A Sociological Analysis of CCP Colonial Boarding Schools and the Future of Tibetan Cultural Preservation
Date & Time: March 25, 2025 | 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Venue: Room 102, Humanities and Social Sciences Building 3, Guangfu Campus, NYCU
Language: Chinese
Abstract
This lecture focuses on the historical legacy of colonial boarding schools, specifically examining the cultural assimilation policies implemented by the Chinese Communist Party in Tibet. Originally established during the colonial era, boarding schools were designed to forcibly instill the values, language, and culture of the colonizers while suppressing indigenous traditions. This model, once prevalent across India, Africa, and the Americas, remains a critical subject of research due to its lasting impact on linguistic imperialism, forced assimilation, and systemic physical punishment.
Recent reports indicate that approximately one million Tibetan children have been coerced into state-run boarding schools in China. Separated from their families, these children are deprived of the opportunity to learn their mother tongue and are subjected to Mandarin-only instruction. This is a strategic effort by the Chinese government to intensify the assimilation of the Tibetan population and erode their cultural identity. This lecture will provide an in-depth analysis of the current situation in Tibet, highlighting how the Chinese government increasingly utilizes education as a tool for political control and the profound consequences this has on Tibetan culture.
About the Speaker
Dr. Gyal Lo (Tibetan: ལྡོང་ཕྱིང་གུར་བ་རྒྱལ་ལོ།) Dr. Gyal Lo is a prominent advocate for the preservation of Tibetan culture and a sociologist of education specializing in China’s assimilation policies in Tibet. Born in Tibet, he earned his Master’s degree from Northwest Minzu University in China, where he later served as an Assistant Professor. He obtained his PhD from the University of Toronto, Canada, in 2015 and was appointed as a Professor at Yunnan University in 2017.
His research was galvanized by observing the transformation of his own grand-nieces after they were sent to boarding schools. This led him to conduct extensive fieldwork documenting the impact of Chinese educational policies on Tibetan communities. In 2020, he was forced to flee China due to his status as a “Tibetan with a Western background.” Since then, he has been a vocal advocate for Tibetan educational rights. He is the author of Social Structuration in Tibetan Society: Education, Society, and Spirituality (Lexington Books, 2021).
Organizers
International Center for Cultural Studies, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (ICCS, NYCU):
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Sub-project 3: Migration, Unequal Citizens, and Critical Legal Studies
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Sub-project 1: Geopolitics and Cultural Economy of Inter-referencing Social Spaces in the Greater China System
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Sub-project 5: Contemporary China: Psychosomatic Problems, Affective Education, and Historical Narratives
Co-organized by:
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Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, NYCU
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International Master’s Program in Inter-Asia Cultural Studies (IACS-UST), NYCU