Universität Wien

142262 KO Colloquium in Tibetan and Buddhist Studies for Advanced Students (2026S)

5.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 14 - Orientalistik, Afrikawissenschaften, Südasien-, Tibet- und Buddhismusk
Continuous assessment of course work
Moodle
We 17.06. 10:00-11:30 Seminarraum 3 ISTB UniCampus Hof 2 2B-O1-14

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 16 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Wednesday 04.03. 10:00 - 11:30 Seminarraum 3 ISTB UniCampus Hof 2 2B-O1-14
  • Wednesday 11.03. 10:00 - 11:30 Seminarraum 3 ISTB UniCampus Hof 2 2B-O1-14
  • Wednesday 18.03. 10:00 - 11:30 Seminarraum 3 ISTB UniCampus Hof 2 2B-O1-14
  • Wednesday 25.03. 10:00 - 11:30 Seminarraum 3 ISTB UniCampus Hof 2 2B-O1-14
  • Wednesday 15.04. 10:00 - 11:30 Seminarraum 3 ISTB UniCampus Hof 2 2B-O1-14
  • Wednesday 22.04. 10:00 - 11:30 Seminarraum 3 ISTB UniCampus Hof 2 2B-O1-14
  • Wednesday 29.04. 10:00 - 11:30 Seminarraum 3 ISTB UniCampus Hof 2 2B-O1-14
  • Wednesday 06.05. 10:00 - 11:30 Seminarraum 3 ISTB UniCampus Hof 2 2B-O1-14
  • Wednesday 13.05. 10:00 - 11:30 Seminarraum 3 ISTB UniCampus Hof 2 2B-O1-14
  • Wednesday 20.05. 10:00 - 11:30 Seminarraum 3 ISTB UniCampus Hof 2 2B-O1-14
  • Wednesday 27.05. 10:00 - 11:30 Seminarraum 3 ISTB UniCampus Hof 2 2B-O1-14
  • Wednesday 03.06. 10:00 - 11:30 Seminarraum 3 ISTB UniCampus Hof 2 2B-O1-14
  • Wednesday 10.06. 10:00 - 11:30 Seminarraum 3 ISTB UniCampus Hof 2 2B-O1-14
  • Wednesday 24.06. 10:00 - 11:30 Seminarraum 3 ISTB UniCampus Hof 2 2B-O1-14

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

This seminar provides graduate students with essential tools, skills, and methodologies to succeed in their M.A. or Ph.D. thesis projects. It serves as a platform to present, discuss, and advance individual research projects while exploring effective thesis planning, methodologies, and the academic writing process. In this colloquium, we will also focus on essentials skills in dealing with texts using translations that you are working with and that are vital when dealing with textual sources. To that end, each of you will select and circulate some passages that we will then read together. Doing so, we will not only examine grammatical details, but discuss what “establishing a text,” and “translation” might mean and what issues you encounter when translating as a researcher. We will add input from translation theories and philology to accompany this process. In this way, students also advance their knowledge about relevant research tools in the field of Tibetology and Buddhist Studies.

By the end of the course, students will:
1. Develop effective thesis planning and time management strategies.
2. Understand and apply methodologies relevant to Tibetology and Buddhist Studies.
3. Enhance translation skills, including an overview on theory and practice of philology and translation.
4. Reflect critically on research in the field.
5. Gain valuable feedback on their research projects from peers and the instructor.

Assessment and permitted materials

The seminar combines short info sessions, group discussions, individual presentations, and peer reviews. Students are expected to actively engage in discussions and provide constructive feedback to their peers.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

1. Participation and Engagement (40%): Active involvement in discussions and peer feedback.
2. Research Proposal or Chapter from Thesis (30%) [depending on progress]: A short written proposal outlining research questions, objectives, and methodologies OR a chapter containing translations and or editions.
3. Presentation (30%): Presentation of thesis progress, challenges, and plans.

The evaluation scheme is structured as follows:
100-85% Very good (1)
75-84% Good (2)
65-74% Satisfactory (3)
50-64% Sufficient (4)
49-0% Unsatisfactory (5)

Examination topics

Your thesis and textual sources used therein, the relevant literature about writing, general methodologies, and translating.

Reading list

Literature about thesis writing:
Barzun, Jaques und Graff, Henry F.: The Modern Researcher: Fifth Edition. Boston, New York, London: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1992. First ed., 1957.

Turabian, Kate. A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007.

Dunleavy, Patrick: Authoring a Ph.D.: How to plan, draft, write and finish a doctoral thesis or
dissertation. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003.

Selected methodologies:
Hinnels, John R. (ed.). 2005. The Routledge Companion to the Study of Religion. London, New York: Routledge Curzon.

Marwick, Arthur 2001. The New Nature of History: Knowledge, Evidence, Language, 22–37. Hampshire: Palgrave.

Osterhammel Jürgen. 2004. Die Vielfalt der Kulturen und die Methoden des Kulturvergleiches. In Handbuch der Kulturwissenschaften. Bd. 2: Paradigmen und Disziplinen, ed. Friedrich Jaeger and Jürgen Straub, 50-65. Stuttgart und Weimar.

Schmitz, Thomas A. 2002. Moderne Literaturtheorie und antike Texte: Eine Einführung. Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, 55–75. (Also available in English)

Translation and Philology

Cabezón, José Ignacio (1995). “Comparison as a Principle of Knowledge and its Application to the Translation of Buddhist Texts.” In Buddhist Translations: Problems and Perspectives, ed. Doboom Tulku. Manohar: New Delhi.

Griffiths, Paul J. (1981). "Buddhist Hybrid English: Some Notes on Philology and Hermeneutics for Buddhologists," JIABS 4(2): 17–32.

Jakobson, Roman. 1992. “On Linguistic Aspects of Translation.” In Theories of Translation, ed. Rainer Schulte and John Biguenet, 144–51. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Napper, Elizabeth (1995). “Styles and Principles of Translation.” In Buddhist Translations: Problems and Perspectives , ed. Doboom Tulku. Manohar: New Delhi.

Silk, Jonathan A. 2013/2014 (2015). “Establishing/Interpreting/Translating: Is It Just That Easy?” JIABS 36/37: 205–225.

Silk, Jonathan A. (2016). “Peering Through a Funhouse Mirror: Trying to Read Indic Texts Through Tibetan and Chinese Translation.” In Dorji Wangchuk (ed.), Cross-Cultural Transmission of Buddhist Texts: Theories and Practices of Translation. Hamburg: Department of Indian and Tibetan Studies, Universität Hamburg. 289–314.

West, Martin L. 1973. Textual Criticism and Editorial Technique: Applicable to Greek and Latin Texts, Teubner Studienbücher Philologie. Stuttgart: Teubner.

Association in the course directory

MATB8 KO b

Last modified: Th 05.03.2026 18:06