study and preserve the Tibetan cultural heritage
The Tibetan speaking world and its Buddhist legacy are a
precious and integral part of the world’s cultural heritage. However, they are in
a precarious situation: the Himalayas are affected by rapid changes and
modernisation, and due to political circumstances the Tibetan speaking
communities are scattered over many countries. Studying and preserving the
Tibetan cultural heritage is therefore an urgent need.
Why Oxford
Oxford provides a unique environment for learning about Tibet and the Himalayas. Researchers are part of a dynamic environment with world-famous academic visitors, unique museum and library resources, and an interdisciplinary Tibetan and Himalayan Studies Centre at Wolfson College. They find ideal conditions to engage with the Tibetan cultural heritage and carry the knowledge about Tibetan culture into the future.
Support for young scholars of Tibetan Studies
We are trying to establish a post-doctoral Research Fellowship. In the current economic situation, the step from a doctorate into the first academic post is often extremely challenging, in particular in smaller subjects like Tibetan and Himalayan Studies. This Fellowship will give young scholars the opportunity to become researchers and explore the rich cultural heritage of the Himalayas. It is an investment into the future, since they will be the ones who pass their knowledge of the Tibetan cultural heritage on to future generations.
Support from His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa
This initiative enjoys the support of His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa, the spiritual head of the Drukpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. His Holiness is a keen advocate of the preservation of the cultural richness of the Western Himalayas and wishes to raise the awareness of the local population for the importance of their cultural heritage. The Research Fellowship at Oxford can support this process by helping to expand and promote cultural knowledge.
His Holiness through his foundation Live to Love is initiating a project in partnership with Wolfson College (University of Oxford) to provide access to libraries, archives and collections in Ladakh with a focus on the literary traditions of the region which remain largely unstudied.
Matched Funding: Ti-Se has pledged to double your donation
The Ti-Se Foundation supports the Research Fellowship in Tibetan Studies at Wolfson and has offered a matching fund of £25,000 for this fundraising initiative. We need to raise at least £15,000. When matched by Ti-Se, this will provide another year for a post-doctoral Research Fellowship. Any additional funds will support an expanded research programme in the area of Tibetan and Himalayan Studies.
Rewards
We are truly thankful for every
bit of support that you can give to this valuable project. We appreciate
your support in whatever form it comes, whether by spreading the word with your friends, colleagues, followers or by sponsoring. Every little bit is vital towards our goal of funding research for the preservation of the cultural heritage of the Himalayas.
For a list of rewards, please see on the right.
Find us here
For information on our activities in Tibetan and Himalayas Studies please see the official page here on the Wolfson Website.Help us succeed!
You can help in several ways:
- Make a donation, however big or small
- Tell your friends about our appeal
- Spread the news through your Facebook page, Twitter and your friends, neighbours and colleagues!
Thank you very much for taking your time to read this,
and བཀྲ་ཤིས་བདེ་ལེགས།། ("Tashi delek", Tibetan for "Be well!")