Research and Publications

Faculty and staff alike are dedicated to publishing new work on modern Tibet, which has traditionally been neglected in comparison to research on traditional Tibetan religion and philosophy. Nine books on modern Tibet have been directly authored by MTSP faculty and staff since the Program’s establishment, ranging from a survey of modern Tibetan literature (Lauran Hartley) to a memoir of life in Lhasa (Robert Barnett) to books on the history of cultural contacts between modern China and Tibet (Gray Tuttle).  For a full list of publications, click here.

The Program is also active in publishing other scholars’ works through a number of series. With assistance from Lauran Hartley and a number of other scholars on the editorial board, Gray Tuttle edits the first book series dedicated to Modern Tibetan Culture with Lexington Books, an imprint of Rowman and Littlefield. To date this series has published ten books covering topics as diverse as modern Tibetan poetry, economic development in Tibet, reporting on environmentalists working in Tibet, as well as a host of historical books focused on eastern Tibetan history. 

Studies of the Weatherhead East Asian Institute is the main series at WEAI that co-lists books on modern Tibet, in conjunction with various presses such as Columbia and Cornell University Presses and Lexington Books. These books include works on Chinese and Tibetan historical interactions, Chinese state development in Tibet, and ethnic protests in Tibet and Xinjiang. 

Four additional edited volumes have grown out of conferences co-sponsored by the MTSP: two in conjunction with the Rubin Museum based on art history materials, and two in conjunction with Latse Library, based on a Tibetan language conference held at Columbia University. In total, the MTSP has brought twenty-six books to press throughout its twenty years in existence. 

Faculty and staff are also very active in the peer review of other scholars’ research and publications through a wide variety of university presses and academic journals. Collectively, MTSP faculty and staff have reviewed over two dozen book manuscripts for twelve different presses in Europe and the United States. They have also reviewed dozens of articles for fourteen journals in the United States, England, and Australia, covering fields in area studies, politics, literature, and history.

Our most prolific contribution to scholarship has been in the publication of a wide range of journal articles and book chapters, as well as introductions to books, translations of articles and books, and book reviews. Collectively, the faculty, graduates, and staff of the MTSP have published well over a hundred such works. In terms of representing research in domestic and international conferences and presentations, the faculty and staff of the Program have been involved in over 160 events, whether giving invited lectures or organizing, presenting, and responding to panels and workshops. 

This work to advance modern Tibetan studies through research, publications, and presentations has been crucial in establishing the field as a viable one, with a significant audience in academia and beyond.