Graduate Scholarships

We offer two graduate scholarships to support students in the field of Buddhist studies. Find out more below:

FASS Scholarship in Buddhist Studies

Foo Hai Ch’an Monastery Scholarship in Buddhist Studies

 

Faculty in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Maitrii Aung-Thwin: Burmese Buddhism, Theravāda Buddhism 
Jack Meng-Tat Chia: South China Sea Buddhism, Southeast Asian Buddhism
Tenzin Jinba: Tibetan Buddhism, Sino-Tibetan Borderlands
Irving Chan Johnson: Thai Buddhism, Buddhist Art
Jesse LeFebvre: Japanese Buddhism, Esoteric Buddhism
Sherice Ngaserin Ng Jing Ya: Buddhist Philosophy, Metaphysics of Gender
Wang Jinping: Chinese Buddhism, East Asian Religions
John Whalen-Bridge: American Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism

Buddhist Studies at NUS

NUS does not have a Religious Studies Department or a formal Buddhist Studies program. However, Buddhist Studies courses have been offered since the 1990s under the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS). Previously, Professors Ku Cheng-mei and Lo Yuet Keung taught Chinese Buddhism in the Department of Chinese Studies, while Professor John Miksic focused on Southeast Asian Buddhism in the Department of Southeast Asian Studies. They supervised undergraduate and graduate theses during their tenures at NUS before retiring. In the Department of Philosophy, Professors Padmasiri De Silva, Brook Ziporyn, and Alan Cole taught courses such as Philosophies of Zen (Chan) Buddhism and Topics in Buddhism. Despite the absence of a dedicated department, NUS has maintained a strong commitment to Buddhist Studies through these esteemed faculty members.

The Buddhist Studies Group has been established as a research group to bring together faculty and students interested in the academic study of Buddhism. The group aims to foster a collaborative environment for scholarly discussions, research presentations, and community engagement. Faculty members contribute expertise in East Asian Buddhism, Southeast Asian Buddhism, Theravāda Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, Buddhism in the West, as well as the historical, literary, and artistic aspects of regions where Buddhism has thrived. Together, they offer graduate supervision in Buddhist literatures, histories, and cultures across East, South, and Southeast Asia. Graduate students apply and work within their respective departments while actively participating in the interdisciplinary activities and resources offered by the group. This setup enables students to benefit from diverse perspectives and expertise in their studies.

 

Current Students

Chakma, Sulav. “Tracing the Origin of the ‘Luri Monks’ in the Arakan-Chittagong Buddhism: An Uncategorized Buddhist Sects of Pre-Colonial Indian Buddhism.” (MA, History)

Chay, Samuel. “Esoteric Buddhism as a Cross-Cultural Medium in the Military Establishment and Diplomatic Policies of Song Dynasty.” (MA, History)

Choo, Ruizhong. “Currents Within the Temple Walls: Monastic Aesthetics and the Visual Language of Murals.” (PhD, History)

Dong, Weikai. “Dharma for the Lay: The Singapore Chinese Buddhist Association, 1927–Present.” (MA, History)

Islam, Md Shahidul. “Nagarjuna’s Paradoxes.” (PhD, Philosophy)

Liao, Bowen. “The Making of Malaysian Buddhism: Doing Religion in an Islamizing Nation, 1957–2020.” (PhD, Malay Studies)

Nataraj, Malavika. “The Representation of the Female in Medieval Japanese Buddhist Tales and Performance and its Relevance to the Representation of Women in Japanese Buddhism.” (PhD, Japanese Studies)

Qiu, Bryan Weitong. “Creating Textual Community in Twentieth-Century Chinese Buddhism: An Analysis of Juzan’s Textual Practice/Modern Chinese Buddhism.” (MA, History) 

 

Alumni

2025
Ng, Xiang Yun. “Becoming a ‘Modern Sangha’: The Life and Times of Daxing, 1900–1952” (MA, History)

Tan, Guan Fan. “Bonding with Buddha: Tang Buddhist Heritage through Famen Temple’s Traveling Exhibitions, 1999–2011.” (MA, History)

2024
Kang, Mingji. “The Economic Dimensions of Theravāda Buddhist Trusts in Myanmar: The History of the Shwedagon Pagoda’s Gawpaka” (PhD, History)

2023
Tay, Yu Xuan. “Changing Times of Tang: A Study of the Imperial Prefaces as a Buddhist Political Legitimation.” (MA, History)

2022
Wang, Sisi 王思思. “Producing Sacred Space: The Formation of Jiuhua Shengjing, 1368–1949.” (PhD, Chinese Studies)

2021
Liao, Bowen. “Heritage Politics of Bujang Valley in Contemporary Malaysia: History, Archaeology and National Identity.” (MA, Malay Studies)

2018
Hsu, Yu-Yin 徐郁縈. “起信·徵驗·書寫：清代修淨⼈⼠的宗教體驗 Conversion, Verification and Writing: The Religious Experience of the Pure Land Buddhists during the Qing Dynasty.” (PhD, Chinese Studies)

2017
Show, Ying Ruo 蘇芸若. “明清以來的寶卷與女性文化—— 文本、歷史與儀式實踐的探索 Baojuan (Precious Scrolls) Literature and Female Culture during the Ming-Qing Periods: An Exploration of Texts, History and Ritual Practices.” (PhD, Chinese Studies)

2016
Goh, Aik Sai. “Enlightenment on Display: The Rise and Fall of Singapore Buddhist Museums.” (MA, Southeast Asian Studies)

2014
Hsu, Yu-Yin 徐郁縈. “二十世紀跨國弘法與文化交流： 廣洽法師(1901–1994)之研究 A Study of Master Guangqia (1901–1994): Transnational Teaching of the Dharma and Cultural Exchanges in the 20th Century.” (MA, Chinese Studies)