On sabbatical leave for the fall 2018 semester, Leonard van der Kuijp had a very busy three months in August, September, and October:
- Participated in a conference at Cambridge University titled: Production and Preservation of Buddhist Manuscripts in Central and East Asia. There he presented a paper titled: “Apropos of the Manuscript Transmission of Sa skya Paṇḍita’s (1182-1251) Tshad ma rigs pa’i gter,” August 29-31.
- Gave a week-long lecture series at Cambridge University titled: The Transfer of Buddhism from India to Tibet and Its Transformation, September 4-10.
- Attended the meeting of Sichuan University’s International Advisory Board of which he is a long-time member, September 14.
- Was the only foreign member of the committee appointed by the Chinese Ministry of Education to evaluate Sichuan University’s undergraduate education programs, September 16-18.
- Was officially inducted as a Foreign Member of the Royal Dutch Academy of Arts and Sciences, September 17.
- Attended the Seventh International Conference of Tibetan Art and Archaeology and presented a paper: “Some Observations on the Rigs gsum mgon po Motif in Tibetan Art and Literature,” September 19-21.
- Taught an intensive week-long Tibetan reading class at the Center for Tibetan Studies, Sichuan University, to Tibetan and Chinese students, September 24-28.