Professor Wang Bangwei from PKU’s Department of South Asian Studies has been conferred with the prestigious 2025 "Léon Vandermeersch Prize of Chinese Studies" (Le prix d’études chinoises en l’honneur de Léon Vandermeersch). The grand award ceremony was held on the evening of October 24, 2025 in the historic and magnificent hall of Institut de France by the Academy of Inscriptions and Belles-Lettres (l'Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres).

The ceremony was attended by Mr. Franciscus Verellen, President of the Academy of Inscriptions and Belles-Lettres; Mr. Nicolas Grimal, Permanent Secretary; Mr. Michel Zink, Honorary Permanent Secretary; Mr. Laurent Petitgirard, the Permanent Secretary of the Academy of Fine Arts (l’Académie des Beaux-Arts); several academicians; officials from the Cultural Section of Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the French Republic; and scholars from both France and China. During the ceremony, Mr. Nicolas Grimal, Permanent Secretary, announced the decision to confer the award upon Professor Wang Bangwei and provided a detailed account of his academic career.

In his acceptance speech, Professor Wang Bangwei expressed his gratitude to the Academy of Inscriptions and Belles-Lettres for bestowing "Léon Vandermeersch Prize of Chinese Studies" upon him, reflecting how his academic career was guided by his mentor, Ji Xianlin, and also benefited from communications with scholars such as André Bareau and Léon Vandermeersch, as well as from the profound inspiration drawn from the works of French scholars such as Édouard Chavannes, Paul Pelliot, and Sylvain Lévi.

Certificate of 2025 "Léon Vandermeersch Prize of Chinese Studies" received by Professor Wang Bangwei

Medal of "Léon Vandermeersch Prize of Chinese Studies"

Professor Wang Bangwei is spoken highly for his several foundational works, including Biographies of Eminent Monks Who Went to the Western World in Search of the Law During the Great T’ang Dynasty: A Collated and Annotated Edition, A Record of the Buddhist Religion as Practised in India and the Malay Archipelago: A Collated and Annotated Edition, and-under the organization of Professor Ji Xianlin-The Great Tang Dynasty Record of the Western Regions: A Collated and Annotated Edition, These publications have earned high acclaim in academic circles and gained broad international recognition.

Since 1983, Professor Wang Bangwei has published monographs and papers in China, Germany, France, India, Japan, Sweden, Estonia, Nepal, the Netherlands, the United States, and Denmark. His research spans a wide range of fields, including cross-cultural exchanges between China, India and other Asian countries; Sanskrit and Chinese Buddhist literature; and Buddhist history. His innovative and profound arguments receive recognition among international academia,

At the Award Ceremony

Professor Wang Bangwei Delivering an Acceptance Speech at the Award Ceremony

In addition to this prize, Professor Wang Bangwei has also received various prominent prizes, among which are "Lu Wenxing and Han Suyin China-India Friendship Award" in 1985 and 1987, the title of "Chinese Doctoral Degree Holders Who Have Made Outstanding Contributions" conferred by State Education Commission and the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council of the PRC in 1991, the First National Book Award (Collective) in 1993, the First Prize for Outstanding Achievements in Philosophy and Social Sciences in Beijing in 1996, the title of "Young and Middle-Aged Expert with Outstanding Contributions" recognized by the Ministry of Personnel of the PRC in 1997, the Third Prize for Outstanding Achievements in Humanities and Social Sciences Research in Higher Education Institutions in 1998, the first Guohua Award of Peking University in 2008, the Special Prize for Outstanding Achievements in Philosophy and Social Sciences in Beijing (Collective) in 2008, the First Prize for Outstanding Achievements in Humanities and Social Sciences Research in Higher Education Institutions(Collective) in 2013, the Book Award of the Fourth China Publishing Government Award (collective) in 2017, the Second Prize for Outstanding Achievements in Scientific Research in Higher Education Institutions (collective) in 2020, and the Second Prize for the Top 100 Ancient Books (2022) in 2023.

Founded in 1795, the Academy of Inscriptions and Belles-Lettres of France is one of the five branches of l’Institut de France. The academic awards established by it are conferred on internationally renowned scientists, humanities scholars, and artists worldwide and have strong academic influence. The "Léon Vandermeersch Prize of Chinese Studies" is instituted by the Academy of Inscriptions and Belle-Letters of France and supported by the Hong Kong Mingyuan Foundation, commemorates the exceptional contributions of the French sinologist Léon Vandermeersch (Wang Demai) (1928–2021) and is one of the highest honors in the international Sinology community. On April 25, after discussion and voting, the committee of the Academy of Inscriptions and Belles-Lettres decided to confer 2025 "Léon Vandermeersch Prize of Chinese Studies" on Professor Wang Bangwei for his outstanding contributions in the field of Buddhist studies, especially those on cultural exchanges between China and India, with particular focus on Tang Dynasty monks going to India to seek the Dharma.

Related Reading: The Official Announcement from the Academy of Inscriptions and Belles-Lettres of France

https://aibl.fr/prix/laureat-du-prix-vandermeersch-2025/

Writing: Ouyang Fengqi

Revision and Review: Saerji

Translation: Qu Sizhe