A global network of universities is being developed to further the academic study of Buddhism, with an emphasis on its relevance to people of the modern world

The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Center for Buddhist Studies at Stanford University

The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation has endowed the Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Center for Buddhist Studies at Stanford University, Palo Alto, U.S.A. The initiative is part of the Foundation’s plan to develop a global network of institutions to promote Buddhist learning.

By providing funding to the Ho Center for Buddhist Studies at Stanford, the Foundation aims to widen the opportunity to expose students, at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, to Buddhist ideas, values and practices. Since its inauguration, the Foundation has committed its resources to the construction of a global network of academic institutions for students and teachers to exchange and share Buddhist learning. Funding the Ho Center at Stanford marks a milestone in the ultimate goal of establishing a global learning network to foster interaction and exchange among institutions.

The gift to the Ho Center for Buddhist Studies helps to establish a permanent, endowed institution to nurture the steady growth of Buddhist studies at the university. The endowment will enable the Center to enhance its research and educational support, its event programming and its international development.

Besides academic studies, the Center is a resource for the general public to learn more about Buddhism. The Foundation aims to promote Buddhist philosophy to the broader academic community within Stanford, as well as to reach out to the public through interesting programmes operated by the Center. There will be lectures and seminars, presented outside the Stanford campus at nearby cities such as Berkeley and San Francisco, to explore how Buddhism has become an integral part of contemporary society; to introduce contemporary Buddhist practices, particularly meditation; and to use art as a way to understand Buddhist philosophy and practice.

The Ho family has been building a global network for Buddhist learning since 2001. Beginning with our home base in Hong Kong and expanding throughout the world, the Ho family currently supports five centers for Buddhist studies through Tung Lin Kok Yuen Hong Kong, the Tung Lin Kok Yuen Canada Foundation and the Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation. The global network includes the following academic institutions:

	•	University of Hong Kong (supported by Tung Lin Kok Yuen Hong Kong since 2001)
	•	International Buddhist College in Thailand (supported by Tung Lin Kok Yuen Hong Kong since 2004)
	•	University of British Columbia (supported by Tung Lin Kok Yuen Canada Foundation since 2005)
	•	University of Toronto, Scarborough Campus (supported by Tung Lin Kok Yuen Hong Kong since 2006)
	•	Stanford University (supported by the Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation since 2008)

The network will continue to grow, embracing an increasing number of universities in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia.