Students of Buddhist Studies are strongly encouraged to study abroad, particularly in Asia where Buddhism has a long history. Learning about Buddhism within a Buddhist environment can be an enriching experience, offering an important counterpart to your studies here on campus.
There are excellent Interterm, summer, semester and yearlong programs that allow for a deep immersion in Buddhist religion, philosophy, art and culture. There are also many intensive language programs that can facilitate your study of Buddhism, regardless of your academic discipline. If you are interested in studying abroad, please contact a faculty member to discuss your options. You are also encouraged to visit the Office for International Study for a complete listing of approved programs.
Jay Garfield (Smith College) runs Tibetan Studies in India, an excellent Interterm program at the Central University of Tibetan Studies in Sarnath, India. Students spend the January term studying Buddhist philosophy, Tibetan history and culture, and Tibetan textual analysis. Students from all five colleges are encouraged to apply. Information sessions are held at each college in late September, and applications are due in mid-October.
Some possible programs include:
Antioch Program in Buddhist Studies
Antioch Education Abroad offers well established semester programs in India and Japan in Buddhist
Studies.
Associated
Kyoto Program
AKP is a two-semester study abroad program at Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan, sponsored
by a consortium of American colleges and universities, including Smith. Students study the Japanese
language intensively and take courses in English on Japan, mainly in the humanities and social sciences.
Emory
Tibetan Studies Program
Situated in the foothills of the Himalayas and home to H.H. the Dalai Lama, Dharamsala is the cultural
and intellectual capital of the Tibetan exile community. The program integrates academic study,
traditional Buddhist pedagogy and field research.
Himalayan Health Exchange
Summer Study Abroad: This program is very comprehensive and provides an unforgettable and highly
productive learning experience for students of Anthropology as well as other disciplines.
ISLE Program
The ILSE Program offers study abroad programs for either Spring or Fall semester in Kandy, Sri
Lanka, where students can study religion, material culture, and other subjects.
The Jamyang Foundation
The Jamyang Foundation (Education for Buddhist Women, through Karma Lekshe Tsomo) needs volunteers
and interns for their programs in the Himalaya area.
Kathmandu University Centre for Buddhist Studies at Rangjung
Yeshe Institute
The Centre for Buddhist Studies hosts study-abroad programs for visiting students in Buddhist philosophy
and language and conducts intensive summer programs in Tibetan, Sanskrit, Nepali, and Buddhist Studies.
SIT
SIT offers a wide variety of programs in many countries, including India:
Himalayan Buddhist Art and Architecture, Nepal:
Tibetan and Himalayan Peoples, and Mongolia:
Nomadic Culture and Globalization.
Summer Language Study in India
The American Institute of Indian Studies offers summer language study of Sanskrit and Pali/Prakrit
at Deccan College in Pune, Maharastra.
South Asia Summer Language Institute
SASLI is dedicated to training students, faculty, and professionals in the languages of South Asia.
Summer
Language Institute
The Summer Language Institute of the University of Virginia offers language instruction in Tibetan
and Chinese.
Willing Workers on Organic Farms
WWOOF (Willing Workers On Organic Farms) is a worldwide network of organic farms that provide room
and board in exchange for work related to organic farming. Programs are available in India, Nepal,
China, Taiwan, Japan etc.
Woodenfish Project
Woodenfish Project offers students a chance to experience life in a monastery at Fo Guang Shan
monastery in Taiwan during two months every summer.
