Lumbini. Dr. Arvind Kumar Singh, Professor at Gautam Buddha University (GBU), has been appointed and has officially joined as Visiting Professor on the prestigious Dr. Ambedkar Chair for Buddhist Studies at Lumbini Buddhist University, Nepal, for one academic year. This chair was established by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) under the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, and GBU has granted him formal leave to undertake this esteemed assignment.
The Chair was instituted in 2022 during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha, on the occasion of the groundbreaking ceremony of the India International Centre for Buddhist Culture and Heritage, in the presence of the Prime Minister of Nepal.
Dr. Singh becomes the second scholar to hold this position, appointed for his deep expertise in Buddhist Studies and his extensive engagement with the global Buddhist academic community.
With nearly 24 years of teaching experience at the University of Delhi and Gautam Buddha University, Dr. Singh has authored six books on subjects including Animals in Early Buddhism, Buddhism in the Far East, Buddhism in Southeast Asia, Buddhism in East Asia, and The History of Theravāda Buddhism (co-edited with Prof. K.T.S. Sarao). Under his guidance, 10 of his research scholars have published books based on their dissertations.
He has published over 100 research articles in peer-reviewed journals, conference proceedings, and edited volumes, both nationally and internationally. His areas of specialization include Buddhist History (India and abroad), Applied Buddhism, Buddhist Ethics, Engaged Buddhism, Buddhist Personalities, and Sacred Buddhist Sites.
In the domain of research supervision, he has successfully guided 5 Ph.D. scholars (4 more have submitted their theses, and 4 are currently pursuing), along with 24 MPhil and 31 MA dissertations.
In 2025, he was appointed Associate Editor of the International Journal of Architecture, Art and Applications, based in the USA.
His efforts in promoting peace and social harmony have been recognized with several accolades, including the Global Peace Ambassador Award (2017), the Journalist Bimalendu Barua Peace Award (2016) (by the World Alliance of Buddhist Leaders and Nirvana Peace Foundation, Bangladesh), and the Outstanding Peace Activist Award (2016) (by IBEI and YSSRF).
In 2018, he was inducted as a Member of the Academic Advisory Board of the Dhammachai International Research Institute (DIRI), based in New Zealand and Australia. He also received the Mahatma Buddha Peace Award (2020) from the NRI Welfare Society of India and the Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Best Faculty Award (2021) in Buddhist Studies from a NITI Aayog-registered NGO.
Dr. Singh’s appointment is expected to further strengthen the cultural and academic ties between India and Nepal, and promote India’s contribution to global Buddhist scholarship. It will also help in global outreach of the academic vision and programs of Gautam Buddha University.
