Workshop by National Taiwan University and University of HamburgRethinking socially engaged Buddhism: History, theory, and practice from early Buddhism to contemporary East Asia

2. Oktober 2026

Foto: Michael Zimmermann

This workshop has been initiated by the National Taiwan University and the University of Hamburg, both of which are striving to intensify their academic collaboration. Building on their long-standing partnership, the Centers for Buddhist Studies at both universities do not only organize this workshop as an internal event, but also invite external experts to actively engage in their international exchange.

The starting point of this workshop is the phenomenon commonly referred to as socially engaged Buddhism. Over the course of the 20th century, various designations have gained traction in different contexts, such as “Engaged Buddhism” and, in the Sinosphere, renjian fojiao 人間佛教, often referred to as “Humanistic Buddhism” or “Buddhism for the Human Realm.” This development raises a number of questions that are relevant both to the historical study of Buddhism in South Asia and to contemporary Buddhist practices in East Asia. This extraordinary event was supported by the NTU and Erasmus+.

For more information, please visit the event page.