A Conversation on Tibet Wednesday

Discussion follows last week's protests

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Durham, NC -- The Duke University Asian/Pacific Studies Institute will hold “A Conversation on Tibet” from 6:30 – 8 p.m. Wednesday in the Griffith Film Theater in the Bryan Center on West Campus. [For directions, click here.] The event is free and open to the public.

The discussion comes one week after a contentious protest and counter-protest on Duke’s campus regarding Chinese policy in Tibet.

Speakers at Wednesday night’s forum include:

Gang Yue, associate professor and chair, Department of Asian Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill;

Tashi Rabgey, director of Contemporary Tibetan Studies Initiative, University of Virginia;

Losang Rabgey, National Geographic; and

Scott Savitt (Duke ’85), former foreign correspondent in Beijing for the Los Angeles Times and United Press International.

The event will be moderated by Ralph Litzinger, associate professor in Duke’s Department of Cultural Anthropology and director of the Asian/Pacific Studies Institute.

“A Conversation on Tibet” follows an April 9 demonstration on the West Campus quad by about 15 people supporting Tibetan rights. The demonstration was met by a counter-protest of about 400 Chinese students from various Triangle universities. [For the Chronicle story, click here.] One of the students who spoke at the demonstration has since received threats.

For more information about “A Conversation on Tibet,” contact rlitz@duke.edu.