The Centre of Buddhist Studies (CBS) at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) has announced an upcoming lecture by the esteemed Buddhist scholar Prof. Dr. Volker Grabowsky, titled “Buddhist Manuscript Studies in Southeast Asia: The case of Luang Prabang, Laos.” The talk will be held on 16 January and can be attended online via live-stream or in person at the HKU campus in Hong Kong.
“This lecture explores Buddhist manuscript cultures in mainland Southeast Asia through the case of the old royal Lao capital of Luang Prabang, drawing on more than 15 years of research conducted in collaboration with the Buddhist Archives of Luang Prabang,” CBS said in an announcement shared with BDG.
Prof. Dr. Grabowsky is a specialist in the history and culture of the Tai ethnic groups of mainland Southeast Asia and Southwest China. He is professor of Thai Language and Culture (Thai Studies) and head of the Southeast Asia Department at the Asia-Africa-Institute, at the University of Hamburg. He has published widely on Tai manuscript cultures, Buddhist literary traditions, and regional historiography—his works include major studies and translations of Tai Lü chronicles, such as the Chronicles of Chiang Khang (2008) and the Chronicles of Sipsong Panna (2012).
Since 2011, Prof. Dr. Grabowsky has led several research projects on Tai manuscript cultures; his most recent edited volume is Manuscript Cultures and Epigraphy in the Tai World (2022).
“While over 90 per cent of surviving Lao manuscripts are written on palm leaves using the religious Dhamma script, their material forms, uses, and social functions reveal a remarkably rich and diverse manuscript culture. The lecture introduces the broader Tai manuscript tradition, including its characteristic biscriptality, and situates Lao materials within regional scholarship,” CBS explained.
“It then presents the results of extensive digitization and cataloguing projects supported by international institutions, which together document more than 3,500 manuscripts from major monasteries in Luang Prabang.
“Particular attention is given to the structure and function of colophons as sources for understanding manuscript production, monastic education, and merit-making practices. Colophons reveal the roles of scribes, sponsors, and donors, and illustrate how manuscripts sustained Buddhist learning and merit across generations.
“The lecture also examines modern transformations influenced by new writing tools, printing technologies, and changing material preferences. Despite these shifts, Lao Buddhist manuscript culture remains vibrant, reflecting both continuity and change within the Lao cultural landscape.”
The lecture with Prof. Dr. Grabowsky is presented free of charge and can be attended in person, or online at the following times:
Auckland: 8pm, Friday, 16 January
Canberra: 6pm, Friday, 16 January
Seoul, Tokyo: 4pm, Friday, 16 January
Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taipei: 3pm, Friday, 16 January
Bangkok, Jakarta: 2pm, Friday, 16 January
Kathmandu: 12:45pm, Friday, 16 January
New Delhi: 12:30pm, Friday, 16 January
Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris, Stockholm: 8am, Friday, 16 January
London: 7am, Friday, 16 January
Montreal, New York: 2am, Friday, 16 January
Los Angeles, Vancouver: 11pm, Thursday, 15 January
Click here for full lecture details
Click here to join via Zoom (no pre-registration required)
The Centre of Buddhist Studies (CBS) at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) was established in 2000 and officially inaugurated in 2002, becoming the first academic center dedicated to Buddhist studies at a Hong Kong university. It launched its flagship Master of Buddhist Studies program and admitted its first PhD students in 2002, later expanding to offer undergraduate electives, a minor in Buddhist Studies, and the region’s first Master of Buddhist Counseling. CBS has established itself as a leading institute for Buddhist studies, with a diverse alumni community, and academic programs that combine scholarship with practical applications in fields such as counseling, psychology, palliative care, and social ethics. Under successive directors, CBS has balanced the preservation of Buddhist tradition with innovative interdisciplinary engagement, introducing advanced language courses and a dedicated Buddhist Counselling Centre.
See more
Centre of Buddhist Studies, The University of Hong Kong
Buddhist Manuscript Studies in Southeast Asia: The case of Luang Prabang, Laos (Asian Religious Connections Research Cluster, HKIHSS)
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