EUROPEAN SOCIETY FOR STUDIES OF CENTRAL ASIA AND HIMALAYAN REGIONS (SEECHAC)

SEECHAC’s aim is to make better known the civilisations, arts and religions of the Himalayan and Central Asian countries. SEECHAC’s offices are located in Paris at Musée Cernuschi. The Society aims to be truly international: its ambition is to bring together all those who in Europe are interested in the culture of these areas, whether professional or amateurs. It seeks to fill a gap in this field, where it may happen that scholars, curators and enlightened amateurs working feel working in isolation. SEECHAC ambitions to be a meeting place for exchanges between specialists of all disciplines. The heterogeneity of the targeted audience may appear more surprising: Nepal, Tibet, Himalaya specialists or specialists of Gandhara, Bactria, Sogdiana or Xinjiang, from the Bronze Age to the contemporary period. Each of these areas constitutes a specific and recognized field of study, even if each has only a handful – sometimes less – specialists. Geographical and disciplinary specialization also grows day by day: Mustang has become an specialized area in the same way as the Kathmandu Valley; one specializes in Amdo, central Tibet, Western Tibet, Ladakh, etc.

Being a member of SEECHAC helps the Society to be stronger and attain its objectives. At the European level, the action of SEECHAC is mainly focused on the Organization of high-level conferences, very well attended and each time in a different city: the first international conference was held  in 2009 at Collège de France in Paris, the second, in Rome, was in 2011 at Museo Nazionale d’Arte Orientale, then Vienna in  2013 at the Academy of Science or Heidelberg in 2015. Alongside with its scientific activity (professional meetings, colloquiums, etc) the SEECHAC organises in Paris high level lectures open to all its members, given by specialists, both French and from other countries. Generally they take place at Musée Cernuschi. The program of these lectures is usually announced well in advance on this web site.

Members of SEECHAC are invited to every event organized by SEECHAC. Active participation in these events (delivering a talk etc.) is subject to the agreement of the Executive Council, whose members are elected by the General Assembly for a four years tenure. Every year a General Assembly of all members takes place (see Legal informations).