.
The initial panel proposals should be sent to Jowita Kramer, Chair, Planning Committee of the XXth IABS Congress, Leipzig University, Institute for South and Central Asian Studies, at jowita.kramer@uni-leipzig.de. The deadline for the initial panel proposals is February 29, 2024.
Individual Paper Proposals
Individual paper proposals are not being accepted at the moment. We will announce a call for individual papers in the Second Circular, along with a list of themes suggested by the Planning Committee.
Posters and Exhibits
We welcome both posters and exhibits for this congress. Exhibition space will be provided, and poster and exhibit presentations will take place during special sessions where participants can interact with each other in a less formal setting. More details will come in the Second Circular.
Visa Requirements
Visa requirements vary according to the nationality of the visitor. Please consult your travel agent or the German consulate in your home country for up-to-date information. The planning committee cannot offer any assistance in procuring a visa.
Accommodations
Comfortable and affordable accommodations are available in the city centre of Leipzig. A list of available accommodations will be provided in the Second Circular.
Conference/Travel Grants
The Planning Committee, regretfully, cannot provide direct financial support for travel or conference, but we strive to ensure the affordability of the registration fee.
Nevertheless, the Planning Committee delightedly offers the IABS Student Travel Bursaries to students who require financial support for their travel to and stay in Germany. Despite the limited spaces, students are encouraged to apply for it. More details will be announced in the Second Circular.
I look forward to meeting everyone in Leipzig, 2025.
With kind regards,
Jowita Kramer
The Planning Committee of the XXth IABS Congress
President: Jens-Uwe Hartmann
Chair: Jowita Kramer
Academic Coordination: Katrin Querl, Beier Wang
Members: Johanna Buß, Volker Caumanns, Philip Clart, Sadananda Das, Xaver Erhard, Christoph Kleine, Ines Konczak-Nagel, Yasmin Koppen, Antonia Mauder, Cornelia Meinig, Ira Sarma, Christof Spitz, Sonam Spitz, Marco Walther, Feng Yang, 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
If you have any general inquiries, please contact info.iabs2025@uni-leipzig.de.