Halbertsma, Prof. Tjalling
Tjalling Halbertsma is professor by special appointment of International Studies with a special focus on East Asia, facilitated by the Groningen University Fund. He is also affiliated with the interfaculty Centre for East Asian Studies Groningen. He spent many years working in China and Mongolia, most recently as the first Dutch attaché in Mongolia (based in Ulaanbaatar) for the Dutch Embassy in Beijing. In 2007, Halbertsma completed a PhD at the Sinological Institute of Leiden University on the Nestorian heritage which he rediscovered and documented in Inner Mongolia between 1999 and 2006.
First chair for Mongolia in the Netherlands
His documentation of the Nestorian heritage was exhibited at the National Museum of Ethnology in Leiden. Much of this heritage has been lost due to looting. Halbertsma has written extensively about Asia for various newspapers, including the South China Morning Post, the Asian Art Newspaper and the Dutch newspaper Trouw, and is also author of a number of books and travelogues on China and Mongolia.
Halbertsma will be appointed dean of RUG/Campus Fryslân effective 1 June, 2024, where he will help grow the campus into a meaningful and powerful faculty.
Previously in the news
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Travels on the Silk Roads (online lecture)
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Mongolia is sitting on a goldmine (article in Dutch; Broerstraat 5, p. 8)
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Mongolia is good for the soul [in Dutch - Dagblad van het Noorden]
2026
Halbertsma,
T. (Accepted/In press). Huang Wenbi at Olon Sume-in
Tor in 1929: A story of unsolved questions and further
appropriations. In Samarkand Conference Proceedings:
Syriac Christianity in China and Central Asia Lit
Verlag.
2025
Halbertsma,
T. (2025). In praise of Arash: a portrait of a local
knowledge-holder gained through Western documentation of the
material culture of the Church of the East in Inner
Mongolia. Manuscript submitted for publication. In
Festschrift : in honour of professor Barend ter Haar
2021
Halbertsma,
T. (2023). Missionaries, Scholars, Diplomats and
Explorers: Knowledge exchange and the documentation of the
"Nestorian" Church of the East in North China. In
Proceedings of the Royal Academy for Overseas Sciences (2
ed., Vol. 1, pp. 239-249). Royal Academy for Overseas Sciences. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8389114
Halbertsma,
T. (2022). The Crosses of Shizhuziliang: Tracking Down
Eight Christian Gravestones and a Marble Base. In L. Tang,
& D. Winkler (Eds.), Silk Road Traces: Studies in Syriac
Christianity in China and Central Asia (pp. 69-104).
(orientalia - patristica - oecumenica; Vol. 21). Lit Verlag.
2020
Halbertsma,
T. (2020). Abolishment of the Death Penalty in
Mongolia: Is “Normative Power Europe” at Work?
Mongolian Journal of International Affairs,
21, 50-63. https://doi.org/10.5564/mjia.v21i0.1433
2019
Halbertsma,
T., de Jong, A., & ter Haar, B. (2019). De
Predikant en de Boeddha: beschouwingen en heruitgave van Joost
Halbertsma's "Het buddhisme en zijn stichter" uit 1843.
Uitgeverij Noordboek. https://www.bornmeer.nl/winkel/de-predikant-en-de-boeddha/
2018
Halbertsma,
T. H. F., & Dickens, M. (2018). Inner Mongolian
Syro-Turcica I: Contextualizing the Syro-Turkic Gravestones from
Inner . Monumenta Serica,
66(2), 279-302. https://doi.org/10.1080/02549948.2018.1534353
2017
Halbertsma,
T. (2017). Bronnen van de Liao: erfgoed en grafroof in
Binnen-Mongolië. In V. van Vilsteren (Ed.), The
Great Liao: een nomadendynastie uit Binnen-Mongolië
(907-1125) (pp. 22-25). WBOOKS.
Halbertsma,
T. (2017). De Grote Liao: van herders tot
heersers. In V. van Vilsteren (Ed.), The Great Liao: een
nomadendynastie uit Binnen-Mongolië (907-1125) (pp.
10-19). (Drents Museum). WBOOKS.
Halbertsma,
T. (2017). De Grote Liao: val en ondergang. In
V. van Vilsteren (Ed.), The Great Liao: een nomadendynastie uit
Binnen-Mongolië (907-1123) (pp. 154-159). WBOOKS.
van
der Harst, J., & Halbertsma, T. (2017).
Introduction: China, East Asia and the European Union -
Strong Economics, Weak Politics? In J. van der Harst, &
T. Halbertsma (Eds.), China, East Asia and the European Union:
Strong Economics, Weak Politics? (pp. 1-11). ( International
Comparative Social Studies; Vol. 35). Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004291430_002
Halbertsma,
T. (2017). Luchtgraven en Graftombes. In V. van
Vilsteren (Ed.), The Great Liao: een nomadendynastie uit
Binnen-Mongolië (907-1125) (pp. 46-49). WBOOKS.
Meerts,
P., Halbertsma, T., & Bayasakh, J. K. (2017).
Negotiating on Horseback: Mongolia in Eurasian Security
Negotiations. In F. O. Hampson, & M. Troitskiy (Eds.),
Tug of War: Negotiating Security in Eurasia
McGill-Queen’s University Press/Centre for International
Governance Innovation Press.
Halbertsma,
T. (2017). Nomaden toen en nu. In V. van
Vilsteren (Ed.), The Great Liao: een nomadendynastie uit
Binnen-Mongolië (907-1125) (pp. 40-45). WBOOKS.
2016
Halbertsma,
T., & van der Harst, J. (Eds.) (2016).
China, East Asia and the European Union: Strong
Economics, Weak Politics? (International Comparative
Social Studies; Vol. 35). Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004291430
2015
Halbertsma,
T. (2015). Domestic Challenges and International
Opportunities: Meandering through Mongolia's Past and
Present. (GSG/CEASG Inaugural Lectures Series ; Vol.
3). University of Groningen.
Halbertsma,
T. (2015). Early Christian Remains of Inner
Mongolia: Second Edition - Revised, updated and
expanded . Brill Academic Publisher. http://www.brill.com/products/book/early-christian-remains-inner-mongolia
2014
Halbertsma,
T. (2014). Mongolia and the Democratic People’s
Republic of Korea at Sixty-five: Ulaanbaatar’s changing
relations with Pyongyang. North Korean
Review, 10(2), 23-38. https://www.questia.com/library/journal/1P3-3687208801/mongolia-and-the-dprk-at-sixty-five-ulaanbaatar-s
Halbertsma,
T. (2014). Review: Change in Democratic Mongolia,
Social Relations, Health, Mobile Pastoralism, and Mining by Julian
Dierkes (ed). Journal of Asian
History, 48(2), 322-324. https://doi.org/10.13173/jasiahist.48.2.0322
2013
Halbertsma,
T. (2013). Review of Lieu, Samuel N. C., Lance Eccles,
Majella Franzmann, Iain Gardner, and Ken Parry: Medieval Christian
and Manichaean Remains from Quanzhou (Zayton).
Frontiers of History in China,
8(3).
Halbertsma,
T. (2013). Review of Michael Keevak: Becoming Yellow,
a short history of racial thinking. Asian Studies
Review, 37(1).
Halbertsma,
T. (2013). "Winner Takes All": terugblik op de
presidentsverkiezingen in Mongolië.
Internationale Spectator.
2012
Halbertsma,
T. (2012). Homo Sapiens Almas: Een kleine zoektocht
met Redmond O'Hanlon naar de Wilde mens van West
Mongolië . Boudewijn Büch Gezelschap
Büchmania.
Halbertsma,
T. (2012). Review of Alan K. Sanders: Historical
Dictionary of Mongolia. Journal of Asian
History, 46(1).
Halbertsma,
T. (2012). Review of Timothy May: The Mongol Conquests
in World History. Journal of Asian
History, 46(2).
2011
Halbertsma,
T. (2011). Critique of Gregory Forth: Images of the
Wildman in Southeast Asia. Kraken,
3.
Halbertsma,
T., & Omirbek, B. (2011). Discoveries:
Petroglyphes of Kholtsootiin Gol Valley (Mongolia).
Inora, 60.
Halbertsma,
T. (2011). Review of David Sneath and Christopher
Kaplonski (eds.): The History of Mongolia. Asian
Studies Review, 35(4).
Halbertsma,
T. (2011). Review of Timothy Brook: The Troubled
Empire. China in the Yuan and Ming Dynasties.
Journal of Asian History, 45.
2009
Halbertsma,
T. (2009). Mongolia’s "Homo sapiens Almas": A
tale of two skulls, two hairs and two reconstructions.
Kraken, 2.
Halbertsma,
T. (2009). Some field notes and images of stone
sculptures found at Nestorian sites in Inner Mongolia,
China. In D. Winkler, & L. Tang (Eds.), Hidden
Treasures and Intercultural Encounters: Studies on East Syriac
Christianity in China and Central Asia (Vol. 1).
Orientalia-Patristica-Oecumenica.
2008
Halbertsma,
T. (2008). 'De steppe heeft maar één leven':
Jiang Rong's Wolven Totem. Het Trage
Vuur, 41.
Halbertsma,
T. (2008). Early Christian Remains of Inner
Mongolia: Discovery, Reconstruction, Appropriation.
(Sinica Leidensia; Vol. 88). Brill Academic Publisher.
Halbertsma,
T. (2008). The Great Wall Revisited: A tale of two
photographs. The Asian Art
Newspaper.
Halbertsma,
T. (2008). Yeti jagers: Het verborgen onderzoek
naar de Wilde Mens. (1 ed.) Hollandia.
2006
Halbertsma,
T. (2006). Some notes on past and present field
research on gravestones and related stone material of the Church of
the East in Inner Mongolia, China. In R. Malek (Ed.),
Jingjiao: The Church of the East in China and Central Asia
Collectanea Serica.
2005
Halbertsma,
T. (2005). Facing East: stone sculpture and
petroglyphs of Central Asia. The Asian Art
Newspaper.
Halbertsma,
T. (2005). Ikh Burkhait: Mongolia’s largest
stone Buddha. The Asian Art
Newspaper.
Halbertsma,
T. (2005). Mongolië.
(Landenreeks). KIT Publishers.
Halbertsma,
T. (2005). Some field notes and images of stone
material from graves of the Church of the East in Inner Mongolia,
China: (with additional rubbings of seven stones by Wei
Jian). Monumenta Serica,
53.
Halbertsma,
T. (2005). Sprong naar het Westen: In het spoor
van de Chinese ontdekker van Europa. Hollandia.
2004
Halbertsma,
T. (2004). Mongolia’s Century: revolution and
reforms in a country of nomads, townspeople and outsiders.
In Mongolia Cypres.
Halbertsma,
T. (2004). Reinventing Karakoram: towards an ancient
capital. The Asian Art
Newspaper.
Halbertsma,
T. (2004). The road to Pearl Harbour: Revolutionary
art and war memorials from Mongolia. The Asian Art
Newspaper.
2003
Halbertsma,
T. (2003). Steppeland: berichten uit
Mongolië. Hollandia.
Halbertsma,
T. (2003). Tracing the Gobi: Hulsewe-Wazniewski
Project in Inner-Mongolia. The Asian Art
Newspaper.
2002
Halbertsma,
T. (2002). De verloren lotuskruisen: een zoektocht
naar de steden, graven en kerken van vroege christenen in
China. Gottmer & Brecht; Bloemendaal.
Halbertsma,
T. (2002). Fading Images: early photography from
Mongolia. The Asian Art
Newspaper.
Halbertsma,
T. (2002). Journey West: Zheng He.
The Asian Art Newspaper.
Halbertsma,
T. (2002). Lost Cities Hidden Treasures: Olon Sume In
Tor. The Asian Art Newspaper.
Halbertsma,
T. (2002). The Heart of the Mountain I: Hua
Shan. The Asian Art Newspaper.
Halbertsma,
T. (2002). The Heart of the Mountain II: Putuo
Shan. The Asian Art Newspaper.
2001
Halbertsma,
T. (2001). Conservation Work in Mongolia.
The Asian Art Newspaper.
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