Qiu Weitong (Mr)

Proposed Thesis Title:  Creating Textual Community in Twentieth-Century Chinese Buddhism: An Analysis of Monk Juzan’s Textual Practice
Supervisor: Associate Professor Jack Meng-Tat Chia

I obtained my B.A. degree at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, graduating with First Class Joint Honours in Religious Studies and History. During my undergraduate studies, I received training in both Chinese history and Asian religions. My broad research interests lie in Chinese religions and Buddhist studies. In particular, I am interested in the intellectual and social history of modern Chinese Buddhism, state–religion relations, Buddhist activism, and transnational religious networks. My proposed M.A. thesis will examine twentieth-century Chinese Buddhism, with a focus on the transnational religious networks between Mainland China and Southeast Asia.

I am deeply grateful that my M.A. studies are supported by the Foo Hai Ch’an Monastery Scholarship in Buddhist Studies, the FASS Scholarship in Buddhist Studies, and the GL Louis Programme in Religious Studies. I hope to contribute further to the study of Chinese religions with the support of the resources available at NUS.

Beyond academics, I enjoy a wide range of cultural practices and activities. In my spare time, I practice Tai Chi, play and perform the guqin (古琴), and read and practice Chinese calligraphy.

You may reach me at weitong.qiu@u.nus.edu.