From 12 to 15 September 2017, the founding conference of the Italian Association of Tibetan, Himalayan and Mongolian Studies (AISTHiM) was held at the Scuola di Alta Formazione of the Orientale University of Naples in Procida, Italy. The Association was created with the aim of promoting the study and knowledge of Tibetan and Himalayan civilizations in Italy, supporting research, publishing scientific studies, translations and works for the general public on Tibetan, Himalayan and Mongolian civilizations, and organizing conferences and collaborating with academic institutions, in order to fill a deeply felt void among Italian scholars.
The founding conference, funded by the Orientale University of Naples and ISMEO (Associazione Internazionale di Studi sul Mediterraneo e l’Oriente), was organized in a number of panels with very varied themes that showed the brilliance of the panorama of studies on Tibet and the Himalayas in Italy and with Italians abroad. It ranged from the history of doctrines to divination, from art to medicine, archeology, medicine, philology and philosophy to the most contemporary aspects of Tibet, Nepal and the Himalayan chain.
All of this was organized and promoted by Prof. Giacomella Orofino (L’Orientale University of Naples), who introduced the initiative: “For years, I have been thinking that there have been many Italian scholars of Tibetan, Himalayan and Mongol civilizations, and it is time to create a network to connect them, so that they can exchange their own research and share their interests. The number of Italian scholars who participated in the conference, in most cases young people, and the quality of their interventions have convinced me that this new association can play an important role in the history of the studies of these disciplines in Italy.”
In addition to Prof. Giacomella Orofino, Prof. Elena De Rossi Filibeck (Sapienza University of Rome), Prof. Erberto Lo Bue (University of Bologna), and Prof. Donatella Rossi (Sapienza University of Rome) made up the scientific committee. The organizing committee was composed of Dr. Emanuela Garatti (École Pratique des Hautes Études, Paris / Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Münich), Dr Valentina Punzi (L’Orientale University of Naples), Dr. Carmen Simioli (L’Orientale University of Naples) and Dr. Davide Torri (Heidelberg University).
We can only wish every good to this newborn association and for success in its goals!
You can find more information on its Facebook page.
Margherita Pansa
