prof. dr. mr. T.H.F. (Tjalling) Halbertsma

Tjalling Halbertsma (1969) is Director International of the Centre for East Asian Studies Groningen and professor of East Asian Studies, with a focus on modern day Mongolia (endowed by Ubbo Emmius Fund, with support from ING Bank, Mongolia Opportunities Fund, Riverbed Foundation and Jack Weatherford Foundation). Halbertsma is boardmember of various private foundations and of the International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS) at his alma mater Leiden University.

Video Unifocus on Prof. Halbertsma and the new Chair

Halbertsma spent many years working in China and Mongolia, most recently as the first Dutch diplomat 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. 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 international newspapers, including South China Morning Post, Asian Art Newspaper and Dagblad Trouw (100+ contributions), frequently appears as a commentator on radio and television, and is author of a number of books and travellogues on China and Mongolia.

CEASG homepage: www.rug.nl/ceasg

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