Khyentse Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by the revered Bhutanese lama, filmmaker, and author Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche, has announced the recent appointment of Dr. Jörg Heimbel as Professor of Tibetan and Buddhist Studies at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU).
“Jointly sponsored by the German TARA Foundation (TARA Stiftung), Khyentse Foundation, and LMU, the tenured position is one of just a handful of Tibetan Buddhism professorships in Europe,” Khyentse Foundation said in an announcement on Sunday. “The professorship has been vacant since the retirement of Prof. Dr. Franz-Karl Ehrhard in 2019. Ehrhard had served in 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 works 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 interest lies in the history of Tibetan Buddhist traditions and their related textual culture, with a particular focus on the Sakya school.
“[Dr.] Heimbel comes to LMU from the University of Hamburg, where he has been a lecturer in classical and colloquial Tibetan in the Department of Indian and Tibetan Studies at the Asia Africa Institute since 2014,” Khyentse Foundation noted. “His appointment ensures that LMU’s successful BA program in Buddhist and South Asian studies and the MA program in religion and philosophy in Asia will continue to offer a pathway in Tibetan studies, and that students of the doctoral program in Buddhist studies will again be able to prepare dissertations on Tibetan topics.
“Heimbel will take up the 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 wider Department of Asian Studies and the neighboring Faculty for Religious Studies.” (Khyentse Foundation)
Khyentse Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche in 2001. Its aim is to promote the Buddha’s teaching and support all traditions of Buddhist study and practice. The foundation’s activities include major text preservation and translation projects, support for monastic colleges in Asia, a worldwide scholarship and awards program, and development of Buddhist studies at major universities, alongside training and development for Buddhist teachers and developing new modes of Dharma-inspired education for children.
“I am truly honored and deeply grateful for being appointed to the esteemed professorship at LMU,” Khyentse Foundation quoted Dr. Heimbel as saying. “This recognition marks a milestone in my academic journey, and I sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence that have been placed in me. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Khyentse Foundation and the TARA Foundation for their generous support in funding this position.
“Their collaboration ensures the continuation of Tibetan studies at LMU, offering students 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 instrumental in advancing my research projects and fostering international collaborations. I am excited about applying my knowledge and experience to advance teaching and research in Tibetan studies, actively contributing to shaping its future, while also training the next generation of scholars in the field.” (Khyentse Foundation)
The dean of LMU’s Faculty for the Studies of Cultures, Irene Götz, remarked: “Our faculty is very excited and pleased to have been able to fill the vacant professorship of Tibetan and Buddhist studies with such a renowned scholar, thanks to the generous support of TARA and Khyentse Foundation. Dr. Heimbel is so much dedicated to Tibetan traditions, culture, and language, both historical and colloquial, that he will surely contribute to our interdisciplinary Buddhist studies in many fruitful ways. He will attract new students and bring international scholars to LMU by his rich networks. All in all, he will help make Tibetan studies thrive at LMU and in the worldwide scientific community.” (Khyentse Foundation)
Khyentse Foundation’s achievements over the last 20 years include: more than 15 million pages of Buddhist texts preserved and made available online; education provided for the children of more than 1,000 families; support for Buddhist studies at more than 35 major universities through endowed chairs and professorships, graduate support, and the establishment of Buddhist studies centers; more than US$1 million in sponsorship for Buddhist teacher-training granted; sacred Buddhist texts translated into more than 15 languages, thanks to 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 granted to uphold Buddhism in its mother countries, including grassroots partnerships to revitalize interest in Buddhism in India; more than 2,000 scholarships and awards in recognition of excellence in Buddhist study and practice; support for over 3,000 monks and nuns to maintain the tradition of Buddhist scholarship in a monastic setting; and more than 120 open-access Ashoka and Trisong grants distributed to support Dharma and well-being programs.
See more
Khyentse Foundation
Khyentse Foundation (Facebook)
Dr. Jörg Heimbel Appointed Professor of Tibetan and Buddhist Studies at Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich (Khyentse Foundation)
Related news reports from BDG
Online Dharma: Khyentse Foundation Announces Week-long Workshop “Living Is Dying”
Online Dharma: Khyentse Foundation Announces the Launch of its Revamped Website
Less Meat More Love! Khyentse Foundation Announces New Book for Children
Trent Walker Wins Khyentse Foundation’s 2024 Award for Outstanding Translation
Nils Martin Wins Khyentse Foundation Award for Outstanding PhD Dissertation in Buddhist Studies
Khyentse Foundation Announces the Appointment of KF-Macready Senior Lecturer in Tibetan Buddhism at the University of Sydney
Related features from BDG
Being a Rinpoche: A Conversation with Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche
On Being Brave: Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche on Technology and the Dissemination of the Dharma
Poison Is Medicine: Paradox and Perception in Vajrayana Buddhism
A Buddhist Vision for Education Reform: The Blue Lion Preschool, Inspired by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
