On July 15, 2024, the Ghent Centre for Buddhist Studies welcomed H.E. Mrs. Kanchana Patarachoke, Ambassador of Thailand, and H.E. Mr. Chandana Weerasena, Ambassador of Sri Lanka, along with Mr. Nithi Patarachoke, the spouse of Mrs. Patarachoke, and Mr. Pathompong Singthong, Counsellor and Consul of Thailand. The delegation was received by Prof. Dr. Ann Heirman, head of the Department of Languages and Cultures and the Ghent Centre for Buddhist Studies of Ghent University. Prof. Dr. Daniela De Simone, Prof. Dr. Bart Dessein, Prof. Dr. Andreas Niehaus, Dr. Anna Sokolova, and Dr. Mariia Lepneva were also present at the meeting.
At the beginning of the meeting, H.E. Mrs. Kanchana Patarachoke and H.E. Mr. Chandana Weerasena expressed their interest in the activities of the Ghent Centre of Buddhist Studies, as both Thailand and Sri Lanka have a large portion of the population that identify as Theravada Buddhists. Prof. Dr. Ann Heirman introduced the history, education, staff, and activities of the GCBS, stressing that it is currently broadening its research scope from the traditional focus on China, India, and Japan. The presentation was followed by a Q&A session and a general discussion. Subsequently, the esteemed guests were accompanied to visit the Indian and Buddhist Studies library.
