ICDV IABU-Committees

Prof. Dr. Joanna Grela

Member

Prof. Dr. Joanna Grela is a Polish academic and scholar specializing in religious studies, Tibetan and Himalayan cultures, and comparative religion with a focus on Buddhism. She is affiliated with the Faculty of Philosophy at Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland, where she teaches and conducts research in the Department of Comparative Studies of Civilizations, focusing on topics such as Tibetan Buddhism, pre-Buddhist traditions, cultural identity, and contemporary transformations of religion.

Dr. Grela earned her Ph.D. in Humanities with a specialization in religious studies from Jagiellonian University in 2004, after completing earlier studies in philosophy and Tibetan language and civilization at prestigious institutions including the Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales (INALCO) in Paris.

Her academic work includes research on Buddhism and digital religion, exploring how Buddhism interacts with modern technologies and online environments, as well as historical and cultural studies of Buddhist practices and iconography. She has published numerous scholarly articles and book chapters in international journals and edited volumes on Buddhist religion, culture, and history.

Prof. Dr. Grela also contributes to academic publishing and scholarly community leadership; she is a member of the editorial team of the journal Studia Religiologica, which publishes research on the study of religions and related disciplines.

Overall, Prof. Dr. Joanna Grela is recognized for her expertise in Buddhist studies, Tibetan and Himalayan cultures, and religion in modern contexts, and for her role in advancing religious scholarship in Polish and international academic circles.