【46th Talk】Dr. Chai Yee Leow: “Journey into Gandhara: Archaeological Discoveries and Digital Explorations of Buddhist Heritage”
Upcoming Event
| Introduction | The 46th session of the Tan Lark Sye Lecture Series, organized by the Institute of International Education and the Tan Lark Sye Institute at New Era University College, is now open for registration. This session features Dr. Chai Yee Leow from Harvard University’s FAS CAMLab. The lecture is divided into two parts. The first part introduces the historical background and geographic setting of Gandhāra, tracing the development of Buddhist civilization in the region. It outlines major archaeological discoveries and the distinctive artistic characteristics of Gandhāran artifacts, highlighting Gandhāra’s unique position as a crossroads of ancient South and Central Asian cultures. The second part turns to the twenty-first-century transformation of archaeology. In the digital age, how do traditional field archaeology and museum education continue to evolve through technological innovation? This section examines current applications of technology in artifact preservation, 3D scanning, virtual exhibitions, and digital data management, emphasizing the importance of digital tools in the protection and dissemination of cultural heritage. Through a dialogue between past and present—between material remains and digital reconstruction—this lecture invites the audience to rediscover Gandhāra, an ancient land where Buddhist art and intercultural exchange once flourished. |
| Speaker | Dr. Chai Yee Leow (Harvard University) Dr. Chai Yee Leow is a Malaysian scholar and currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the CAMLab of Harvard University’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences. She graduated from the Department of Telecommunications Engineering at the University of Malaya in 2011, pursued a Master’s degree in Buddhist Studies at the University of Hong Kong in 2013/2014, and received her Ph.D. in History (Buddhist Archaeology) from Peking University in 2020. Since 2021, she has served as the principal researcher for Harvard FAS CAMLab’s “Digital Gandhāra” project and the fieldwork team leader for its Pakistan expeditions, overseeing digital documentation initiatives at multiple institutions, including the Peshawar Museum. Her research focuses primarily on early Buddhist art and archaeology in India, China, and Central Asia, as well as the study of related textual and material sources. |
| Moderator | Dr. Lam Chui Peng (New Era University College) Dr. Lam Chui Peng received her Bachelor of Arts in Chinese Studies from the University of Malaya in 2012, followed by a Master of Philosophy in Religious Studies from Minzu University of China in 2016. In 2019, she joined the “China Studies Programme” (Ph.D. in China Fellowship) to pursue her doctoral studies and completed her Ph.D in the Sociology of Religion at Peking University in 2024. Her research focuses on the sociology of religion, state–religion relations, Chinese religions in Australia, and Buddhist oral history. She has contributed to the Major Project of the National Social Science Fund of China, “The Overseas Dissemination and Functions of Chinese Folk Religion” (completed), and is currently involved in the Major Project “Religion and the Construction of Modern Nation-States.” |
| Information | Date: 10 December 2025 (Wednesday) Time: 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM Venue: ZOOM (ID & password will be sent to your mobile number and email) Registration Form: https://bit.ly/3seNHqc Registration is free. Please complete your registration by Tuesday, 9 December 2025. |
Trailer (Video)
Lecture Postscript
The 46th session of the Tan Lark Sye Lecture Series, hosted by New Era University College’s Institute of International Education and the Tan Lark Sye Institute, took place on 10th December 2025. Guest speaker Dr. Chai Yee Leow from Harvard University’s FAS CAMLab, brought fresh insights with her talk titled “Journey into Gandhara: Archaeological Discoveries and Digital Explorations of Buddhist Heritage.” Dr. Chai Yee Leow highlighted the strategic role of technology in safeguarding and sharing cultural relics and offered fresh perspectives on the enduring value of Buddhist art in both historical and modern times.
Dr. Chai Yee Leow is a Malaysian scholar and currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the CAMLab of Harvard University’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences. She graduated from the Department of Telecommunications Engineering at the University of Malaya, pursued a Master’s degree in Buddhist Studies at the University of Hong Kong, and in 2020 received her Ph.D. in History from Peking University with a focus on Buddhist archaeology. As a principal researcher of Harvard FAS CAMLab’s “Digital Gandhara” project and the fieldwork team leader in Pakistan, Dr. Chai Yee Leow has spearheaded collaborations with multiple institutions, including the Peshawar Museum, to advance the digitization of cultural relics. Her research encompasses early Buddhist art and archaeology across India, China, and Central Asia, as well as the study of related key texts and materials. Centred on the dialogue between history and the present, and between the tangible and the digital, her work seeks to re-examine this ancient land that nurtured Buddhist art and witnessed cross-cultural exchange.
During the session, Dr. Chai Yee Leow shared the practical applications of technology in cultural relic preservation, 3D scanning, virtual exhibition, and digital management. She explored the critical significance of digitization in the protection and dissemination of cultural heritage today, and how digital technologies open new possibilities for safeguarding and sharing cultural treasures. She remarked that through these digital tools, ancient artifacts are no longer confined to quietly resting in museums but can be revitalized with new life in the digital realm.
Following the lecture, the audience and the moderator engaged in a lively and in-depth exchange with the speaker during the Q&A session. Discussions spanned a wide range of topics, including Buddhist archaeological research, the application of digital technologies, and future directions in cultural heritage preservation. The speaker addressed each question thoughtfully and with great patience. The lecture was moderated by Dr. Lam Chui Peng, an adjunct senior lecturer at New Era University College, and drew an audience of over 200 participants.
