China Blocks Kathmandu Tibetan Studies Summit — Conference Shifts Online

3 hours ago

Following sustained backdoor pressure from Beijing, the 17th Seminar of the International Association for Tibetan Studies (IATS) has been forced to abandon its long-planned in-person gathering in Kathmandu, Nepal. Rather than canceling the four-year effort, the global academic body has officially pivoted to an entirely virtual event, preserving its original dates (August 23–29, 2026) and academic agenda.