[INDOLOGY] Position: Buddhist Studies Research Scholar at BDRC

[DC Lammerts]

Job Opportunity Announcement:
Buddhist Studies Research Scholar at BDRC
https://www.tbrc.org/?locale=en#!footer/news/20170502

May 02, 2017

The Buddhist Digital Resource Center, Inc. seeks a Buddhist Studies Research Scholar to lead the development of an online repository of Buddhist texts and cultural heritage information.

Title: Buddhist Studies Post-Doctoral Research Scholar

Organization: Buddhist Digital Resource Center, Inc.

Location: Cambridge, MA

About BDRC

The Buddhist Digital Resource Center, Inc. (BDRC) applies the transformative power of technology to the digital preservation of Buddhist texts from around world. The organization has created a dynamic forward-thinking cutting edge digital library through an engaged program of digital preservation and online accessibility. Used on a daily basis by thousands of users around the world, this resource has transformed inquiry into the Buddhist textual heritage, while providing measurable, pragmatic results.

Founded as Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center (TBRC) in 1999 by the legendary scholar E. Gene Smith (1936-2010), the organization’s impact was documented in a feature length documentary. In 2016, TBRC expanded its mission and changed its name to Buddhist Digital Resource Center. The new name represents the organization’s expanded mission to preserve and make accessible Buddhist texts, not only in Tibetan language, but also in the many languages in which Buddhism has been expressed, including Sanskrit, Pali, Chinese, and others. By adding “digital”, the name also more explicitly connects to the mission of the organization, which is to preserve and share Buddhist texts digitally through the union of technology and scholarship. BDRC is poised to expand its organizational expertise and capacity to a truly global audience. BDRC has a team of 10 permanent staff in Cambridge with an annual operating budget of approximately $1.5 million, and offices in New Delhi, Bangkok, now in Hangzhou. BDRC’s head office is located in Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA.

About our partner organization BRRC

The Buddhist Resource and Research Center (BRRC) of Zhejiang University was established in March 2016, and is wholly funded by Zhejiang University. The members of its academic committee are internationally recognized scholars of Buddhist studies from various top universities all over the world.

A diversified research institution and an open platform for international cooperation of Buddhist studies, BRRC is integrated in Zhejiang University’s scholarly community, excellent collections of Buddhist literature and advanced technology of digitization etc. The main research areas include: multilingual Buddhist textual traditions based on sources in Sanskrit, Pali, Chinese, Tibetan and Japanese, the development of Buddhist digital resources, the promotion of Buddhist thought and culture and its relationship with contemporary society. The goal of BRRC is: “preserving and sharing Buddhist Texts through the Union of Technology and Scholarship, and developing and deepening Buddhist Studies by the collaboration of tradition and innovation.” BRRC is located on the Zijingang campus of Zhejiang University.

Opportunity

The Buddhist Studies Post-Doctoral Research Scholar will provide scholarly expertise in Buddhist Studies to advance the creation of the Buddhist Universal Digital Archive (BUDA), a multi-language digital repository of Buddhist texts in Sanskrit, Pali, Chinese and Tibetan. The research scholar will work closely with our board of advisors, our board of directors, and senior librarians in our home office in Cambridge, MA. Report to the Executive Director of BDRC in Cambridge, MA, the Buddhist Studies Postdoctoral Research Scholar will identify important collections of Buddhist materials scattered in the world’s great libraries, and document these materials using BDRC’s linked open data framework. This is a great opportunity for a Buddhist Studies expert with a keen interest in textual studies to lead the development of a massive online repository of Buddhist texts and Buddhist cultural heritage information.

Responsibilities

	• Coordinate work of two Buddhist Studies Research Scholars at ZJU and senior librarians in Cambridge office.
	• Work with board of advisors to identify important collections of Buddhist texts and document these collections in a preservation database
	• Work closely with technical team on creating, managing, improving and expanding a cultural heritage ontology that defines key aspects of literary culture including works, persons, places and topics.
	• Classify texts and create cultural heritage information in the Buddhist Universal Digital Archive (BUDA)
	• Advise technical team on the development of research tools for Buddhist Studies

Requirements

	• PhD required
	• Knowledge of Chinese or Sanskrit required; knowledge of Pali is highly desirable; working knowledge of Tibetan desirable but not required.
	• Experience with multi-year data driven projects, digital humanities, or possess an equivalent technology background

How to Apply

Please send a cover letter and C.V. to emma at tbrc.org.

This is a full-time salaried position based in our Cambridge location.