Institute for

Studies of Buddhism and Religious Theory

 

Welcome To
Institute for Studies of Buddhism and Religious Theory
Renmin University of China(RUC)


Introduction

Organizational System

Academic Committee

Academic Intercommunion

Staff

Journals

Books and Data

Introduction

 

The Historical Background:

RUC has been unfolding its teaching and research works in Buddhism and the Religious Studies under the leadership of the late professor Shijun since the late 1950s, and the relevant teaching and research has been enhanced in the early 1960s when professor Fang Litian joined in from the Philosophy Department of Beijing University. In 1996, the Institute of Christian Culture studies was founded and then in December 1999 the Institute for Studies of Buddhism and Religious Theory in RUC was established. In September 2000, it was granted the primary research base by the Education Dept. of the Government through the investigation and evaluation of the expert group organized by the Government, and from then on it has become the only state research center in the field of Buddhism and Religious Studies in colleges and universities in China.
The Institute for Studies of Buddhism and religious theory(ISBRT) in RUC has undergraduate courses (which was approved to open by the Education Dept.), master degree teaching courses in Religion, doctor degree teaching courses in Religion and postdoctoral research programme and thus has constituted a complete training system of people with ability from masters and doctors to post-doctors.
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Organizational System


The Institute for studies of Buddhism and Religious Theory (ISBRT) is an independent academic research body that is paralleled with colleges and departments and it is composed of a Buddhism Research Lab, a Religious theory reaearch Lab, a library and an office. Its full time researchers come from the teaching staff inside RUC who specializes in the study and teaching of Buddhism and Religious Studies and its part time researchers are retained from a passel of famous experts in Buddhism and Religious studies both abroad and at home. The Buddhism Research Lab researches mainly on Chinese Buddhism and concurrently on Buddhism in other countries; the Religious theory research Lab stresses on the research works of the basic religious theories and Christianity and meanwhile it is actively researching on Taoism, modern religions and other religions. It now has retained 9 eminent scholars to constitute its academic committee.
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Academic Committee

 

Chairman:


Lou Yule: tutor of doctors, Director of religious research institute, Professor in the philosophy and religion department of Beijing University.

Members(in order of the strokes of surname):


Fang Litian: tutor of doctors, Director of ISBRT, professor in the philosophy and religion department of RUC.
Lu Daji: tutor of doctors, Professor of World Religion Institute in Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Mu Zhongjian: tutor of doctors, Professor in the philosophy and religion department of Central University for Nationalities.
Yang Zengwen: tutor of doctors, Professor of World Religion Institute in Social Science Academe of China, Director of Buddhism Culture Research Institute of China.
Li Qiuling: tutor of doctors, full time researcher in ISBRT, professor in the philosophy and religion department of RUC.
Zhuo Xinping: tutor of doctors, Professor and Director of World Religion Institute in Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Zhao Dunhua: tutor of doctors, Professor and dean of the philosophy and religion department of Beijing University.
Ge Zhaoguang: tutor of doctors, Professor in School of Humanities of Qinghua University.

The Member of the Committee:


The Institute has 10 full time researchers and 12 part time researchers among whom they have 18 professors and 4 assistant professors and 19 of them obtained the doctorĄŻs degree.
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Academic Intercommunion


Since its foundation, the institute has set up the long-term symbiosis with many world famous universities and research institutes and undergone essential cooperation with them in teaching staff intercommunion, united studentsĄŻ training, program cooperation and intercommunion, journal exchange and together holding international academic seminars etc. Since 2001, its full time researchers have been abroad to have the academic intercommunion for 25 times, taken in experts abroad for 37 person-times and experts dropped by for 56 person-times, and taken up domestic visiting scholars for 7 person-times. The teaching and research status in Buddhist and Religious studies of the institute were reported and introduced in long literary pieces in a Japan newspaper called China and Abroad Daily.
It also keeps an intimate cooperative relationship with the relevant governmental departments such as the Central United Front Department, the State Committee of Nationality Affairs and the State Bureau of Religious Affairs and commonly does investigation and research works together and at the same time maintains a good academic relationship with many religious parties as the Buddhist Association of China, the Daoist Association of China, the Three-self Patriotic Movement Committee of the Protestant Churches in China and the Patriotic Committee of the Catholic Churches in China etc.
In recent years, it has held many international academic seminars including the seminar on the Retrospection and Expectation of the Research Works done in Buddhism and Religious Studies, the seminar on the Culture of Pure Land Sect, the international seminar on the Traditional Chinese Ethics and the World Ethics, the academic seminar between China and US on Religious Ethics and Modern Society Eastern and Western and the international seminar on Modern Religion and Positive Method etc.
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Staff

 

Full Time Researchers:

(in order of the strokes of surnames of the professors and associate professors):
Fang Litian: tutor of doctors, Director of ISBRT, professor in the philosophy and religion department of RUC.
He Guanghu: tutor of doctors, full time researcher in ISBRT, professor in the philosophy and religion department of RUC.
He Jianming: tutor of doctors, full time researcher in ISBRT, professor in the philosophy and religion department of RUC.
Li Qiuling: tutor of doctors, full time researcher in ISBRT, professor in the philosophy and religion department of RUC.
Zhang Fenglei: tutor of doctors, full time researcher in ISBRT, professor in the philosophy and religion department of RUC.
Yang Huilin: tutor of doctors, full time researcher in ISBRT, professor in the philosophy and religion department of RUC.
Wen Jinyu: full time researcher in ISBRT, professor in the philosophy and religion department of RUC.
Sun Yi: full time researcher in ISBRT, associate professor in the philosophy and religion department of RUC.
Xuan Fang: full time researcher in ISBRT, associate professor in the philosophy and religion department of RUC.
Wei Dedong: full time researcher in ISBRT, associate professor in the philosophy and religion department of RUC.

The Administrative Director and the dean of the library:
Mei Ying: from Beijing, vice library assistant, joined in the establishment of the Christian Culture Research Institute in 1996, took part in the construction of the journal of Christian Culture in 1999 and in 2002 joined in the Research Institute of Buddhism and Religious Studies, now helps the superintendent in charge of the daily administrative business, the management of the library and the compiling work of the journal of Christian Culture.

Part Time Researchers:

(in order of the strokes of surname):
Fang Guangchang: tutor of doctors, researcher of World Religion Institute in Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Liu Xiaofeng: tutor of doctors, professor of the philosophy department of Zhongshan University.
Li Pingye: researcher of the 2nd Bureau in Central United Front Department.
Zhang Zhigang: tutor of doctors, professor in the philosophy department of Beijing University.
Zhang Jian: professor in Adult Higher Education College of RUC.
Zhang Baichun: tutor of doctors, professor of the philosophy department of Beijing Normal University.
Yao Weiqun: tutor of doctors, professor in the philosophy and religion department of Beijing University.
Hong Xiuping: tutor of doctors, professor in the philosophy and religion department of Nanjing University, superintendent of the Institute of Religious Studies.
Xu Wenming: assistant professor of the philosophy department of Beijing Normal University.
Gong Jun: tutor of doctors, professor in the philosophy department of Zhongshan University.

Part Time Researchers Abroad:


Suekihumihiko: professor in Tokyo University, president of Japanese Association of Indian and Buddhist Studies.
Kannohirosi: professor of Shoka University of Japan, superintendent in the Research Institute of Buddhist Higher Education of Shoka University.

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Journals


It is now fronting for the periodicals of Religious Studies and the Journal of Christian Culture and being in charge of the editing works of Religion-- the copied material from newspapers and periodicals in RUC.

Religious Studies 2003

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Books and data


The institute now has 30,000 copies of all kinds of books on religion including all the Buddhist Scriptures in Chinese donated by the State Bureau of Religious Affairs and The Corporate Body of the Buddha Educational Foundation and 5000 copies of books on religion donated by Mr. Chen Shiqi from Hongkong.

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Contact:TEL:86-10-62512244, Fax: 86-10-62512244, E-mail:zjxjd@ruc.edu.cn
Address:Institute for Studies of Buddhism and Religious Theory,School of Humanities,Renmin University of China
No.59 Zhongguancun Street, Beijing (4th floor, Research Building A, RUC)
Zip Code: 100872