Yilan Chen and Drukgyel Tsering Receive 2026 KF Award for Outstanding PhD Dissertation in Buddhist Studies
The 2026 Khyentse Foundation Award for Outstanding PhD Dissertation in Buddhist Studies for Asia is shared by two outstanding young scholars. Yilan Chen of the School of Foreign Languages, Peking University, and Drukgyel Tsering of the University of Hong Kong were selected by the KF Dissertation Award Asia Committee as the winners of this year’s award for their doctoral dissertations. The committee regarded both dissertations as exemplary contributions to Buddhist studies and decided to honor both scholars with the prize.
The 2026 Khyentse Foundation Award for Outstanding PhD Dissertation in Buddhist Studies for Asia is shared by two outstanding young scholars. Yilan Chen of the School of Foreign Languages, Peking University, and Drukgyel Tsering of the University of Hong Kong were selected by the KF Dissertation Award Asia Committee as the winners of this year’s award for their doctoral dissertations. The committee regarded both dissertations as exemplary contributions to Buddhist studies and decided to honor both scholars with the prize.
Yilan’s dissertation, “A Carriage of Language Arts in Tibet: Zhwa lu lo tsā ba Chos skyong bzang po and the Kāmadhenu/’Dod ’jo ba mo,” reconstructs the philological work of the eminent Tibetan translator and scholar Zhwa lu lo tsā ba Chos skyong bzang po (Zhalu Lotsawa Chokyong Zangpo; 1441–1528) through a detailed study of his Tibetan translation of the Kāmadhenu, a major Sanskrit commentary on the celebrated lexicon Amarakośa. Drawing on Sanskrit and Tibetan sources, the dissertation explores the transmission of Sanskrit lexical science and language arts, including grammar, lexicography, poetics, and metrics, into Tibetan scholastic culture. Through biographical reconstruction, reception history, philological comparison, and translation analysis, Yilan sheds new light on an understudied yet highly influential area of Indo-Tibetan intellectual exchange.
The award committee was particularly impressed by the originality of the project and the linguistic expertise required to carry it out. In his evaluation, Prof. Shenghai Li, a member of the award selection committee, noted that “the relative absence of available scholarship elevates this excellent research, which distinguishes itself as a pioneer in its own field.” He further praised Yilan’s mastery of difficult Sanskrit and Tibetan materials, observing that “the fact that Chen is often able to assess the fidelity of the Tibetan translators’ rendition is a testament to the considerable proficiency she has developed in these difficult arts.” Prof. Li also emphasized the broader significance of the work, remarking that studies of lexicography and language arts are essential because they preserve “the etymological knowledge that is required in the śāstric learning.”
Tsering’s dissertation, “Madhyamaka through the Eyes of Red mda’ ba: A Study and Annotated English Translation of The Moonlight for the Essential Point: Distinguishing the Two Truths,” offers the first comprehensive study and annotated English translation of a newly discovered work by the influential Tibetan philosopher Red mda’ ba Gzhon nu blo gros (Rendawa Zhönu Lodrö; 1349–1412). Centering on Red mda’ ba’s interpretation of Candrakīrti’s Madhyamaka philosophy, the dissertation examines topics such as the two truths, emptiness, appearance, the object of negation, and the distinction between Prāsaṅgika and Svātantrika. By situating Red mda’ ba within the broader history of Tibetan Madhyamaka, the study provides a nuanced account of his intellectual legacy and reassesses his relationship to his famous disciple Tsong kha pa.
Prof. Shenghai Li described the dissertation as “an outstanding contribution to the scholarship of Madhyamaka philosophy.” He commended Tsering’s choice of source material, noting that The Moonlight for the Essential Point is “an excellent choice” that reveals Red mda’ ba’s “distinctive and authoritative statement” on issues central to Tibetan Buddhist thought. Prof. Li further highlighted the dissertation’s historical significance, observing that it not only presents a detailed study of Red mda’ ba’s philosophy but also succeeds in “locating Red mda’ ba’s thought in his tradition, giving us a better understanding of the history of Tibetan Madhyamaka.” He also praised the dissertation’s extensive engagement with primary sources and its careful comparison of Red mda’ ba’s views with those of earlier Tibetan thinkers and his contemporaries.
The committee noted that although the two dissertations address very different fields—Indo-Tibetan philology and Madhyamaka philosophy—they share a commitment to rigorous engagement with primary sources, exceptional linguistic competence, and the ability to illuminate understudied aspects of Buddhist intellectual history. Together, they represent the high standard of contemporary Buddhist studies scholarship.
On receiving the award, Yilan expressed her gratitude: “I am deeply grateful to Khyentse Foundation and the selection committee for recognizing my work, and I would also like to thank all those who have supported and inspired me along the way in my learning and research.”
Tsering likewise shared his appreciation: “I am deeply honored that my doctoral dissertation has been selected for the 2026 award. I sincerely thank Khyentse Foundation for its continued support of Buddhist studies. I am also grateful to the individuals whose guidance and support have sustained me throughout this journey.”
Congratulations to Yilan Chen and Drukgyel Tsering on this well-deserved recognition! We wish them every success in their future research and academic careers.
Featured image above: Yilan Chen (left) and Drukgyel Tsering (right).