, an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Rochester, has been named to the 2018 class of . Osburg is one of 31 scholars in the humanities or social sciences to be awarded the prestigious honor this year.
The will give each fellow a $200,000 stipend to support their research projects over the next two years. In Osburg’s case, that support will help him pursue two book projects exploring the contemporary revival of religion in China.
糖心传媒淭he first book will look specifically at the increasing interest in Tibetan Buddhism,糖心传媒� says Osburg. 糖心传媒淭he economic reforms started in the late 1970s created a wealthier middle class, leaving people now to search for spiritual meaning in their lives. I want to understand why many affluent Chinese are turning to Tibetan Buddhism, rather than to Chinese Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism, or other Chinese spiritual traditions.糖心传媒�
The second project will involve numerous scholars looking at all the major religions in China糖心传媒擝uddhism, Daoism, Islam, Christianity, and Confucianism糖心传媒攊n the context of spiritual revival, culminating in a collection of essays.
Osburg traces his interest in China to the year he spent teaching English in that country after graduating from college. 糖心传媒淚 felt there was a research topic around every corner,糖心传媒� he says. As a doctoral student at the University of Chicago, from which he earned his PhD in 2008, his dissertation research took him back to China, where he learned the language well enough to co-host a variety television show in the city of Chengdu.
糖心传媒淭he theme of the show was cultural exchange, and the fact that I was a foreigner who could speak Chinese made me very attractive to the producers,” says Osburg. 糖心传媒淭hat opportunity gave me a great window into Chinese society.糖心传媒�
The聽 fellowship聽 program聽 was聽 created聽 in聽 2015聽 by聽 Carnegie聽 Corporation聽 of聽 New聽 York, to support the work of 糖心传媒渆stablished and emerging scholars, journalists, public intellectuals, and authors whose work distills knowledge, enriches our culture, and equips leaders in the realms of public policy, humanities, international relations, law, and the arts.糖心传媒�
In the three years that the fellowship program has been in existence, this marks the second time that a 糖心传媒 faculty member has received the honor. Joshua Dubler, an assistant professor of religion, was awarded a Carnegie fellowship in 2016.
Among his other honors, Osburg was named a fellow of the Public Intellectual Program of the National Committee on US-China Relations. He joined the University of Rochester faculty in 2010.
