Research
The three core faculty members of the Centre for Buddhist Studies, James A. Benn, Shayne Clarke, and Mark Rowe, currently hold multiple research grants totalling over $500,000 from SSHRC and Japan Foundation. They publish books and articles regularly in the leading peer-reviewed venues in Buddhist Studies, and present their work at conferences.
We disseminate academic research on Buddhism to a local, national, and international audience, through colloquia, workshops, and conferences.
Postdoctoral fellows and graduate students affiliated with MCBS have also published their research in prestigious peer-reviewed journals such as Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies, Asian Medicine, and Studies in Chinese Religions.
MCBS also hosts visiting scholars of Buddhist Studies, and to that end in 2019 established the Numata Visiting Scholars Program in Buddhist Studies. This program brings a visiting scholar in Buddhist Studies annually to the Centre for Buddhist Studies. It strengthens McMaster’s research expertise and the education of emerging scholars to deepen the global understanding and knowledge of Buddhism.
Teaching
Our activities enhance teaching programs in Buddhist Studies at McMaster University at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Our faculty members work to prepare the next generation of doctoral students for academic careers in Buddhist Studies. The Centre provides mentorship to emerging Buddhist Studies scholars, including undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and visiting researchers from other universities.
Outreach
Our public outreach mission is to collaborate with local Buddhist communities of all ethnic and cultural backgrounds to help educate a broad populace about Buddhist beliefs, practices, and ways of life.
Collaboration
The Centre acts as a research hub that interacts with other research centres in Buddhist Studies located at universities in North America, Europe, and Asia. We work to enhance existing research partnerships with other such centres, and to develop new opportunities for future partnerships.
James A. Benn
Ph.D. East Asian Languages and Cultures, University of California, Los Angeles, 2001
Professor | Director, McMaster University Centre for Buddhist Studies