Academic Activities

***Extension of Application Due: April 17th, 2025***

Organizer 主辦:
Centre for Sino-Christian Studies, HKBU 香港浸會大學中華基督宗教研究中心
Angelicum Thomistic Institute

Presenting Applicants:
PhD students 
(Apply here: https://hkbu.questionpro.com/t/AbSHmZ5Oty)

MA/ BA Observer :
MA or BA students only 
(Apply here: https://hkbu.questionpro.com/t/AbSHmZ5KoY)

General Observers:
Application will be opened later in due course

*Please read the information below carefully before submitting your application. You are recommended to pay extra attention to the “Format of Seminar and General Scheme” and “Application Guidelines” section.

CSCS-ATI Summer School Purpose and Aims: To acquaint scholars of Asian philosophical traditions with scholastic thought, both in its original sources and in contemporary discussions incorporating appeal to scholastic philosophy, as well as to acquaint those interested in scholastic thought with Asian philosophical tradition in the same way.

Speaker Bio:

2025 Summer School Theme – Buridan and the Buddha: Nominalism and Universals from East to West.

This seminar is intended to introduce graduate students to Buddhist and Scholastic perspectives on the problem of universals, both in its general metaphysical character as regards debates about nominalism in East and West, as well as in its connection with logic, theology, or other issues in philosophy of science, ethics, philosophical anthropology, etc. Universals are contrasted with particulars as what those particulars can have in common, such as ‘humanity’ or various other properties. Many metaphysical problems arise when attempting to clarify what such universal terms refer to, whether and in what way universals themselves exist, and how universals relate to particulars.

Questions regarding universals were central to debates about the viability of Buddhist metaphysics in the East as well as to many debates in later medieval Scholasticism. Nominalism about universals involves a complicated family of positions, and the denial of the ‘reality’ of universals can deeply impact questions in many other areas of philosophy, including logic (as the Buddhists debated extensively with other Indian thinkers) or ethics (e.g., whether ethical norms can be derived from facts about human nature). In the late medieval context, nominalists had significant challenges in developing an orthodox Christian theology of the Trinity (the Persons of the Trinity share numerically one nature) or of the redemption of humanity by Christ’s sacrifice (having redeemed all mankind by assuming numerically one human nature).

There has been a notable lack of attention to the way that Eastern and Western metaphysics have significant areas of overlap in their traditions around the problem of universals and its related issues. This seminar aims to remedy this fact by drawing together experts in Buddhist and medieval nominalism, providing a basic introduction to both traditions and to their metaphysical perspectives.

Format of Seminar and General Scheme:

• The seminar will take place on campus at Hong Kong Baptist University, in Hong Kong.
• There will be sessions from roughly 9:30am-5:45pm from Monday to Friday, with the weekend free. Each morning will open with lectures and a seminar-style discussion of the texts and issues at hand. Each afternoon will involve presentations of papers by participants and further seminar-style discussions of topics relevant to the participants’ interests.
• 14 PhD students will be admitted to this seminar as presenting participants, with up to five other MA or BA students accepted as observing participants. All PhD students to the seminar will have food, accommodation, and travel covered by the CSCS-ATI. [Expenses for international travel will be subject to review, as we will only cover reasonable expenses within a stipulated limit.]
• Each admitted participant will be required to write a 4000-word paper that can be presented during the seminar. (Topics will be assigned in the process of preparing for the seminar.)

Applicants Guidelines:

Presenting Applicants:

Presenting applicants will be required to fulfill a list of application requirements, including:

• Fill in the “Registration Form for Applicants”(https://hkbu.questionpro.com/t/AbSHmZ5Oty).

• A PDF File of application materials submitted via e-mail to cscs@hkbu.edu.hk, with a subject line “Summer Seminar 2025 Application.”, including:
  • A cover letter of no more than one page, briefly indicating your interest in the seminar.
  • An updated CV, including:
    • Name, date of birth, address, email, current academic institution, degree, discipline, and a list of all graduate coursework.
  • A brief statement of research interest, no longer than 750 words.
  • One academic writing sample.
  • A letter of recommendation from your PhD supervisor (attach within the completed application).

• Applicantsare also invited to the CSCS-organized Inaugural Conference of ASPR (Aug 13-15, 2025) [Call for paper Deadline: 31st  March] (rel.hkbu.edu.hk/activities/aspr-inaugural-conference-challenges-to-religious-worldviews-east-west-dialogue )

***APPLICATIONS DUE: April 17th, 2025. Incomplete applications will not be considered.***

MA/ BA Observers :

MA / BA Observers will not participate in discussions, and they are not required to write and present a paper during the Summer School. For those who successfully applied for the role will receive a stipend.

MA / BA students who would like to apply for the MA / BA Observer position will be required to fulfill a list of application requirements, including:

• Fill in the “Registration Form for MA / BA Observers”:(https://hkbu.questionpro.com/t/AbSHmZ5KoY.)
• A PDF File of application materialssubmitted via e-mail to cscs@hkbu.edu.hk, with a subject line “Summer Seminar 2025 Application.”, including:

1. An updated CV, including:
   • Name, date of birth, address, email, current academic institution, degree, discipline, and a list of all graduate coursework.
2. A brief statement of research interest, no longer than 750 words.
3. One academic writing sample. (Essays from coursework, Honours Project Thesis etc.)
4. A letter of recommendation from your academic supervisor (attach within the completed application).

***APPLICATIONS DUE: April 17th, 2025. Incomplete applications will not be considered.***

General Observers:

General Observers will not participate in any discussions, and they are not required to write and present a paper during the Summer School. Registrations will be opened in due course.
General Observing participants will be charged a fee based on their selected attendance dates. Payment details will be communicated via email after registration is opened.

Please direct any further questions to cscs@hkbu.edu.hk.