CTA Sikyong calls for collective efforts to preserve Tibetan heritage in digital form

Penpa Tsering, Sikyong (president) of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), who also holds the Department of Culture and Religion portfolio, on Saturday stressed the urgent need to preserve Tibetan religious and cultural heritage through digital technology. He addressed the concluding ceremony of the third Consortium Conference of the Tibetan Digital Library in Dharamsala.

The Department of Religion and Culture organised the two-day conference, which concluded on Saturday, at the Administrative and Welfare Society. A total of 54 participants representing 49 Tibetan monasteries and cultural institutions associated with the Tibetan Digital Library project attended the event.

In his keynote address, the Sikyong said that the Tibetan Digital Library was one of the key initiatives of the 16th Kashag aimed at preserving the rich heritage of Tibetan scriptures from all religious traditions in a digital form. He added that digitisation was essential in the present era of artificial intelligence (AI) and rapidly advancing technology to ensure that centuries-old teachings were safeguarded for future generations.

He said that the initiative had benefited from funding from the United States, which had recently faced a temporary halt. However, he expressed optimism that the funding would be restored in the 2026 financial year. He emphasised that the successful completion of the project was of great importance as the teachings and principles contained in Tibetan scriptures had the potential to benefit humanity at large.

“The strong international support that Tibetans receive today is largely due to the global admiration for Tibetan Buddhism and the inspiring charisma of His Holiness the Dalai Lama,” he added.

The Sikyong urged all stakeholders to work collectively to ensure the project’s success regardless of uncertainties related to funding. He encouraged the participants to share the knowledge and skills gained during the conference with their colleagues in their respective institutions to ensure the sustainability of the initiative.

He highlighted the challenges faced by the Tibetan culture in Tibet and said that a new legislation on so-called “Ethnic Unity” in China was accelerating the assimilation and Sinicisation of ethnic minorities at the cost of their cultural and religious identities.