Research Centers & Programs

In addition to their individual research projects, many IBS faculty are engaged in collaborative projects, bringing scholars from other institutions to Berkeley to conduct research or present at public conferences or symposia.Whereas some projects are focused on a single theme or topic, such as our

Henry Luce Foundation supported program on Public Theologies of Technology and Presence [link], others are ongoing and organized into formal research centers such as the Center for Contemporary Shin Buddhist Studies.

Regardless of their scope, such projects give life to the academic study of Buddhism and create public forums for our work to reach outside our community.

Book Launch for Oxford Handbook of Lived Buddhism

November 21, 2025

5:00 pm to 5:00 pm

Sheraton Boston

For those attending the annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion, as well as friends and colleagues in the Boston area, join us for a book launch and reception for The Oxford Handbook of Lived Buddhism. The Handbook is […]

Oxford Handbook of Lived Buddhism Book cover

Memorial Service

November 13, 2025

5:30 pm to 5:30 pm

Jodo Shinshu Center (IBS)

The Institute of Buddhist Studies will hold its annual memorial (eitaikyo) service on Thursday, November 13, 2025, from 5:30 pm (Pacific Time). For over seventy-five years, generations of dedicated teachers, ministers, students, graduates, donors, supporters and friends have made our […]

2025 Taitetsu Unno Memorial Lecture: Ruth Ozeki

April 25, 2025

4:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Alumni House, UC Berkeley

The Taitetsu Unno Memorial Lectures are hosted annually by the Institute of Buddhist Studies and, this year, cosponsored by the Berkeley Center for the Study of Religion, and made possible through the generosity of the Unno Family. Rev. Dr. Taitetsu […]

Research Centers and Programs

In addition to their individual research projects, many IBS faculty are engaged in collaborative projects, bringing scholars from other institutions to Berkeley to conduct research or present at public conferences or symposia.Whereas some projects are focused on a single theme or topic, such as our

Henry Luce Foundation supported program on Public Theologies of Technology and Presence, others are ongoing and organized into formal research centers such as the Center for Contemporary Shin Buddhist Studies.

Regardless of their scope, such projects give life to the academic study of Buddhism and create public forums for our work to reach outside our community.

Public Theologies of Technology and Presence

The Public Theologies of Technology and Presence program gathers and funds a cohort of leading scholars of religion, theologians, and journalists for their work addressing a pressing concern of contemporary life: The ways in which technologies reshape human relationships and alter how people are or are not “present” with each other. The three-year program launched in 2018 and is supported by the Henry Luce Foundation.

Center for Contemporary Shin Buddhist Studies

The Center for Contemporary Shin Buddhist Studies coordinates scholarly activity between IBS, Ryukoku University, and international Shin Buddhist scholars.

Rare Book Room and Nagatomi Collection

The IBS Rare Book Room and Nagatomi Collection contains an extensive collection of Buddhist materials and resources for the academic study of Buddhism and religion.

International Association of Shin Buddhist Studies

The Institute of Buddhist Studies has long had a collegial partnership with the International Association of Shin Buddhist Studies (IASBS), and several members of our faculty are also members of the IASNS North American District Steering Committee.