Khyentse Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by the revered Bhutanese lama, filmmaker, and author Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche, announced that its 2026 Khyentse Foundation Award for Outstanding PhD Dissertation in Buddhist Studies for Asia is shared by two young scholars: Yilan Chen of the School of Foreign Languages, Peking University, and Drukgyel Tsering of the University of Hong Kong.
“Yilan Chen . . . and Drukgyel Tsering . . . were selected by the KF Dissertation Award Asia Committee as the winners of this year’s award for their doctoral dissertations,” Khyentse Foundation shared in a recent announcement. “The committee regarded both dissertations as exemplary contributions to Buddhist studies and decided to honor both scholars with the prize.” (Khyentse Foundation)
Khyentse Foundation presents the US$8,000 Award for Outstanding PhD Dissertation in Buddhist Studies to authors of exceptional PhD dissertations during the previous two academic years. In order to qualify, the dissertation must be based on original research and should significantly advance understanding of the subject or Buddhist scriptures studied. The award is presented to scholars in Asia and Europe in alternate years.
Although the dissertations address different fields—Chen’s focuses on Indo-Tibetan philology and Tsering’s on Madhyamaka philosophy—the selection committee noted that they shared a “commitment to rigorous engagement with primary sources, exceptional linguistic competence, and the ability to illuminate understudied aspects of Buddhist intellectual history,” emphasizing that they were representative of the high standard of contemporary Buddhist studies scholarship.
The foundation further stated:
Yilan’s dissertation, “A Carriage of Language Arts in Tibet: Zhwa lu lo tsā ba Chos skyong bzang po and the Kāmadhenu/’Dod ’jo ba mo,” reconstructs the philological work of the eminent Tibetan translator and scholar Zhwa lu lo tsā ba Chos skyong bzang po (Zhalu Lotsawa Chokyong Zangpo; 1441–1528) through a detailed study of his Tibetan translation of the Kāmadhenu, a major Sanskrit commentary on the celebrated lexicon Amarakośa. Drawing on Sanskrit and Tibetan sources, the dissertation explores the transmission of Sanskrit lexical science and language arts, including grammar, lexicography, poetics, and metrics, into Tibetan scholastic culture. Through biographical reconstruction, reception history, philological comparison, and translation analysis, Yilan sheds new light on an understudied yet highly influential area of Indo-Tibetan intellectual exchange.
Tsering’s dissertation, “Madhyamaka through the Eyes of Red mda’ ba: A Study and Annotated English Translation of The Moonlight for the Essential Point: Distinguishing the Two Truths,” offers the first comprehensive study and annotated English translation of a newly discovered work by the influential Tibetan philosopher Red mda’ ba Gzhon nu blo gros (Rendawa Zhönu Lodrö; 1349–1412). Centering on Red mda’ ba’s interpretation of Candrakīrti’s Madhyamaka philosophy, the dissertation examines topics such as the two truths, emptiness, appearance, the object of negation, and the distinction between Prāsaṅgika and Svātantrika. By situating Red mda’ ba within the broader history of Tibetan Madhyamaka, the study provides a nuanced account of his intellectual legacy and reassesses his relationship to his famous disciple Tsong kha pa. (Khyentse Foundation)
Khyentse Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche in 2001. Its aim is to promote the Buddha’s teaching and support all traditions of Buddhist study and practice. The foundation’s activities include major text preservation and translation projects, support for monastic colleges in Asia, a worldwide scholarship and awards program, and development of Buddhist studies at major universities, alongside training and development for Buddhist teachers and developing new modes of Dharma-inspired education for children.
In its quarter-century of Dharma activity, the foundation has established a multitude of Dharma-based initiatives and projects in the realms of translation, academia, text preservation, training, and beyond, as well as establishing networks of support for Buddhist teachers, scholars, and practitioners.
Chen and Tsering expressed gratitude for their awards:
“I am deeply grateful to Khyentse Foundation and the selection committee for recognizing my work, and I would also like to thank all those who have supported and inspired me along the way in my learning and research,” said Chen. (Khyentse Foundation)
Tsering remarked: “I am deeply honored that my doctoral dissertation has been selected for the 2026 award. I sincerely thank Khyentse Foundation for its continued support of Buddhist studies. I am also grateful to the individuals whose guidance and support have sustained me throughout this journey.” (Khyentse Foundation)
Khyentse Foundation’s achievements over the last quarter century include: more than 15 million pages of Buddhist texts preserved and made available online; education provided for the children of more than 1,000 families; support for Buddhist studies at more than 35 major universities through endowed chairs and professorships, graduate support, and the establishment of Buddhist studies centers; more than US$1 million in sponsorship for Buddhist teacher-training granted; sacred Buddhist texts translated into more than 15 languages, thanks to the efforts of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, the Kumarajiva Project, and the Khyentse Vision Project; over US$1.8 million in funding granted to uphold Buddhism in its mother countries, including grassroots partnerships to revitalize interest in Buddhism in India; more than 2,000 scholarships and awards in recognition of excellence in Buddhist study and practice; support for over 3,000 monks and nuns to maintain the tradition of Buddhist scholarship in a monastic setting; and more than 120 open-access Ashoka and Trisong grants distributed to support Dharma and well-being programs.
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Khyentse Foundation
Yilan Chen and Drukgyel Tsering Receive 2026 KF Award for Outstanding PhD Dissertation in Buddhist Studies (Khyentse Foundation)
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