7th International Conference of Sri Lanka Association of Buddhist Studies (SLABS) 2024

SLABS was established about 20 years ago as the academic and professional body of the Buddhist scholars in Sri Lanka. It represents all Buddhist scholars and academics belonging to various sub-fields of Buddhist studies, one of the oldest academic subjects not only in Sri Lanka but also in the entire world. Among its activities, the academic conference with the participation of both local and foreign scholars has been a key feature. The first conference was held in 2003, and this time it is the 7th international conference being held in in-person mode after the Covid-19 epidemic. The theme of the conference is: Survey of Buddhist Studies: Current Trends and Future Directions. In addition to the Buddhist scholars from Sri Lanka, scholars from several other countries such as China, Germany, Myanmar, India, Taiwan, Thailand, USA, and Vietnam will take part in the conference. More than one hundred academic papers covering various aspects of Buddhist studies will be presented during the three-day conference.

Venerable Bodagama Chandima Thera (D.Litt.), the Vice Chancellor of Nagananda International Institute of Buddhist Studies, will be the guest of honour at the inaugural session of the conference.

The keynote speaker of the conference is Professor Mahesh Deokar, the Head of the Department of Pali and Buddhist Studies, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India, an eminent Buddhist scholar of international recognition. He will speak on how modern tools such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) may be used in Buddhist studies and research. Among other well-known International scholars is Professor Shrikanth Bahulkar, a highly reputed Vedic and Tibetan Buddhist scholar from India.

The conference is meant to be a meeting point for the scholars in Buddhism from all parts of the world. It is jointly organized by Sri Lanka Association of Buddhist Studies (SLABS) and Nagananda International Institute of Buddhist Studies (NIIBS), an emerging centre of Buddhist learning.