As part of the course Introduction to Contemporary Tibet offered at IIT Madras, we present a series of guest lectures by prominent Tibet scholars.

In the guest lecture, titled ‘Civilized Cities, Frontiers and Corridors‘, Prof. Andrew Grant discussed his ongoing research on state-led urbanization in Tibetan areas of China that functions as a civilizing machine, seeking to preserve a specific articulation of Chinese “civilization” in the cityscape. Treating urban spaces as assemblages, Prof. Grant examined how Tibetan residents of Xining adapt, intervene, critique and recast the hegemonic vision of the Chinese civilized city. Prof. Grant situated this analysis within larger territorial and geopolitical considerations of the Chinese state that seek to manage frontier anxieties and consolidate borderland spaces.

Watch the full video here