Guy received a B.A. in Journalism (1958) and an M.A. in History of Religions (1960), both at Northwestern University, and then a Ph.D. “with Distinction” in Sanskrit and Indic Studies at the Committee on Social Thought at the University of Chicago (1963). His dissertation was entitled “The Buddhist Nirvana and its Western Interpreters,” published in 1967 by the University of Chicago Press. Following appointments at the University of Rochester and the University of Minnesota, where he chaired the Department of Asian Languages and Literatures and directed South Asia Center, in 1972 Guy accepted an appointment at the University of Pennsylvania in the Departments of Religious Studies and South Asia Regional Studies. Over half of the next 33 years, he served as chair or graduate chair of one or the other of these departments and directed the South Asia Center at Penn. In 1982 he published, with Glenn Yocum as co-editor, Religious Festivals in South India and Sri Lanka (Manohar Publications).
As he was retiring from Penn in 2005, he was elected President of the American Institute of Bangladesh Studies, service that carried on until 2008 and involved much time in Bangladesh. While in this position he was co-founder of the Bangla language program supported by the U.S. Department of State through the Council for American Overseas Research Centers. The Bangla program was very successful, providing many features incorporated into CAORC’s other language programs.
In recent years he returned to his early focus on Buddhism, with research sojourns in Sri Lanka and southeast Asia: Cambodia, Vietnam, and Myanmar.
Guy is survived by his wife of 57 years, Julia, and a son, Chris.
We are grateful for the leadership that Guy provided to the AIBS in a critical time.
Professor Ali Riaz, President of the AIBS, has been appointed as the Head of the Constitution Reform Commission by the interim government of Bangladesh. He leads a nine-member commission which will review and evaluate the existing Constitution of Bangladesh and prepare a report with necessary recommendations for constitutional reform with a view to establishing a representative and effective democracy and empowering the people. In addition to this new role, Professor Riaz will continue to serve as President of AIBS.
The American Institute of Bangladesh Studies (AIBS) has recently announced its 2024 fellowships. This year, a total of 16 fellowships have been awarded, with nine going to US citizens and seven to Bangladeshi citizens.
Professor Ali Riaz and Professor Rebecca Manring Re-Elected as President and Vice President of AIBS
AIBS Newsletter Second Issue Released: Explore Latest Insights and Activities of AIBS and Its Fellows
Rohingya Crisis: Current Challenges and The Way Forward
The American Institute of Bangladesh Studies (AIBS) has released a comprehensive policy brief addressing the ongoing Rohingya refugee crisis, marking its sixth year. The brief offers a comprehensive analysis of the crisis, current challenges, and potential strategies to address the plight of the Rohingya community.
AIBS Organizes International Symposium on Rohingya Crisis
American Institute of Bangladesh Studies (AIBS), in conjunction with the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, Georgetown University, Washington D.C. held an international symposium on the Rohingya refugee crisis on May 4 and 5.
What is AIBS?
The American Institute of Bangladesh Studies (AIBS) is consortium of institutions of higher learning in the United States aimed at promoting scholarly understanding between Bangladesh and the United States. This is the only umbrella organization in the United States that brings together universities working on and about Bangladesh. Currently, 25 universities are members of the AIBS, including the University of Chicago, Cornell University, University of Texas at Austin, Johns Hopkins University, Columbia University, and University of California-Berkeley. AIBS has also signed memorandums of understanding for cooperation with several Bangladeshi universities, including Dhaka University, Brac, IUB, Chittagong University, ULAB, and NSU. AIBS is a member of the Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC). CAORC is a private not-for-profit federation of 22 independent overseas research centers that promote advanced research, particularly in the humanities and social sciences, with a focus on the conservation and recording of cultural heritage and the understanding and interpretation of modern societies. CAORC fosters research projects across national boundaries, encourages collaborative research and programmatic and administrative coherence among member centers, and works to expand their resource base and service capacity. The governing body of the AIBS consists of a board of trustees and the executive committee (EC). Each member institution has a representative on the board of trustees. The executive committee consists of president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, and an at-large member.
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