Projects - Academic activities
Chair:
Dr Tamas Agocs, agocsster(at)gmail.com
Statement of project mission:
The future of Buddhism in Europe may largely depend on its integration into society through a system of education. Is it going to remain a multifarious 'cult' of small, isolated groups scattered throughout the continent, or can it grow into a learned tradition capable of transforming all aspects of human life –individual and social– like in its Asian homelands? The great Buddhist universities of the East have been the hub of Buddhist intellectual activity, constantly inspiring the whole populace with new ideas. Likewise, a Buddhist university in Europe could afford Buddhist scholars a site from which to engage in society so that the vision and values of Buddhism come to be represented in the culture at large. It would be a meeting place for Dharma teachers, practitioners and academic representatives of different traditions to share ideas and cooperate in shaping a distinctly European face of Buddhism.
Two years ago EBU set up an Academic project with the distant aim of establishing a Buddhist University of Europe (BUE). The first step in the process was to form a network of already existing Buddhist education providers in Europe, which might in due course become colleges of BUE. We would like to encourage co-operation between education providers across traditions and countries in order to enhance existing provision and stimulate new courses and programmes. In the meantime, we would seek for an accreditation route or routes for courses wishing to participate in the project. The main task for 2008-2009 is to identify a group of institutions and individuals (Academics and Buddhist practitioners) who are willing to work together and form the germ of such a network, which would eventually grow into a BUE. Education providers committed to this process so far include Amida Trust and Dharmadhuta College in the UK) and the Dharma Gate Budapest Buddhist University in Hungary. We are looking for further participants and supporters. What we need is a dedicated group of people to come together at the next ABU GM to form the Academic committee and work out an action plan. If you are interested, please contact me by email.
