KF SPONSORS 6 PROFESSORS AT PUNE UNIVERSITY
We are pleased to report that the Vice-Chancellor of Savitribai Phule Pune University has appointed six professors who will come to the Department of Pali as KF Visiting Professors. This is the beginning of a groundbreaking new partnership. “We are extremely thrilled about it,” said Mahesh A. Deokar, Professor and Head of the Department of Pali. “We are looking forward to a
new era in the department with the gracious support of the KF.”
The department was established in 2006 and currently offers fifteen courses, ranging from certificate programs up to PhD programs. Because of Indian law, the university cannot hire foreign nationals as professors. “That limits our choices in terms of recruitment,” said Professor Deokar. “But now with this KF fellowship we are able to invite international scholars who have expertise in different areas of Buddhism — Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana.” The visiting professors will teach the courses of their choice, and carry out research projects.
The six professors selected are at the top of their field and will bring new perspectives on Buddhist Studies to the more than 300 students enrolled at the university.
• Professor Jurgen Hanneder, Head of Department of Indology and Tibetology, Phillips University, Marburg, Germany. Oct-Nov, 2015.
• Professor Cristina Sherrer-Schaub, Professor, University of Vienna. Jan-Feb, 2016.
• Professor Ashok Aklujkar, Professor Emeritus, University of British Columbia. March-May, 2016.
• Professor K.L. Dhammajoti, University of Hong Kong. Sept-Oct, 2016.
• Professor Peter Skilling, Professor, EFEO, Thailand and Founder of Fragile Palm Leaves. Nov-Dec, 2016.
• Professor Tom Tillemans, Professor Emeritus of Buddhist Studies in the Faculty of Oriental Languages and Civilizations at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland. Jan-Feb 2017.