International Conference on Buddhist Archaeology in China and South Asia
[Beijing, 26-28 November 2016]
Organised by

INSTITUTE OF ARCHAEOLOGY(CASS), SOCIETY FOR BUDDHIST ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY, SHANGHAI ACADEMY AND SCHOOL OF ARCHAEOLOGY & MUSEOLOGY (PEKING UNIVERSITY)

1.0 About SBAA
The South Asian region, comprising Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, is home to about 24 percent (or close to one fourth) of the world's population. It is also the birth place of Buddhism and forms the Buddhist Heartland as all major historical sites connected with the life of the Lord Buddha are located here. Likewise, China, with about 19.4 percent of the world’s population, has a long history of Buddhist art and archaeological heritage.

With a view to promoting studies and researches into Buddhist heritage of South Asia and China and to share knowledge and expertise in this field, a group of Chinese and South Asian scholars and experts, in 2014, resolved to form a Society for Buddhist Art and Archaeology (SBAA).

The current Office Bearers of the SBAA are:
Chairman: Prof. Ramesh Chandra Agrawal, President, Rock Art Society of India;
General Secretaries:
Prof. Chongfeng Li, Professor of Buddhist Art and Archaeology, Peking University (China), and
Dr. Sanjay Garg, Deputy Director, National Archives of India (India).

The core activities of the SBAA comprise holding of a series of Conferences devoted to a theme related to the Buddhist art and archaeology in South Asia and China with the support of the host country’s institutional collaborator(s). Accordingly, the first of these Conferences entitled ‘Buddhist Monasteries of South Asia and China’ was held in New Delhi (India) from 7-9 December 2015.

2.0 Conference
The Second SBAA Conference, on the theme, Buddhist Archaeology in China and South Asia is being jointly organized by Institute of Archaeology (Chinese Academy of Social Sciences), Society for Buddhist Art and Archaeology, Shanghai Academy and School of Archaeology & Museology (Peking University), in Beijing in November, 2016.

2.1 Themes
2.1.1Important discoveries and studies on Buddhist archaeology;
2.1.2Buddhist cave-temple complexes or rock-hewn shrines and monasteries;
2.1.3Sculptures and paintings unearthed in the Buddhist sites;
2.1.4New manuscripts and inscriptions related to Buddhist archaeology; and
2.1.5Theories and methods in Buddhist archaeology.

2.2 Submission of Abstracts / Papers
Scholars are invited to submit the abstract of their proposed presentation, on one of the themes of the Conference. The abstracts (about 1000 words) should be submitted electronically as e-mail attachment and must accompany the name, affiliation, designation/ position, complete address, phone number and email address of the scholar.
Submissions from China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka should be made through the Country Coordinator (CC) (see Para 3.0). Submissions from other countries should be sent directly to the contacts (see Para 4.0).

2.3 Logistics
Except for the special invitees, all the participants shall have to bear their own expenses, including the return tickets and lodging. The organizers will, however, arrange for airport transfers on advance request. The lunch and dinner would be provided during the conference to all participants.

2.4 Language
The language of the Conference will be English and Chinese.

2.5 Conference Dates and Venue
The Conference will be held from 26-28 November 2016 at the Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, P. R. China.

2.6 Last Date
The last date for submission of abstracts is 31 August 2016. All proposals received by the last date will be scrutinized by the Academic Committee, and those accepted will be scheduled for presentation at the Conference. The decision of the Academic Committee in this regard will be final.

Scholars whose proposals would be accepted for presentation at the Conference would be required to submit full text of their paper before 30 October 2016.

2.7 Publication
The papers presented at the Conference will be suitably edited, translated into English/ Chinese (as the case may be) and published in a book form, both in English and Chinese languages to be released at the subsequent Conference.

3.0 Country Coordinators:
The following will serve as Country Coordinators (CC) for the Conference (2016):

China:
Prof. Chongfeng Li
Professor of Buddhist Art and Archaeology,
School of Archaeology and Museology, Peking University,
Beijing, CHINA
Email:tflee@pku.edu.cn

India: 
Prof. R.C. Agrawal
Chairman, Society for Buddhist Art and Archaeology, and
President, Rock Art Society of India,
E-212, Sector 9, Vijay Nagar,
Ghaziabad (UP), INDIA
Email: rcagrawal1947@gmail.com

Pakistan:
Prof. Muhammad Nasim Khan,
Professor of Archaeology,
Department of Archaeology, University of Peshawar
Peshawar, PAKISTAN.
Email:gandharanstudies@yahoo.com 

Afghanistan:(TBA)
Email:

Bangladesh:
Prof. Mokammal H. Bhuiyan
Chair, Department of Archaeology, Jahangirnagar University, Savar,
Dhaka, BANGLADESH
Email: tutulmh@gmail.com

Nepal: 
Mr. Gyanin Rai
Chief Liaison Officer, Sacred Garden, Lumbini, Lumbini Development Trust, Government of Nepal, Rupendhei, NEPAL
Email: raigyan002@yahoo.com, grai@lumbinidevtrust.gov.np

Sri Lanka:
Mr. Daya Dissanayake
62/13, Udumulla Road, Battaramulla, SRI LANKA
Email:daya@saadhu.com

4.0 Contacts
Dr. Tong Tao, Dr. Shen Lihua and Dr. Wang Ziqi
Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences,
No. 27, Wangfujing Street, Beijing, P.R. China, 100710
Email: SBAA2016@163.com
Telephone: (86-10) 65235152
 

Welcome to Beijing!
Organizing Committee,
International Conference on Buddhist Archaeology in China and South Asia
July 12, 2016