Marc-Henri Deroche is Associate Professor at Kyoto University where he teaches Buddhist philosophy and supervises the Mindful Living Research Group. Born in France, he holds a Master’s degree and a PhD in East Asian Studies at the École Pratique des Hautes Études (Paris). He also trained as a teacher in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy with the Oxford Mindfulness Foundation.

He has been living in Kyoto since 2008 and has traveled extensively in Tibet and the Himalayas. He is the author and editor of six academic books, including A Tibetan Quest of Wisdom: Prajñāraśmi (1518-1584) and the Impartial Attitude (ris med) (Brepols 2023), and Study, Reflection, and Cultivation: Integrative Paths to Wisdom from Buddhist and Comparative Perspectives (Religions 2025). Digging into Buddhist theories of mind and meditation, his research aims to deepen the concept and practice of mindfulness, examining its role as a moral compass in the cultivation of character strengths and harmonious relationships; exploring the vital importance of the contemplation of nature (as exemplified in Kyoto’s gardens); and inquiring into the essence of awareness itself according to the Tibetan non-dual traditions.