An opening ceremony is held in China's capital city Beijing, announcing the beginning of an international academic seminar on Tibetan Studies, August 2, 2012.

The 5th Beijing International Seminar on Tibetan Studies opens on the morning of Thursday in China's Tibetology Research Center. [Photo/China Tibet Online]

Co-sponsored by China Tibetology Research Center, China Association for Preservation and Development of Tibetan Culture, Academy of Social Sciences of Tibetan Autonomous Region, this is the 5th event of the Beijing International Seminar on Tibetan Studies.

This seminar has invited 267 scholars in the filed of Tibetan Studies from 21 countries and regions including China, Japan, Mongolia, India, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Hungary, Sweden, Germany, Norway, United States, Australia, 191 of whom are Chinese scholars including 10 from Hong Kong and Taiwan, and 76 from other countries.

Themed in the "Social Development in Tibet and the international development trend of international Tibetan Studies", this seminar has set "preserving culture and serving society" as the goal.

A total number of 238 papers have been received, and the seminar will unfold in both forms of conference speech and panel discussion.

Participants will hold academic discussion in 10 panels, including "History", "Literature archeology and arts", "Study on Gedun Chopel", "Religion", "Sanskrit", "Pramana", "Contemporary Politics", "Sustainable Development & Livelihood Security (Social and Economy), "Culture", "Tibetan Medicine & Pharmacology", and "Language and Information Technology".

Tibetan traditional medical consultations conducted by Tibetan doctors will be provided to the participants, and a book-fair is arranged by the organizers as well.