The Chinese-Tibetan-English Dictionary of the Social Sciences, a major fundamental project in the research of social sciences in the Tibet autonomous region, was released at a press conference jointly organized by Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) and the Commercial Press in Beijing on Apr 9.

The Chinese-Tibetan-English Dictionary of the Social Sciences is released at a press conference in Beijing on Apr 9. [Photo/bfsu.edu.cn]

Yang Dan, deputy secretary of the CPC BFSU committee and president of the university, presided over the planning and organized the compilation of the dictionary. It was completed by experts from Tibet University, BFSU, and Southwestern University of Finance and Economics.

Yang Dan, deputy secretary of the CPC BFSU committee and president of the university, speaks at the press conference as chief editor of the dictionary. [Photo/bfsu.edu.cn]

Yang, one of the eighth group of cadres sent to aid Tibet by the central government and chief editor of the dictionary, said that compiling the dictionary is a fundamental and pioneering work in social science research in Tibet. The dictionary is a landmark achievement in building a disciplinary system for philosophy and social sciences, and an academic system and discourse system with Chinese characteristics and Tibetan features. It is also an innovative theoretical exploration which will effectively promote the modernization and prosperity of social sciences in Tibet.

As the first comprehensive social reference book compiled with cross references in Chinese, Tibetan and English, the dictionary enriches and develops the knowledge system of social science research in Tibet. It is conducive to the innovative development of Tibetan-based social science research and lays a solid academic foundation for the promotion and development of Tibetan culture. Meanwhile, the dictionary has built an academic bridge for Tibet to engage in cultural exchanges with the international community. It is also expected to make positive contributions to building an international discourse and narrative system for Tibet affairs, Yang said.

The dictionary includes more than 45,000 entries and is divided into 21 volumes, including management, Marxism, philosophy, religious studies, linguistics, literature, and current affairs. Most of the entries in disciplines such as linguistics, art and archaeology were systematically sorted out and translated into Tibetan for the first time, and have groundbreaking academic value.

Experts and scholars attending the meeting also discussed the current research of Tibetan philosophy and social sciences and exchanged ideas on the trends and prospects of Tibetan language and cultural characteristics in the discipline of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics.

Participants of the press conference of the Chinese-Tibetan-English Dictionary of the Social Sciences pose for a group photo. [Photo/bfsu.edu.cn]