21ST EUROPEAN SHIN BUDDHIST CONFERENCE 2025 OXFORD

The 21st European Shin Buddhist Conference will be held at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, from 1st to 3rd September 2025. The theme of the conference is Peace and Harmony. The conference will be organized by Jōdo Shinshū (Hongwanji-ha) UK, which is led by Rev. Dr. Enrique Galvan-Alvarez, Rev. Dr. Louella Matsunaga, Rev. David Quirke-Thornton and Rev. Caroline Brazier.

The first European conference of Shin Buddhism was held in Antwerp in 1980, the same year that the International Association of Buddhist Culture (IABC) was founded. Since then, biennial conferences have been held at a range of venues in Europe, including the UK. In 1998, the 10th European Shin Buddhist Conference was held at Wadham College, University of Oxford, organized by the late Jim Pym and the Pure Land Buddhist Fellowship. Then followed the successful conferences organized by Reverend Gary Daichi Robinson and the Shin Buddhist Fellowship UK at Southampton in 2014 and 2018. This year we are again holding the conference in Oxford, 27 years since the conference first took place here. 

The University of Oxford has a world-wide reputation as a centre of academic excellence, and is the oldest university in the English-speaking world, with teaching in Oxford dating back to the end of the eleventh century. It also has extensive international links, with the first recorded international student entering the university in 1190. Since then, students have continued to come to Oxford from all over the world - the current Emperor and Empress of Japan also completed part of their studies here.

We are very pleased to be able to hold the conference in Oxford again this year, this time at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford University’s museum of Art and Archaeology. Founded in 1683, it is Britain’s first public museum, and the first University Museum in the world. The conference will take place in a dedicated lecture room in the museum, and participants will be able to visit the museum’s collections freely during breaks in the conference. The collections include Buddhist art and sculpture from across Asia. There will also be the opportunity to sign up for a private guided tour of the museum (for an additional fee), for conference participants only. For an overview of the museum see: https://www.ashmolean.org

The Ashmolean Museum is located in the centre of Oxford, very near many of Oxford’s most famous colleges. We hope that you will take the opportunity to explore the streets of Oxford, and perhaps visit a college or two, if you are able to extend your stay (colleges are open to the public most days, but tend to close early). People often ask: “where is the University campus?” – the answer is “all around you!” There is no single university campus, rather, the University is a collection of colleges, each with its own history – a stroll through the city centre will take you past many of them. And for relaxation, the city also has the oldest coffee house in the UK, and a fine collection of pubs! More detailed information to help you explore will be made available on arrival, but there is much to be said for simply wandering around the city centre and enjoying the beautiful surroundings.

The hire of the Ashmolean facilities is being generously supported by the IABC, who are also hosting a conference dinner. We also gratefully acknowledge the support of the International Association of Shin Buddhist Studies, the Tariki Trust and the Jodo Shinshu International Office. We are also indebted to Jinen-kō, Sangha Luso-Hispana, for hosting us in their website and for providing invaluable technical and logistical support in bringing the conference to you. We hope that you will enjoy the conference!