Historian of Religion and Chinese Society
I am Reader in Chinese Buddhism and Chair of the Centre of Buddhist Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). I also serve as member of the SOAS Centre of Taiwan Studies, and I am a committee member of the UK Association of Buddhist Studies.
My research addresses religion (mostly Buddhist doctrine, institutions, and communities) in the twentieth and twenty-first century mainland China and Taiwan, and under the three main areas of (1) religion and Chinese society; (2) textual studies; (3) concepts and methods for the study of Chinese religions.
I hold a BA and MA in Chinese Studies from Ca’ Foscari University of Venice (Italy) and a PhD in the Study of Religion from SOAS.
Before arriving at SOAS in late 2020, I have been researching and teaching at the University of Groningen, in the Netherlands (2013-2020), where I was also founding director of the Centre for the Study of Religion and Culture in Asia, the first research centre at Groningen on Asian religions.
I have been visiting professor at several universities in Europe and Asia, including Sichuan University (China), Urbaniana Pontifical University (Vatican), Tung-hai University (Taiwan), and University of Trento (Italy); and held fellowships at institutions like the Centre of Chinese Studies at the National Central Library of Taipei, Academia Sinica, National Cheng Chi University (Taiwan). And I have active collaboration with institutions like Sichuan University, Beijing Univeristy, Georgetown University.
I was co-editor of Contemporary Buddhism, and currently I am editor-in-chief of Review of Religion and Chinese Society.
Stefania Travagnin 