This item is part of our special edition
”Buddhist Education in Latin America and Spain”
The Next April 21, 2026, the Ibero-American Network for the Study of Buddhism (RIEB) Will mark a milestone for the institutionalization of this academic discipline in the Portuguese-Hispanic sphere. Headquartered in the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters of the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), the Network will celebrate its First International Symposium —titled “Buddhism and Ibero-American Culture”— and his first Ordinary General Assembly. Both activities will serve to consolidate and publicize its recent legal constitution as an associative entity.
This day represents the formal inauguration of a space for dialogue and exchange where specialists from all over Ibero-America will be able to connect their research projects, cooperate actively and chart the scientific agenda for the coming years. It is, in essence, the launch of a platform for professional collaboration designed to strengthen scientific production and academic dialogue on this ancient tradition, approaching it from our own linguistic and cultural identity.
This consolidation process is supported by reference institutions that support the rigor and projection of the Network: the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), in Spain, and the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters of the University of Buenos Aires, in the academic field; the Catalan Coordinator of Buddhist Entitats and Sakyadhita Spain, in the associative fabric; and the Dharma-Gaia Foundation (FDG), together with Buddhistdoor in Spanish and Editorial Dharma-Gaia as strategic allies in the promotion of research and scientific dissemination.
Nature and functions of the RIEB
As a strictly academic platform, the RIEB was created with the mission of providing researchers in the area with a solid communication infrastructure. Its nature is that of a strategic cooperation organization that seeks to transform the landscape of Buddhist studies in the Portuguese-Hispanic environment through two fundamental operational axes:
1. Articulation and coordination of the scientific community: The primary function of the Network is to link researchers who, from various universities and study centers, have carried out their work independently. By coordinating ongoing efforts, the RIEB facilitates the exchange of ideas, data, methodologies and sources, the formation of working groups and the institutional representation of the sector, allowing individual projects to be integrated into a coherent regional dialogue.
2. Promotion of production and academic initiatives: The Network acts as an engine to energize scientific activity, promoting the writing of articles, monographs and joint projects. In addition, the RIEB supports initiatives that emerge from its own community —such as technical seminars or specialized working groups—, providing the necessary institutional support for these proposals to prosper, gain visibility and take root in the linguistic and cultural reality of our region.
Organization and dynamics of the day: Symposium and Assembly
The day of April 21, 2026 was structured in two blocks defined by their nature, their scope of participation and their schedule, thus allowing a clear distinction between academic exchange activity and the organic management of the Network. Thus, the morning will be dedicated to the First International Symposium “Buddhism and Ibero-American Culture”, a scientific meeting with a hybrid format open to the general public; on the contrary, the afternoon session will be reserved for the First Ordinary General Assembly, an institutional event with restricted access to members of the association. The particularities of each of these spaces are detailed below:
We thank the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters of the UBA and the collaborating institutions for their fundamental support in the articulation of this day.
ACADEMIC BLOCK: FIRST INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM OF THE RIEB: “BUDDHISM AND IBERO-AMERICAN CULTURE”.
The morning block of the day has been designed as a forum for technical and scientific debate. Its objective is twofold: on the one hand, to formally present the RIEB and the guidelines that will guide its development and, on the other, to offer an in-depth analysis of the presence and evolution of Buddhism, as well as its academic study, in our cultural context.
11:00 — 11:10 | Institutional Welcome
- Opening Remarks: Dr. Virginia Manzano (Director of the ICA) and Dr. Pablo Wright (Director of the ICA/EAR section).
- Host: Dr. Cato Carini.
11:10 — 11:20 | Presentation of the RIEB
- Speaker: Dr. Cato Carini (CONICET/UNLP/RIEB).
- Contents: Definition of the founding objectives and projections of the Network for the strengthening of studies on Buddhism in the region.
11:20 — 12:00 | Master Conference
- Speaker: Dr. Francisco Díez de Velasco (University of La Laguna, Spain).
- Title: “Buddhism in Ibero-America: Challenges and Opportunities”.
- Central axis: A profound vision of Buddhism in Ibero-America that transcends the conventional academic framework.
12:00 — 13:00 | Dialogue Table: Synergies between Specialists
A panel of academics will discuss strategies for promoting regional research and international cooperation.
- Participants:
- Dr. Cato Carini (CONICET/UNLP/RIEB).
- Dr. María Elvira Ríos (RIEB/Millennium Nucleus, ICLAC, Catholic University of Chile).
- Dr. Daniel Millet (Dharma-Gaia Foundation, URV/CBS (HKU) /RIEB).
- An additional participant from South America to be determined.
- Moderator: Daniela Mesa (Anthropologist, University of Antioquia/Secretary of the RIEB). Daniela will guide the debate and manage the interaction with the attendees at the Institute of Anthropological Sciences (ICA) of the UBA.
Registration and Enrollment
La RIEB cordially invite the academic community, researchers and students to participate in this process of consolidating and promoting the study of Buddhism in the Ibero-American environment.
Their participation is essential to strengthen the ties of this emerging network and to contribute to regional scientific dialogue.
You can formalize your registration for the I International Symposium through the following official link on the Zoom platform:
Important Information for the Attendee
To ensure an organized experience and recognition of your participation, consider the following points:
- Free Support: In line with the Rieb's mission to promote the free and free dissemination of knowledge, the event does not require registration fees.
- Academic Certificates: Official certificates of attendance will be granted to those who complete the pre-registration and participate in the day and request it.
- Registration Deadline: The form will receive requests until April 19. It is recommended to carry out the procedure in advance to ensure that access data is received.
INSTITUTIONAL BLOCK: FIRST ORDINARY GENERAL ASSEMBLY
At 15:00, will be held the First Ordinary General Assembly, the sovereign body where members of the Network will define their strategic road map. This session, of a private nature, is vital to ensure the promotion of Study of Buddhism in the long term.
A Commitment to Academic Excellence
This meeting at the University of Buenos Aires marks the beginning of a phase of greater professionalization and collaboration. The RIEB reaffirms its commitment to creating a solid workspace that articulates, coordinates and enhances the Study of Buddhism in our language, guaranteeing the rigor and relevance of Ibero-American research.
Official Channels
Sito web: “RIEB — Ibero-American Network for the Study of Buddhism”
Email: info@redestudiobudismo.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576127246902
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rieb_redestudiobudismo/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4qgUGZVMcogSjFcN_OKfmA
Dissemination: The results of the day will be published in Buddhistdoor in Spanish.
Links:
”The situation of Buddhist studies in Spain: educational programs”
”Buddhist studies in Argentina”. First Part: The Origins” by CATON CARINI AND BELEN AZAROLA.
Buddhist studies in Latin America and Spain (Volume I), edited by Daniel Millet Gil and Jaume Vallverdú Vallverdú.
Buddhist studies in Latin America and Spain (Volume II), edited by Daniel Millet Gil and Jaume Vallverdú Vallverdú.
Both volumes are available in PDF format and can be downloaded free of charge through the following links First volume And second volume.
