ANNOUNCEMENT> The End of Tibetology in Copenhagen
Dear Colleagues,
today, on Tibetan Losar, I have been called in by the leadership of our institute. I was told that I was fired with 6 months notice. Tibetology in Copenhagen will not be continued.
Danish research of Indo-Tibetan cultures began in the 1820s, when King Frederik VI send Rasmus Rask (1787-1832) to India to study Sanskrit. Rask brought back the first Buddhist manuscripts that would become the foundation stone of the now world famous collection of Buddhist mansucripts of the Royal Library. An institute of Indian Philology was established at the university in the mid 19th century and the first Buddhist works were edited and translated. But the actual impetus for Tibetan Studies proper came from another member of the royal family, namely H.R.H. Prince Peter of Greece and Denmark (1908-1980). As a trained anthropologist, he embarked on several expeditions to the Himalayas in the 1930s, 1950s, and 1970s. Among many films and artefacts that he brought back, his most outstanding contribution was his extensive acquisition of Tibetan literature. First instructions in Tibetan language at the university were begun in the early 1950s by Prof. Kaare Grønbech. Significant contributions to Tibet’s history and literature came from his successor, Prof. Eric Haarh. Crucial for the development of Tibetan Studies at the university was also Geshe Tarab Tulku’s (1934-2004) association with Copenhagen. He taught both modern spoken and classical literary Tibetan and maintained the Tibetan collection at the Royal Library. Among his students were Flemming Faber, Per K. Sørensen, and Anne Burchardi.
In 2003, after Christian Wedemeyer returned to Chicago, I took over an assistant position in Tibetan Studies. In 2006 I was allowed to apply to an upgraded position as associate professor. In 2010, Trine Brox was hired as associate professor with half of her position in Tibetan Studies (the other half in Chinese Studies). In January, it was announced that we would ("temporarily") not be allowed to take up new students in 2016. Massive cuts at the University of Copenhagen -- over 500 people were fired -- have now put an end to all hopes and negotiations.
Jan-Ulrich Sobisch
3 Replies
Post ReplyI am so, so sorry to hear this....my deepest sympathies. I wonder if future historians will write of "the period of degradation of the humanities" the way we write of things like "the Northern Wei persecution of Buddhism"? Perhaps it is time for burial of a secret cache of Tibetan texts for future Danish scholars to discover....
This is appallingly myopic. Has there been any thought to try to establish a privately funded Professorship in Tibetan Studies or the like at Copenhagen University?
Kind regards,
Antonio Ferreira-Jardim
UQ
Dear colleagues and friends,
After my colleague Jan-Ulrich Sobisch was fired on Tuesday and we thereby learned that Tibetology will be discontinued at the University of Copenhagen, so many of you have written personal messages and entries on social media, asking what you can do to help. I am very moved by the concern and solidarity that you show us in these tremendously difficult times. I also know that your support means a lot to Jan-Ulrich. Thank you!
With the shocking dismissal of Jan-Ulrich, who has been at the University of Copenhagen since 2003, they seem to sacrifice Tibetology as a maneuver to show the politicians that the University does indeed try to cut the costs of higher education. There is no other reason to discontinue Tibetology and dismiss Jan-Ulrich – he has an impressive publication record, he attracts external funding, he is part of international research networks, and he has dedicated students. However, by sacrificing Jan-Ulrich, we lose an educational program and many decades of a Tibetology research tradition in Denmark that will be impossibly difficult to rebuild in the future. What they are doing now is a catastrophe and must be stopped!
There is, in fact, something you can do which might help us protest.
Jan-Ulrich has until February 23, 10 o’clock, to appeal the decision. Only afterwards will they announce the final decision. I hope that we can influence the final decisions making if the international community of Tibet scholars protests immediately. I would request you to write individual letters to the Rector and Director of the Board of the University. Please write a few words about your opinion to close down Tibetology here and about Jan-Ulrich as a scholar, so that we may impress them before they make their final decision.
Please be so kind to send me also an electronic copy, if you agree that we may use it to send it to the Minister of Education and in a further media campaign. I will also plaster copies of your letter on the wall outside of our Department Director’s office.
Dear colleagues, I know that I am impinging on your precious time, but I ask you nonetheless to please take a few minutes and contribute to our fight to reinstate Jan-Ulrich in his job and to save the long tradition of Tibetan Studies at Copenhagen University.
If you have any questions or other ideas, then please write to me, Trine Brox, at trinebrox@hum.ku.dk.
Please send your original letters of protest to
Chairman of the Board of the University Director Nils Strandberg Pedersen
and
Rector Professor Ralf Hemmingsen
Rector's Office
Nørregade 10, PO Box 2177
DK-1017 Copenhagen K
Denmark
Thank you very much for your help.
Best regards,
Trine Brox
Associate Professor
Modern Tibetan Studies
Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies
University of Copenhagen