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Welcome to the Tibet Himalaya Initiative - an interdisciplinary hub for research, teaching, and public engagement on Tibet and the Himalayas - which operates under the aegis of The Center for Asian Studies. We invite guest speakers for lectures on Tibetan and Himalayan culture, religion, and society, and host visiting artists, graduate colloquia, and film screenings throughout the year.
The Center for Asian Studies currently supports THI through an grant. As part of this grant, CAS offers scholarship support for Tibetan and Nepali summer language study, and supports Directed Independent Language Study in Tibetan and Nepali through the Anderson Language Technology Center (ALTEC).
Events in Fall 2024:
Sept 13 l Keynote Lecture: "The Dalai Lama's Future Succession"
Oct 14 I Ningwasum Film and Indigenous Climate Futurism Event
Oct 27 l Reading and Conversation with Bhuchung D. Sonam
Events in Spring 2024:
February 22 | Lecture by Annabella Pitkin | Religious Studies & THI
March 8 | Lecture & Film Screening by Huatse Gyal | Geography & THI
March 21 | CAS Lunch Symposium with Padma 'tsho | CAS & THI
April 3 | Lecture by Michael Sheehy | CAS, THI & Religious Studies
April 11 | Lecture by Benno Weiner | THI & CAS
April 26 | Conversation with Jamyang Norbu | THI, Anthropology, CAS, UVA Tibet Center, & JLF
June 7-9 | Commemorating CIA-Tibet Training Program at Camp Hale | THI, CAW, CAS & mor
Events in 2023:
February 24 | Come Celebrate Losar, the Tibetan New Year | THI
March 2 | Reading and Dialogue with Tsering Yangzom Lama | THI & CAS
March 9 | Film Screening of Tukdam: Between Worlds | THI & Crown Wellness Institute
April 13 | The Buddhist Wilderness with Kurtis Schaeffer | THI & CAS
September 23 | Tibetan literature at the Jaipur Literature Festival | JLF, THI & Vedere Institute
September 28 | Gonkar Gyatso: Intimacy and Immediacy | University of Denver
October 9-11 | ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Days of Compassion with Thupten Jinpa | ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Libraries, Crown Institute, CRC
October 12 | CAS Luncheon Series with Tracy Fehr | Center for Asian Studies
Events in Fall 2021/Spring 2022:
October 21 | Dominique Townsend, Bard College | THI
October 22 | Buddhist Women and the Literary in Tibet | THI & Kayden Award
October 25 | His Holiness the Dalai Lama | Crown Institute & Compassion Institute
November 18 | Paljor Tsarong | THI & Geography
March 4 | Losar, the Tibetan New Year | THI, CAS & ALTEC
April 13 | Nomads of the Tibetan Plateau and Himalaya, Exhibit and Lecture | THI & ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Libraries
April 21 | Emerging Voices: Tibetan Women Writers | THI, UVA Tibet Center & JLF Colorado
April 22 | THI Lunch Symposium with Tibetan Women Writers | THI & UVA Tibet Center
Events in Fall 2020/Spring 2021:
October 7 | Benno Weiner, Carnegie Mellon University | THI & CAS
October 27 | Jue Liang & Andrew Taylor in Conversation with Padma 'tsho | THI
February 3 | Emily Yeh discusses Shielding the Mountains | ENVS
February 18 | Sienna Craig discusses The Ends of Kinship | THI & CAS
March 12 | Undergraduate Research Forum with ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Tibetan Studies Faculty | CAS
April 10 | Voices from Larung Gar - Online Symposium | THI & UVA Tibet Center
Events in Fall 2019/Spring 2020:
September 21 | Holly Gayley in conversation with Andrew Schelling | CAS & JLF
September 26 | Alton Byers, Mountain Geographer | CAS Luncheon
September 28 | Film screening: "Tharlo" and Q&A with Tsemdo Thar | THI
November 15 | Kenneth Bauer, Dartmouth College | Geography & THI
March 11 | Film Screening: "Dalai Lama: Scientist" | THI & TAC
April 13 | Emerging Voices: Tibetan Women Writers | THI & JLF (postponed to April 2022)
Events in Spring 2019:
January 23 | Kristian Petersen, Old Dominion University | Religious Studies
February 28 | Tenzing Rigdol in converation with Sarah Magnatta | Denver Art Museum
March 18 | "Rebels and Reform" Photo Showcase - Opening and Panel | CAS & THI
March 19 | Michael Jerryson, Youngstown State University | THI & Religious Studies
March 20 | Sonam Kinga, Bhutan Royal Institute | THI, CAS & GCAH
March 21 | Roundtable on Xinjiang | Center for Asian Studies
March 21-24 | THI Faculty/Grad Students at the AAS Conference in Denver
Events in Fall 2018:
September 21-23 | THI-Sponsored Sessions at Jaipur Literature Festival
October 4 | Anne Klein, Rice University | Naropa & Religious Studies
October 6 | Lama Jabb, Oxford University | Lotsawa Translation Workshop
October 5-8 | Lotsawa Translation Workshop | THI & Tsadra Foundation
November 3 | Stories from a Mountain Kingdom | Boulder Creative Collective
Events in Spring 2018:
January 24 | Yuan Hao and Yuan Fei, Larung Buddhist Academy
March 1 | Tsering Shakya, University of British Columbia | THI & CAS
March 16 | Andrew Grant, Visiting Scholar at ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Boulder
March 19 | Tenzin Decki, Poet and Editor for Treasury of Lives | THI, CAS & Anthropology
March 21 | Gerald Roche, Asia Institute at University of Melbourne, THI & CAS
Events in Fall 2017:
August 31 | Charles Ramble, Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes | Religious Studies & Naropa
September 1-4 | Himalayan Studies Conference V | THI & ANHS
September 12 | Pasang Sherpa, University of Washington | THSG
Ongoing through December | Mustang in Black & White Photo Exhibit | ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Libraries
Events in Spring 2017:
March 21 | Alessandro Rippa, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München | THI & Geography
March 24 | Dinesh Paudel, Appalachian State University | THI & Geography
April 17 | , UC Berkeley | Tibet Himalaya Intiative & ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Libraries
April 20 | Film Screening | Castaway Man, Directed by Kesang Tseten | THI
April 27 | Jan Nattier, Soka University | Center for Asian Studies
Events in Fall 2016:
August 31 | Orgyen Chowang Rinpoche | ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Libraries & Religious Studies
September 1 | Karma Phuntsok, Tibetan Contemporary Artist | THI Exclusive
September 7-8 | David Germano, UVA | Naropa University & Religious Studies
October 21 | Alton Byers, The Mountain Insitute | Geography
November 4 | Sienna Craig, Dartmouth College | THI, Geography & Anthropology
Events in Spring 2016:
February 18 | Film Screening, Mani: Hidden Valley of Happiness
February 23 | Roundtable with Members of Institute for Social and Environmental Transition
March 10 | Film Screening, Fire in the Land of Snow
April 6-10 | Tibetan Arts Week with Gonkar Gyatso and Jangbu
April 18 | Karma Jamyang Gyaltsen, Larung Buddhist Academy | Shambhala Publications
April 22 | John Osburg, University of Rochester | THI & Geography
June 23 | His Holiness the Dalai Lama | Cultural Events Board & Tibet Association
Events in Fall 2015:
September 10 | José Cabezón, Dalai Lama Chair in Buddhist Studies at UC Santa Barbara
September 30 | Panel Discussion on Social Entrepreneurship in Tibet
October 7 | Sarah Magnatta, University of Denver
October 15 | Sarah Harding, Tsadra Foundation & Naropa University | THI & ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Libraries
October 26 | Film Screening of Yartsa Rinpoche
November 3 | Christian K. Wedemeyer, University of Chicago | Religious Studies & Naropa
November 11 | THI Official Launch Event with Ringu Tulku Rinpoche
Our thanks to the Chancellor's Office for supporting the launch of the Tibet Himalaya Initiative, to the Department of Religious Studies for administering our first two years of operation, to the Center for Asian Studies for placing THI under its auspices, and to all our collaborators: the Tsadra Foundation, the Association of Nepal and Himalayan Studies, Naropa University, Shambhala Publications, the ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Libraries, the Center for the Arts and Humanities, ALTEC and more.