First circular

XVIIth Congress of the International Association of Buddhist Studies
August 18 to August 23, 2014 
University of Vienna
Vienna, Austria

FIRST CIRCULAR: JUNE 2012

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce today that the XVIIth Congress of the International Association of Buddhist Studies will be held in Vienna, at the centrally located Juridicum of the University of Vienna, from August 18 to 23, 2014.

General Information 
This circular is being sent to all persons who are currently IABS members. Please feel free to circulate this information among colleagues and graduate students. All XVIIth Congress participants must have valid IABS membership for the year of the conference. To join the International Association of Buddhist Studies, please follow the instructions found in the IABS website at www.iabsinfo.net, or else send your request for membership to Dr. Ulrich Pagel, Secretary General of the IABS (up1@soas.ac.uk). Those who plan to attend the XVIIth Congress are urged to fill out the electronic “mailings request form” online at http://iabs2014.univie.ac.at as soon as possible.

Future communications with IABS members will take place by e-mail, unless postal mail is specifically requested (see the postal address at the end of this letter).

Academic Program
Notwithstanding the fact that the increasing number of panels reflects the growing interest in specific fields, such proliferation jeopardizes the original spirit of the IABS Congress. The principal aim of the conference is to showcase the wide variety of individual research, to promote collaboration and publicize new findings within all fields of research, to encourage the initiation, or increase the momentum, of specific projects, and above all to create an opportunity for open discussions. Some minor changes in the organization of the conference will thus be introduced.
First of all, each participant will be allowed to present one paper only. The number of panels will be reduced to four per day (twenty in all). In order to allow a maximum of topics to be presented, the duration of a single thematic panel will be limited to half a day (or a whole day in exceptional cases). Thematic panels are organized by one or more conveners who will contact appropriate contributors directly.
Sections consist of papers that have been grouped together under general topics by the Congress Planning Committee. A list of topics will be proposed in the second circular (which will be sent by May 2013).
Each panel or section will comprise about five or six papers of a maximum of 20 minutes in length (with 10 minutes allowed for discussion).

Call for Initial Panel Proposals
In keeping with the academic program just discussed, the Planning Committee at this time invites scholars from all areas of Buddhist Studies to submit initial panel proposals. An initial panel proposal, to be submitted by the proposing convener, should consist of a short (approx. 200-word) description of the topic of the panel, along with a list of probable or potential participants. A full list of all participants is not required at this stage. Accepted initial panel proposals will be announced in the second circular, and persons interested in contributing a paper to one of the accepted panels may contact its convener to see if there is room on the panel.

The initial panel proposals should be sent to Prof. Dr. Klaus-Dieter Mathes, Chair, Planning Committee of the XVIIth IABS Congress, University of Vienna, Dept. of South Asian, Tibetan and Buddhist Studies. E-mail: klaus-dieter.mathes@univie.ac.at. The deadline for the initial panel proposals is February 28, 2013.

Individual Paper Proposals
The call for individual papers will be announced in the second circular, together with the list of themes suggested by the Organizing Committee.

Posters and Exhibits
Exhibition space will be available for posters and exhibits. There will be a session dedicated specifically to posters during which each poster contributor will have the opportunity to give a brief presentation to conference delegates. Details will appear in the second circular.

Visa Requirements
Visa requirements vary according to the nationality of the visitor. Please check with your travel agent or representatives of Austria in your country for up-to-date information. The organizers cannot offer any assistance in procuring a visa.

Accommodations
Affordable accommodations will be available at student or youth hostels and range from about EUR 20 to EUR 50 per night for a single room incl. breakfast. Comfortable accommodations at local hotels and guest houses can be booked online. Details will appear in the second circular.

Conference/Travel Grants
The Planning Committee regrets that it cannot provide travel or conference grants for the XVIIth Congress. The committee will attempt to keep the registration fee and lodging costs as low as possible. These will be announced in the second circular.

Website
The latest information and news about the XVIIth Congress of the IABS may be found at http:// iabs2014.univie.ac.at.

The Planning Committee of the XVIIth IABS Congress

                                                                                                                                
                                                               
Correspondent

Prof. Dr. Klaus-Dieter Mathes
Chair, Planning Committee of the XVIIth IABS Congress
University of Vienna
Dept. of South Asian, Tibetan and Buddhist Studies
A 1090 Vienna
Spitalgasse 2, Hof 2.7
Austria (Europe)
E-mail: klaus-dieter.mathes@univie.ac.at