Ven. San Pisith

San Pisith

San Pisith is a Buddhist monk and an early-stage researcher at the Ragnar Nurkse Department of Innovation and Governance. He has joined the Cosmolocalism, a research project funded by the European Research Council under the European Union’s Horizon Research and Innovation Programme (grant agreement No. 802512), at the end of 2019 to pursue a PhD at TalTech-Tallinn University of Technology in Estonia.

He received his Doctoral degree from TalTech–Tallinn University of Technology in Estonia (2024), his Master’s degree (thesis passed with Distinction) from the International Buddhist College in Thailand (2018), and his Bachelor’s degree from the International Theravāda Buddhist Missionary University in Myanmar (2016).

Previously, San Pisith worked for Buddhism for Development (BFD), assisting the program officer in developing plans, monitoring the human rights program, and overseeing and reporting on activities related to the development and management of BFD's strategic program. He was also a lecturer at Preah Sihanoukraja Buddhist University, Battambang campus.

Pisith's primary research interests include Buddhist Economics, Buddhist Governance, Non-Western Public Administration, and the Theory of Commons. He has published and edited:

• Buddhist Third Places: A Note on the Sattal Structure in Nepal and Dharmasālā in Cambodia (2025, Journal Article, in Religions)

• Buddhist Governance and Economics: Historical and Contemporary Perspective from Cambodia and Beyond (2024, Doctoral Thesis, TalTech Press)

• Buddhist Governance: Navigating Today’s Role of Saṅgha and Dhammarājā, with Special Reference to Cambodia (2024, Journal Article, in Halduskultuur: The Estonian Journal of Administrative Culture and Digital Governance)

• BBC - Religion in the 21st Century: Buddhism - Heart and Soul, (2024, Podcast Interview with BBC, in English)

• Buddhism, Wealth, and Privilege: Ambedkar and Habermas (2023, Journal Article, in Religion)

• Governing and Distributing Common Resources through Buddhist Principles (2022, Op'ed., in Cambodian)

• Cambodian Buddhism Deals with Social Media (2022, Op’ed., in English)

• Buddhist Monastic Rainy Retreat Tradition: The Beginning of the Reform of the Buddhist Governance and Management System (2022, Op’ed., in Cambodian)

• Reflection on Natural Resources and Economic Growth through Buddhist Values (2022, Op’ed., in Cambodian)

• Economics and the Path to Good Economics (2022, Interview in English)

• Le bouddhisme et le chemin vers une bonne économie (2022, Interview in French)

• Cambodian Buddhists’ Response to the French Protectorate (2018, Journal Article)

• The Contribution of King Asoka to Buddhism (2017, Conference paper)

• The State of Buddhism in Burma (2016, Co-ed., in Cambodian)

• The Buddha’s View on the Influence of Friendship (2015, Book chapter)

• Collected Essays on Buddhism (2015, Co-ed., in English)

Contact

• Email: [email protected]
• Personal Blog: sanpisith.com