Second Circular, April 2024

XXth Congress of the International Association of Buddhist Studies

August 10 to August 15, 2025

Leipzig University, Germany

SECOND CIRCULAR: APRIL 2024

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to present the Second Circular for the XXth Congress of the International Association of Buddhist Studies (IABS) to be held at Leipzig University, Germany, from August 10^th to 15^th, 2025. On behalf of the IABS, Leipzig University, and the Planning Committee of the Congress, I kindly send you this circular to announce the panels that will be presented, to invite individual papers for the panels and sections, and to provide detailed timelines and additional information. We encourage you to share this Second Circular, through various media, with colleagues, students, and supporters who may be interested in participating.

General Information

The XXth IABS Congress aims to bring together scholars from around the world to share their scholarly achievements. I would remind everyone who wishes to participate in the XXth Congress of IABS that they must hold a fully paid IABS membership for the year 2025 in order to attend the event, deliver a paper, or sit on a panel in Leipzig. To be a member of the association in 2025, one should send a request for membership through the IABS website and will need to pay their IABS dues by December 31^st, 2024.

All participants will also need to pay a Congress registration fee, which is used to help us cover the cost of hosting the event, as stipulated below. Online Congress registration and payment will open on November 1^st, 2024, and will remain open until June 15^th, 2025, on the XXth Congress website. Kindly keep in mind that, to complete the process of registration, the aspiring participants will be required to provide proof of their IABS membership for the year 2025.

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

Timeline:

To stay updated on the XXth IABS Congress and receive Congress news, we encourage all prospective participants to subscribe to our newsletter or follow our social media: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. For general inquiries, please contact us at info.iabs2025@uni-leipzig.de.

Academic Program

In line with past Congresses, the proceedings in Leipzig will feature two types of sessions: panels and paper sections.

Each conference day will consist of one morning session (9 am–12:30 pm) and one afternoon session (2–6 pm), with several panels and sections convening concurrently.

Each presentation, either in a panel or in a section, should not exceed 20 minutes in length and will be immediately followed by a 10-minute discussion. A coffee and tea break is also planned for each session, generally after the first three papers. The organizers and I will strive to ensure that presentations in each session begin and end in unison so that participants can move between multiple panels and sections of their choice.

To enhance the diversity of Congress contributors and facilitate maximum participation, attendees are limited to acting in only one official capacity at the Congress: this limit extends to presenting a paper, convening a panel, or acting as designated discussant.

(1) Panels

Panels for the XXth IABS Congress are coordinated by their respective convenor(s), who are responsible for ensuring thematic cohesion, maintaining academic standards, and overseeing the timely submission of the panel papers.

Submission of panel proposals for the XXth Congress has closed, and we extend our sincere gratitude to all contributors. Below are the accepted panels:

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Should you wish to contribute a paper aligned with one of the announced panels, please contact the convenor(s) directly via the provided email address(es) before submitting an individual paper proposal to a section. The convenors will decide on the acceptance of a paper in consultation with the Planning Committee.

Information for convenors:

The panel convenor(s) may chair/moderate their own session or find someone else to do so. The names of the convenors, speakers, and discussants (if you choose to have one) will appear on the program list.

We kindly ask the convenor(s) to ensure that no more than six papers constitute any one panel (with the exception of the panels that have been pre-approved by the Planning Committee, in special cases, to accommodate more than six papers). Additionally, the convenor(s) should remind their panelists that they may not commit to joining other panels. Once panels have been filled, the convenors can close the panels and direct further submissions to paper sections instead.

Convenors should email a complete package of paper abstracts, with each abstract not exceeding 500 words, directly to jowita.kramer@uni-leipzig.de no later than October 1^st, 2024.

(2) Sections

Sections are to be compiled from individual submissions. Those who wish to present a paper in one of the listed sections should submit a paper abstract, as directed below.

The themes for the sections are outlined as follows.

Individual Paper Proposals

The Planning Committee cordially invites scholars, students, and independent researchers from across the spectrum of Buddhist Studies to submit abstracts for individual papers aligned with the sections listed above. Submissions will be accepted from June 15^th, 2024, to November 1^st, 2024.

Paper abstracts should not exceed 500 words. In order to contribute a paper to a specific section, please upload your abstract to the Congress website at https://conference.uni-leipzig.de/iabs2025/submissions/ and indicate the section it addresses. Some submissions might fit under several section headers, but please limit your selection to one section.

The planning committee reserves the right to accept or reject a paper on the basis of its abstract. All participants will be informed by email regarding the acceptance of their paper proposal by the end of December 2024.

Please be advised that in the event that the number of qualified entries to a given section is insufficient, the Planning Committee reserves the right to cancel the said section. Accepted papers will then be reassigned to another section with a similar theme, and the time slot will be allocated to a section with a surplus of submissions.

Conference Schedule

Registration Fee

To facilitate the organization of the event, we have established the Congress registration fee at €380. This fee encompasses conference attendance, tea/coffee, and lunch during the academic sessions, as well as meals at the Opening and Closing Receptions. Additionally, it covers printing costs for paper programs. Please note that the registration fee does not cover transportation, accommodation, excursions, or special events.

Those registering before March 31^st, 2025, will enjoy a discounted fee of €350, while graduate students are entitled to a rate of €330 with confirmation of enrollment status.

As a special feature of the XXth IABS Congress, we are considering offering live streaming of the entire event for a reduced fee of around €200. This option is tailored for individuals who wish to participate remotely as part of the audience. Please be aware that, during the live stream, interactions with presenters or other participants will not be available. The streaming option is currently under consideration, and if it is confirmed, you will find it available on the registration page.

Registration fee payment should be made online through our website at https://conference.uni-leipzig.de/iabs2025/registration/. As mentioned above, you will be expected to provide proof of payment of your IABS membership fee for 2025 at the time of registration. The registration/payment will open from November 1^st, 2024, to June 15^th, 2025.

Posters and Exhibits

There will be a session dedicated specifically to posters, during which each poster contributor will have the opportunity to give a brief presentation to conference delegates.

We also invite exhibitors to provide professional services or products, such as books. For further information, please contact us at info.iabs2025@uni-leipzig.de.

Visa Requirements

Due to the varied visa requirements based on the attendee’s country of origin, we regret to inform you that we are unable to offer guidance or assistance with visa applications for travel to Germany. We strongly encourage potential attendees to consult the German Embassy or Consulate in their home country or country of residence at their earliest convenience. Additionally, travel agencies may provide helpful information regarding the visa process.

To support visa applications, we can provide letters confirming registration or participation in the Congress upon request. If you require such a letter, please contact us at info.iabs2025@uni-leipzig.de.

Airline and Train

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. If you are traveling from abroad, we recommend considering major international airports in Germany, such as Berlin Brandenburg Airport, Frankfurt Airport, or Munich Airport.

Berlin Brandenburg Airport offers the shortest connection to Leipzig. From Berlin Brandenburg Airport, you can easily reach Leipzig Hauptbahnhof (Leipzig Central Station) by train, with a travel time of approximately 1.5 to 2 hours. Trains depart regularly throughout the day.

If you arrive at Frankfurt Airport or Munich Airport, you can also travel to Leipzig Hauptbahnhof (Leipzig Central Station) by train. The journey typically takes around 3 to 3.5 hours from Frankfurt Airport and 4 to 4.5 hours from Munich Airport. Alternatively, direct flights from Frankfurt and Munich to Leipzig/Halle Airport are also available.

Train tickets are purchasable online. I wish to kindly remind everyone that Congress attendees are responsible for their own travel expenses to and from Leipzig.

Accommodations

There are a number of accommodation options in the city center of Leipzig.

Attendees of the Congress are responsible for arranging their own accommodation and covering all associated expenses.

Below is a list of accommodations near Leipzig University. A range of options has been provided to suit the different needs of our Congress attendees.

Please be advised that August is one of the busiest times of the year, so kindly book early if possible.

Student Travel Bursaries

We are happy to announce that the IABS will provide 10 student travel bursaries to help facilitate student attendance at the XXth IABS Congress. Each travel bursary will consist of a contribution of up to $1,000 toward travel, conference registration and/or subsistence expenses while in Leipzig. Further details mapping the application process will be published by June 1^st, 2024, on the IABS website: Conferences (http://iabsinfo.net/conferences/). The period for application runs from January 15^th, 2025, to February 28^th, 2025.

Sustainability, Accessibility, and Inclusion

We are committed to minimizing the environmental footprint of the IABS 2025 Congress by mindfully managing energy and resources. We would be happy if we could count on your support in achieving this goal. For example, we encourage participants to prioritize train or public transport for their travel whenever feasible. Additionally, our aim is to ensure that the event is as accessible and inclusive as possible. Further resources and details about our planned measures will be provided in the Third Circular. We encourage you to reach out to us if you require any assistance or have specific needs.

Website

We will regularly update our website (https://conference.uni-leipzig.de/iabs2025/) with the latest information and practical details about the upcoming Congress.

Third Circular

The Third Circular will be distributed in May 2025. It will provide a detailed academic program, further information about evening events and excursions, and other practical details concerning the Congress.

We eagerly anticipate your participation in the XXth IABS Congress and look forward to engaging in fruitful discussions and 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, Cornelia Meinig, 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