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Wenxian Zhang, professor and chair of Asian studies and head of College Archives & Special Collections at Olin Library, recently presented his research “A Buddhist Book of Merit and Its Long Journey from Southeast Asia to America” at the Association for Southeast Asian Studies (ASEAS) conference at the University of Cambridge.

Through studying the provenance of a Buddhist manuscript written in the Pali and Thai languages, Zhang tells the story of how this rare religious document from Thailand ended up at Rollins, which not only shows the growth of Buddhism in Southeast Asia but also reflects the colonial history in Asia and the rise of “Oriental Studies” in the West. The research also sheds light on the practice of manuscript collection in the Western tradition and the act of philanthropy in America. As a part of his sabbatical project, his research, “The Provenance of the Illustrated Folding Manuscript at the Rollins College Library: A Buddhist Book of Merit and Its Long Journey from Southeast Asia to America,” has been published in the 9:2 (fall 2024) issue of The Manuscript Studies: A Journal of the Schoenberg Institute for Manuscript Studies.

The Association of Southeast Asian Studies (ASEAS) hosts a biennial conference that brings together scholars, researchers, and practitioners from around the world to advance the study of Southeast Asia. Founded in 1969, ASEAS is a U.K.-registered educational charity dedicated to fostering international collaboration, supporting research, and promoting diversity and inclusion within the field. The 2025 ASEAS Conference explored the theme “Global Southeast Asia: Continuity and Change,” examining the region’s political shifts, environmental challenges, cultural flows, and socioeconomic transformations in a global context.

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• Wenxian Zhang