Message from the Director
The Director’s Massage
I, as the newly appointed Director of the Postgraduate Institute of Pali and Buddhist Studies (PGIPBS), warmly welcome all knowledge-seekers, both local and foreign, who are keen on engaging in pursuing their Buddhist Studies further, beginning from the Postgraduate Certificate to Postgraduate Diploma Course and gradually proceeding even up to the Postdoctoral level. I, with my considerably long association, in varying capacities with the Institute, can certainly vouch for the fact that, if you follow a suitable Study Course at the Institute, it will be quite a rewarding academic journey, not only widening your horizons regarding the subject you pursue but contributing to develop and strengthen your personality.
It is well known that this Institute has gained international recognition and, is occupying a special niche in Theravada Buddhism, presenting well-structurered courses, tracing its long history, highlighting its spread and expansion, noting also the numerous sectarian developments and such other features. The Institute has a very competent academic staff, constituted of reputed and authoritative scholars in the areas they teach. All of them are well versed in primary sources: Pali, Sanskrit, and some even in Chinese. Besides, dedicated and dynamic teachers, they serve also as amiable guides who are of easy access and much help.
The library, though not very expansive, contains most of the relevant reading material which is specially selected by the teachers themselves in order to facilitate the understanding of the teachings they communicate.
The present acoustics and the infra-structure which are quite a satisfactory will, however, be further developed in the near future to cater to the increasing numbers in student-population.
Not only the academic staff but also the non-academic staff plays an important cordial role in helping the student population to get familiar with the use of facilities available in the Institute and also in solving whatever problems that they have to face.
Once again welcoming all students to the Institute, I assure them that they will have a very rewarding and academically fulfilling experience.
Ven. Senior Professor Medawachchiye Dammajothi Thero