School of History, Religions and Philosophies & Department of Religions and Philosophies

Professor Ulrich Pagel

Key information

Roles
Department of Religions and Philosophies Seiyu Kiriyama Professor in Buddhist Studies
Qualifications
BA, PhD (London)
Building
Russell Square: College Buildings
Office
Room 343
Email address
up1@soas.ac.uk
Telephone number
+44 (0)20 7898 4782

Biography

Ulrich Pagel is the Seiyu Kiriyama Professor of Buddhist Studies and Chair of the Centre of Yoga Studies at SOAS University of London.

He served as Head of the School of History, Religions and Philosophies from 2018–2022. Since 2012, Ulrich Pagel has convened the MA Traditions of Yoga and Meditation at SOAS, both leading the programme and contributing extensively to its teaching delivery.

In 2022, he established international partnerships between SOAS and a number of Chinese yoga institutions to develop the innovative Yoga and Meditation Education Certificate, which is taught online and offered in Chinese. He also teaches Classical Tibetan at the SOAS Language Centre.

Ulrich Pagel previously worked as Assistant Professor (Tibetan Language and Literature) at the University of Washington (Seattle) (1997–1999) and the British Library (Curator of the Tibetan Collections, 1993–1997). He also served two terms as General Secretary of the International Association of Buddhist Studies (2011 to 2019) and lead the Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies as Editor-in-Chief (2010 to 2016). 

Academic management

Service in international associations

  • General Secretary, International Association of Buddhist Studies (2011-2019)

Research interests

Mahāyāna Literature, Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Ancient India, Buddhist Monasticism, Buddhist Philosophy, Traditions of Buddhist Meditation.

PhD Supervision

  • Jason Upton, “The Role of the Body in rDzogs chen in the 10th to 15th Century” (since 2018/19) 
  • Peter Cherry,  “The Vajropamasamādhi in Indian Buddhism (since 2019)
  • Xueyang Lei: “Monastic Identities in the Mūlasarvastivāda Schoo of Buddhism”  (since 2021)
  • Lea Maegli: “Teaching Buddhism to Pupils at Secondary Schools in Switzerland”, University of Zurich,  (since 2019)
  • Keith Clarke: “The Buddha of Two Faces” (since 2019)

 

Name Title
Rosemary Busto Religious and Ascetic Influences on Modern Yoga (Working title)
Dobdon Maksarov Mind and Valid Cognition: The Tibetan Interpretation and its Development through Philosophical Debates in Gelugpa Monastic Education

Publications

Contact Ulrich