Scholars from Britain, the United States, Germany, Belgium, Austria, and Nepal joined Chinese researchers in Lhasa on May 23 for the international academic symposium "75 Years since the Peaceful Liberation: Achievements and Implications of Xizang's Development." Organized by Xizang University, the event focused on economic development paths, human rights progress, and ecological conservation on the plateau.
Chen Guoquan, director of the Center for Chinese Local Government Innovations, Zhejiang University, attributed Xizang's historic transformation to an effective local governance system that balances stability, ecological protection, livelihoods, and development, backed by nationwide counterpart assistance. Xu Wenhua, Party secretary of the Institute of Ethnic Literature at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the past 75 years had enabled people of all ethnic groups on the plateau to "become true masters of this land."
Georg Vavra, former project researcher at the Austrian Academy of Sciences, highlighted the significant progress made in safeguarding the rights to subsistence and development over the past 75 years. "Connectivity has allowed people in Xizang to share their culture with the world while enjoying greater convenience in daily life," he said.
Krishna Prasad Oli, former ambassador of Nepal to China and an ecological expert with the Nepal National Planning Commission, described the integration of traditional ecological knowledge and modern science in Xizang as "a valuable reference for high-altitude environmental governance worldwide."
Nyima Tashi, a leading figure in Tibetan-language information technology and a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, discussed the potential of artificial intelligence to shift Xizang's cultural tourism from ticket-based revenue toward experience-oriented models, while also supporting livelihoods in border areas.
Before the symposium, the visiting scholars toured sites in Nyingchi and Lhasa. On the day of the conference, they visited the memorial hall commemorating the emancipation of more than one million serfs.
Author | Feng Huiting
Photo | Feng Huiting
