ACLS Gathers Community of Buddhist Studies Scholars at Early Career Retreat

ACLS hosted the tenth Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Program in Buddhist Studies Early Career Retreat in New York City from July 27-31, 2025. The annual event included 32 participants, gathering a global network of fellows and grantees, program mentors and advisors, and staff representing both ACLS and The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Global. The retreat was hosted at Wisdom Publications, a leading publisher of books and online courses on contemporary and classic Buddhism.

Saliya Ashokapura Nanda, 2024 Dissertation Fellow, with program mentor Charles Hallisey

The retreat included presentations, workshops, and time for one-on-one discussions featuring scholars at all career stages, from doctoral students and recent PhDs working on their first books, to senior scholars offering advice and reflections on the state of the field. Workshops included:

Turning Your Dissertation into a Book and Finding a Publisher
Pitching your First Article to Tricycle
Navigating the Job Market
Abstract Diagnostics and Revisions

The event also included a special panel on the Buddhism Public Scholars Program, featuring five of the nine past fellows representing the Art Institute of Chicago, National Museum of Asian Art at the Smithsonian Institution, Tricycle: The Buddhist Review, and 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. The program places recent PhDs in professional positions at museums, libraries, and publications that present and interpret knowledge of Buddhist traditions. The scholars shared their experiences utilizing their academic knowledge and expertise to communicate Buddhist art and thought with public audiences, as well as new skills they gained, such as writing exhibition labels that grab a reader’s attention and educate them on a piece in 70 words or less.

^{Buddhism Public Scholars Frederick Ranallo-Higgins, Hillary Langberg, Zim Pickens, Kris Anderson, and Jeremy Manheim}

“The Early Career Buddhist Studies Retreat is a favorite event among our fellows at all points in their career, from graduate students to well-established mentors,” said Daphne Weber, ACLS Program Officer in Buddhist Studies. “Every year, the retreat offers valuable time for fellows to make progress on their work, gain feedback, and establish new connections with a network of prominent Buddhist Studies scholars. ACLS and The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Global are proud to celebrate a decade of this important event, which reflects our commitment to strengthening international networks of Buddhist scholars and increasing visibility of this research.”

Applications are now open for the next round of The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Program in Buddhist Studies fellowships and grants.