Following the highly successful 2024 program, we are delighted to announce another instalment of the EurAsia Summer Academy of Art, Culture and History across the Himalayas, taking place from 14–26 September 2026 in Kathmandu, Nepal and organised under the EurAsia Summer Academy scheme of the Austrian Science Fund's Cluster of Excellence "EurAsian Transformations".
This intensive course offers students and researchers hands-on training with primary Sanskrit materials, combining classroom manuscript study with in situ reading of epigraphical records across the Kathmandu Valley as well as the chance to examine texts alongside material culture. The program features four modules taught by our instructors: Diwakar Acharya, Nina Mirnig, Marion Rastelli, and Pongsit Pangsrivongse.
Description
This Summer Academy offers a deep and rigorous dive into the study of primary Sanskrit material for students and researchers. In line with the ethos of our successful Summer Academy 2024, the course aims to provide participants with hands-on experience in tackling Sanskrit texts found in manuscripts and inscriptions. Students will come away from the course with confidence and precision in handling original evidence. The modules are designed to take advantage of the vast living and historic Sanskrit culture of the Kathmandu Valley. This includes the Valley's Buddhist, Vaiṣṇava, and Śaiva traditions, as well as its rich courtly culture. Participants will read inscriptions in situ and visit sites integral to the traditions recorded in the manuscripts studied in the classroom. Participants will also be guided in engaging with non-textual material—such as the observation of rituals, iconography, architecture and issues pertaining to the preservation of cultural heritage—in order to develop an interdisciplinary approach to understanding texts and their cultural contexts and impact on modern societies. Themes such as the Kathmandu Valley's position as a major conduit of communication between the Subcontinent and the Tibetan Plateau, its unique socio-cultural milieu and living cultural heritage, and its role in preserving texts and traditions lost to the wider subcontinent will be explored in four special lectures by distinguished scholars.
Modules
The Summer Academy features four modules:
Module 1:
The Avalokiteśvara Cult in the Kathmandu Valley: Excerpts from the Buddhist Lokeśvarasādhanas, especially those of Khasarpaṇa. Teachers: Diwakar Acharya, Nina Mirnig
Module 2:
Early Vaiṣṇava Religious Culture: Excerpts from the Jayākhyasaṃhitā Teacher: Marion Rastelli
Module 3:
History and Culture of the Early Licchavis: The Satya Nārāyaṇa Pillar Inscription Teachers: Diwakar Acharya, Nina Mirnig
Module 4:
Medieval Courtly Literature: King Jagajjyotirmalla's works on the “Kāma world” (Excerpts from the Nāgarasarvasvaṭīkā, the Ślokasārasaṃgraha and inscribed paintings) Teacher: Pongsit Pangsrivongse
Field Visits
The programme will include the following field visits to explore the historical context, the current heritage context and intangible cultural features, and living traditions connected to the texts under study:
- Patan
- Kathmandu Durbar Square
- Bhaktapur
- Hadigaon (site of the pillar inscription) and the Paśupatināth heritage zone
- Panauti and Namo Buddha
- Key Buddhist sites of the Kathmandu Valley, including several principal Lokeśvara temples
- Budhanilakantha
- Sankhu
- National Archives, Kathmandu
Course Requirements
Graduate or advanced undergraduate level of Sanskrit, with some familiarity with Indic scripts.
Accommodation
Accommodation and classes have been arranged at Chhahari Retreat, in the lap of the Shivapuri Hills, a scenic forested area. The location benefits from being a short drive from Kathmandu city centre while providing a peaceful, nature-filled setting. The retreat is also within walking distance of Budhanilakantha, a site of considerable artistic and archaeological importance.
Participation Fee
800 US dollars The fee includes accommodation and full board for the duration of the programme (14 days; arrival 13 September, departure 26 September), field trips (including site entrance fees), and yoga/meditation sessions. This reduced fee is made possible through substantial subsidies provided by the Austrian Science Fund Cluster of Excellence “EurAsian Transformations”. Participants are required to cover their own international travel and insurance costs.
Bursaries
A limited number of EurAsia Academy travel bursaries and course subsidies are available for participants without sufficient institutional funding. Please indicate in your application if you intend to apply for a travel bursary and/or course subsidy.
Application Procedure
Please send a CV and a short statement of motivation by 5 June 2026. There are 20 places available. If the number of suitable applicants exceeds the available places, they will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. If the number of applicants requesting single rooms exceeds availability at Chhahari, accommodation nearby will be arranged with daily transport. Applications and queries should be sent to: Pongsit Pangsrivongse
