Oxford is the only university in the UK offering a Master’s programme in Tibetan and Himalayan Studies, and Wolfson College is unique in hosting a Lecturership specifically dedicated to this field.
Created in 2000 in memory of the late Michael Aris through the generous support of the Rausing family, it sets Oxford apart as a leading research base for the study of Tibetan and Himalayan culture.
Tibetan and Himalayan Studies at Wolfson
The Tibetan Studies Centre benefits greatly from the unique academic synergies at Wolfson College, collaborating closely with the South Asia Research Cluster and the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies at Wolfson.
Building on existing fields of expertise, Tibetan Studies is currently promoting research in the following areas:
• Tibetan biographies (in collaboration with the Oxford Centre for Life-Writing)
• Preserving endangered cultural heritage, such as traditional forms of literature (oral and written), traditional Tibetan medicine, and monastic dance
• The digitisation and preservation of manuscript collections in the Himalayan borderlands (in collaboration with the Digital Research Cluster)
Other current activities include creating a visual archive of photographs from Tibet and a digital catalogue of the Tibetan manuscripts kept in the Bodleian Library. Both projects are funded by the Aris Trust.
Wolfson’s international community provides an ideal forum for a creative exchange of ideas and discussion. The Tibetan Studies Centre is pleased to provide a home for scholars and students from all over the world, including Tibetan and Chinese students, and is dedicated to the dialogue between people from different countries and cultures.
The Tibetan Studies is currently working to create studentships that will enable students from less privileged backgrounds to pursue their studies and research here.
Information on the MSt, the MPhil, and the DPhil in Tibetan and Himalayan Studies can be found on the website of the Oriental Faculty.
Useful links
Tibetan & Himalayan Studies Events
Pitt Rivers Museum, The Tibet Album
