
University Initiatives
Developing Strong University Programs
KF works with some of the world’s top academic institutions, offering targeted grants and scholarships and developing substantial partnerships. Today, thirteen universities are receiving funds to support Buddhist Studies programs, including full-time faculty positions, visiting professorships, research faculty, centers of Buddhist studies and more. Three landmarks events were the establishment of the Khyentse Chair of Buddhist Studies at the University of California in Berkeley in 2008, the Khyentse Center for Buddhist Textual Scholarship at Hamburg University in 2010, and the Khyentse Gendun Chopel Professorship of Tibetan Buddhist Studies at the University of Michigan in 2018.
East/West Balance
In addition to supporting established institutions in western academia, efforts are being made to strengthen Buddhist studies programs in formerly Buddhist countries, such as India, China, Mongolia, Cambodia, and Pakistan, and in countries that are not traditionally Buddhist but where interest is high, such as Bulgaria, Poland, and Hungary. This flexible collaborative support program ranges from endowing traditional chairs and visiting professors to support for seminars, forums, and exchange programs, as well as scholarships for graduate students and research. KF also presents several academic awards to recognize excellence in Buddhist studies and coordinates an innovative university exchange program for young khenpos and tulkus.
The Goodman Lectures
Khyentse Foundation is pleased to announce the Goodman Lectures. Every month we will feature a lecture from one of the many Buddhist studies programs the foundation partners with at universities in Asia, Europe, and North America. The lectures, delivered by leading scholars in the field, are intended to create a bridge between academic and nonacademic audiences, presenting bold ideas and innovative research in an accessible format. All lectures will be freely available online.
Related News
Academic Partners
- Center for Buddhist Studies of National Taiwan University
- Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts, Taiwan
- Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary
- Hong Kong University, Hong Kong
- Mahidol University, Thailand
- Savitribai Phule Pune University, India
- Rangjung Yeshe Institute, Nepal
- Rice University, USA
- National Cheng Chi University, Taiwan
- University of California at Berkeley, USA
- University of Hamburg, Khyentse Center for Tibetan Buddhist Textual Scholarship, Germany
- University of Sydney, Australia
- University of Vienna, Austria
Milestones
- 2008 Khyentse Chair of Buddhist Studies established at the University of California at Berkeley
- 2010 Khyentse Center for Tibetan Buddhist Textual Scholarship founded at Hamburg University
- 2012 The KF board of directors approves plans to set up an Academia Fund to expand our support to academic institutions
- 2013 KF Award for Outstanding PhD Dissertations in Buddhist Studies established.
- 2013 KF sponsors Dongsung Shabdrung Rinpoche to attend the fall semester at the University of California at Berkeley as the first visiting scholar
- 2014 KF and Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts collaborate to translate Tibetan Buddhist Texts into Chinese




