Khyentse Foundation Announces Appointment of Dr. Jörg Heimbel as Professor of Tibetan and Buddhist Studies at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich

The Khyentse Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by revered Bhutanese lama, filmmaker and author Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche, announced the recent appointment of Dr. Jörg Heimbel as Professor of Tibetan and Buddhist Studies at Ludwig Maximilian University Munich (LMU).

“Jointly sponsored by the German TARA Foundation (TARA Stiftung), the Khyentse Foundation and LMU, this permanent position is one of the few professorships in Tibetan Buddhism in Europe,” the Khyentse Foundation said in a statement released Sunday. “The professorship has been vacant since the retirement of Professor Franz-Karl Ehrhard in 2019. Ehrhard had held the position for 16 years.” (Khyentse Foundation)

Dr. Heimbel studied Tibetology and social anthropology at the University of Göttingen and the University of Hamburg, where he received his Magister Artium in 2007 with a thesis on the life and work of the fifth gDong thog sPrul sku bsTan pa'i rgyal mtshan (1933-2015). He received his PhD in Tibetology from the same university in 2014 with a doctoral thesis on the life and times of Ngor chen Kun dga' bzang po (1382-1456). During his doctoral research, Dr. Heimbel joined the Tibetan Language Program at Tibet University in Lhasa and was a research fellow at the Lumbini International Research Institute in Nepal. His main interests are the history of Tibetan Buddhist traditions and the textual culture associated with them, with a particular emphasis on the Sakya school.

“(Dr.) Heimbel comes from the University of Hamburg, where he was Professor of Classical Tibetan and Lecturer in the Department of Indian and Tibetan Studies at the Asia-Africa Institute since 2014,” the Khyentse Foundation noted. “His appointment ensures that LMU’s BA program in Buddhist and South Asian Studies and MA program in Religion and Philosophy in Asia will continue to offer a pathway into Tibetan studies, and that students in the PhD program in Buddhist Studies will once again be able to prepare theses on Tibetan topics.”

“Heimbel will take up his professorship in the winter semester of 2024, joining a community of 15 professors and postdoctoral researchers active in the field of Buddhist studies at the Institute of Indology and Tibetology as well as in the Department of Asian Studies and the neighboring Faculty of Religious Studies.” (Khyentse Foundation)

The Khyentse Foundation is a non-profit organization founded by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche in 2001. Its aim is to promote the teachings of the Buddha and to support all traditions of Buddhist study and practice. The foundation's activities include major textual preservation and translation projects, support for monastic colleges in Asia, a global scholarship and awards program, the development of Buddhist studies at major universities, as well as the training and development of Buddhist teachers and the development of new modes of Dharma-inspired education for children.

“I am truly honored and deeply grateful to have been appointed as a Distinguished Professor at LMU,” Dr. Heimbel was quoted as saying by the Khyentse Foundation. “This recognition marks a significant milestone in my academic journey, and I sincerely appreciate the trust placed in me. I would like to express my deep gratitude to the Khyentse Foundation and the TARA Foundation for their generous support in funding this position.”

“Their collaboration ensures the continuation of Tibetan studies at LMU, providing students with a unique opportunity to engage with the Tibetan language and explore the rich culture and Buddhist traditions of the Tibetan world. This support is also essential to advance my research projects and foster international collaborations. I am excited to apply my knowledge and experience to advance teaching and research in Tibetan studies, actively helping to shape its future, while training the next generation of scholars in this field.” (Khyentse Foundation)

LMU Faculty of Cultural Studies Dean Irene Götz said: “Our faculty is very pleased and delighted to have been able to fill the vacant position of Professor of Tibetan and Buddhist Studies with such a renowned scholar, thanks to the generous support of TARA and the Khyentse Foundation. Dr. Heimbel is so dedicated to Tibetan traditions, culture, and language, both historical and colloquial, that he will certainly contribute to our interdisciplinary Buddhist studies in many fruitful ways. He will attract new students and bring international scholars to LMU through his rich networks. Overall, he will contribute to the flourishing of Tibetan studies at LMU and in the global scholarly community.” (Khyentse Foundation)

The Khyentse Foundation’s accomplishments over the past 20 years include: over 15 million pages of Buddhist texts preserved and made available online; education provided to children in over 1 families; support for Buddhist studies at over 000 leading universities through endowed chairs and professorships, graduate support, and the establishment of Buddhist study centers; over US$35 million in sponsorship for Buddhist teacher training awarded; sacred Buddhist texts translated into over 15 languages, through the efforts of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, the Kumarajiva Project, and the Khyentse Vision Project; over US$1,8 million in funding awarded to advocate for Buddhism in its homelands, including local partnerships to revitalize interest in Buddhism in India; over 2 scholarships and awards recognizing excellence in the study and practice of Buddhism; support for over 000 monks and nuns to maintain the tradition of Buddhist scholarship in a monastic setting; and over 3 Ashoka and Trisong open access grants distributed to support Dharma and wellness programs.

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Khyentse Foundation
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Dr. Jörg Heimbel appointed Professor of Tibetan and Buddhist Studies at Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich (Khyentse Foundation)

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