China's pressure forces Nepal to shift Tibetan studies seminar online

Kathmandu [Nepal], August 11 (ANI): The 17th Seminar of the International Association of Tibetan Studies (IATS), which was scheduled to bring more than 700 scholars and researchers to Kathmandu from August 23 to 29, has been shifted to an online format after the Government of Nepal instructed Kathmandu University to withdraw from hosting the international academic event amid growing diplomatic pressure from China, according to a report by Phayul.
The decision, which effectively ended plans for an in-person conference in Kathmandu, was communicated verbally to senior officials of Kathmandu University on August 3, according to a statement issued by the IATS Board.
The instruction was reportedly delivered in person by Nepal's Chief Secretary Govinda Bahadur Karkee and Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai to Kathmandu University Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Rishikesh Wagle, Registrar Prof Dr Rajeev Shrestha and Prof Dr Sagar Sharma of the university's Himalaya Centre for Asian Studies (HiCAS), the statement said.
The IATS said that neither its convenors nor the association had received an official written explanation from the Nepal government regarding the decision. However, subsequent verbal discussions with government representatives confirmed that Kathmandu University had been instructed not to proceed with organising the seminar, Phayul reported.
The IATS Board described the government's intervention as "unexpected and unwarranted interference" in what it considers to be a purely academic gathering. It also cautioned that the decision could have broader implications for Nepal's standing as a destination for international academic conferences.
The intervention came after three years of preparations by the original conference convenors, Kathmandu University's Himalaya Centre for Asian Studies and Centre for Buddhist Studies.
According to the IATS, the decision was particularly surprising because Kathmandu University's role as host had been agreed upon by all relevant parties in 2023, and no objections had reportedly been raised throughout the planning period.
Following the government's intervention, the two Kathmandu University centres transferred responsibility for the seminar to the IATS Advisory Board.
On August 7, the IATS Board held an emergency online meeting to decide how the conference should proceed. The board subsequently voted to take over as the conference convenor and shift the entire seminar to an online format from August 23 to 29.
The organisers said the academic programme would remain unchanged. Scholars will still be able to participate in the seminar and present their research papers virtually from their respective locations.
However, the organisers acknowledged that the online format would make it impossible to fully accommodate differences in participants' time zones, according to Phayul.
The IATS Board expressed regret that the original Kathmandu-based convenors had been compelled to step aside and thanked them for their three years of preparation, organisational efforts and financial commitments towards the event.
Despite the disruption, the association said it remained committed to ensuring that the seminar continues as an international platform for academic discussion and scholarly exchange on Tibetan and Himalayan studies.
The decision to move the seminar online comes following sustained diplomatic pressure from the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu. However, observers described the latest development as a significant escalation.
The episode has raised broader concerns about whether Beijing's sensitivities regarding Tibet could influence Nepal's decisions concerning academic exchanges and international scholarly gatherings.
Rather than simply preventing Kathmandu University from physically hosting an international conference focused on Tibetan and Himalayan studies, the development has consequently triggered wider questions over the extent of China's influence on Nepal's academic and cultural space, as highlighted by Phayul. (ANI)