Re: Mahidol University's Buddhist Studies Programme

EM

It is very encouraging to see a new programme in Pali studies -
desperately needed. Pathompong is very much to be congratulated for
his organizational skills and enthusiasm in gathering together such a
group. I do not know all of the staff involved, but Justin Meiland
and Alex Wynne at least are very well capable of running a programme
of this kind.

I am not sure why you are so worried about the list of "Honorary
Academic Advisors". Such lists are usually fairly pro forma. One
doesn't expect to be consulted very often, if at all.

Anyway, I am fairly certain that at least half the list is genuine
and see no reason to doubt the remainder. People usually get on lists
of this kind because they were someone's doctoral examiner or
similar. In this case, a number are obvious connexions of Pathompong
as a former monk.

Hundius is not on the list you give us. Oskar von Hinueber does of
course provide a German connexion and has many links with Thailand.

Lance Cousins


>Just this month, Thailand's Mahidol University launched a small PhD
>programme in Buddhist studies.
>
>Reportedly, reading ability in Pali and Sanskrit is a focus.  Of
>course, they don't yet have a reputation, as they were founded in
>2007, but one tries to read the announcement with an open mind.
>
>The list of professors is not without interest:
>* Pathompong Bodhiprasiddhinand
>   DPhil in Oriental Studies (Oxford University, UK)
>* Justin Meiland
>   DPhil in Oriental Studies (Oxford University, UK)
>* Alexander Wynne
>   DPhil in Oriental Studies (Oxford University, UK)
>* Sumana Tangkanasingh
>   PhD in Culture and Musuemology (Grenoble University, France)
>* Taveevat Puntarigvivat
>   PhD in Religions and Society (Temple University, USA)
>* Pagorn Singsuriya
>   PhD in Philosophy (Chulalongkorn University, Thailand)
>
>The trouble is that this is "backed up" with a long list of supposed
>"academic advisors" --and here I must suspect they are misleading the
>public.
>
>This list (below) is inherently difficult to believe, but to make
>matters worse, I have just received an e-mail request passed on from
>their most senior professor (first named in the list above) asking if
>anyone could provide him with Dr. Hundius's e-mail, as he has just
>figured out that he is a difficult man to find (given his emeritus
>status, etc.).  How could Hundius possibly have any involvement with
>the Mahidol project whatsoever, without any of their professors either
>having his e-mail, or at least fore-knowledge of the fact that he is
>indeed retired, and how to contact him via the department secretary,
>etc.?  Perhaps he once made a brief appearance there, and is now
>listed as an "Academic Advisor to the Programme" --but there is ever
>the possibility of outright fraud.  Nor is there any obvious
>connection to German academia in their list of professors.  I'm sure
>that a few eyebrows will be raised for some of the other names on the
>list, below, as well:
>
>"Honorary Academic Advisors to the Programme
>
>1.Most Venerable Phra Prommuni (Junda), Pali Grade 9
>Director General, Mahamakuta Rajavidyalaya Foundation, Under Royal Patronage,
>Wat Bovornivesviharn, Bangkok
>
>2.Most Venerable Phra Promgunaporn (Prayudh Payutto), Pali Grade 9,
>PhD (Honoris
>Causa)
>Wat Yanawessakawan, Nakornpathom
>
>3.Ven Phra Sriyansophon (Suwit Piyavijjo), Pali Grade 9, BA Hons
>(Mahamakut), MA (London)
>Wat Phraramkao (Rama IX Temple)
>
>4.Prof Emeritus Visudh Busyakul, PhD in Sanskrit (Honoris Causa),
>Chulalongkorn University
>Fellow of the Royal Institute of Thailand
>
>5.Prof Dr Richard Gombrich, DPhil in Oriental Studies (Oxon, UK)
>Director of Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies (OCBS), Oxford University, UK
>
>6.Prof Dr Oskar von Hinueber, PhD in Oriental Studies, Mainz
>University, Germany
>Freiburg University, Germany
>
>7.Mr Lance Cousins, MA in Oriental Studies (Cantab), Former President
>of the Pali Text Society
>Wolfson College, Oxford University.
>
>8.Prof Dr Nalini Balbir, Doctorat de 3 ème cycle en études indiennes
>(Université Paris-3), Doctorat d'Etat ès-lettres (Université Paris-3)
>Directeur d'études (philologie moyen-indienne) à l'Ecole Pratique des
>Hautes Etudes, Section des sciences historiques et philologiques
>
>9.Prof Dr Janet Gyatso, PhD in Buddhist Studies, University of
>California at Berkely
>Harvard Divinity School, Harvard University
>
>10.Dr Peter Skilling, PhD in Buddhist Studies (Ecole Pratique des
>Hautes Etudes, Sciences
>Historiques et Philologiques a la Sorbonne, Paris, France)
>Ecole francaise d'Extreme-Orient (Bangkok and Paris)
>
>11.Dr Prapod Assavavirulkarn, PhD in Buddhist Studies, University of
>California at Berkely
>Head of the Department of Oriental Languages, Faculty of Arts,
>Chulalongkorn University"
>
>E.M.