The Buddhist tradition is central to any understanding of human culture, social history and contemporary reality. As Asia rises and western interest grows, its importance is increasingly recognised. In the modern academy, it has been relatively little studied and understood.

The Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies (‘OCBS’) works to remedy that. It studies Buddhist texts and the thinking and practice they present, and also Buddhist social history from the origins to the present day. It does so from original sources, written and oral, in the languages that past and present representatives of the tradition have used. Accordingly, it is able to treat the Buddhist tradition as an interdisciplinary field of study in its own right. Work in this field illuminates cultural commonalities across the whole of Asia.

Oxford University has long contributed to world-wide understanding of Buddhism. Scholars from many countries have studied and produced important work here. There was recently a danger that all this would die for lack of public funding. But private initiative has opened a new chapter.

This site presents:

• The academic side of the OCBS:
• The organisation:
• The background and history of the OCBS project
• Some recent research done at Oxford
• Events at OCBS
• Academic projects and posts

The OCBS Now

• It has been granted the status of a Recognised Independent Centre of Oxford University.
• Thanks to the great generosity of the BDK (Numata Foundation) of Tokyo, it has secured Europe’s first endowed Professorship in Buddhist Studies.
• The Royal Grand Palace in Bangkok has graciously agreed that an endowed Lecturership may be named for King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
• New structures have developed within the University and a taught course specific to Buddhist Studies will be available soon (a UK first).

The OCBS exists to contribute to Oxford University, to Buddhist Studies and to the wider understanding of the Buddhist tradition. It will:

• train scholars and sustain a growing research effort in the field;
• collaborate with other centres and explore interdisciplinary perspectives;
• make the fruits of scholarship widely accessible

In this way, it will help:

• to inform the growing interest in Buddhism among educated people world-wide;
• to enhance cross-cultural understanding and appreciation of Asian perspectives.

It will also:

• support Asian scholars who wish to bring the fruits of their learning into the international arena;
• help to establish a context in which people in the West can both:
  • engage effectively with new partners in business, politics and cultural affairs and also
  • explore new approaches to problems and opportunities at home