In early July, Tibet, the remotest and most backward region in China, established its own science and technology association. It is the last of China's provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions (except Taiwan) to establish this kind of association.

Xuekang Tudengnima,　62,was elected chairman of the association. He also is vice-chairman of the standing committee of the people's congress of the Tibet Autonomous Region, and is from a noble family.

Members of the association have conducted scientific research projects commensurate with specific local conditions. For instance, they assisted a comprehensive scientific survey team under the Chinese Academy of Sciences in its multifaceted studies of the formation, historical changes and characteristics of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the biggest and highest in the world.

Earlier, the Tibet Geological Society and the Tibet Geological Bureau had jointly published Tibet Geology, a comprehensive academic journal to print academic papers on strata and structure of the Tibet Plateau and its mineral resources as well as geological studies of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau as a whole.

Some progress also has been made in the study of Tibetan medicine. The History of Development of Tibetan Medicine by Qiangba Chilie, director of the Tibetan Medicine Hospital, systematically records the development of Tibetan medicine over the past 1,000 years. The same author also wrote General Principles of Tibetan Medicine, Physiology in Tibetan Medicine, Pathology, Diagnostics, Study of Internal Medicine, Gynaecology, Paediatrics and Surgery. Some of these works have been used in the teaching of Tibetan medicine.

With a population of 1.9 million, the Tibet Autonomous Region now has a scientific and technological research contingent of 8,000 people, of both Tibetan and Han nationalities. This year, the region has earmarked 70 million yuan for education. In addition, Tibet University is now under construction.

Since 1978, the state has awarded prizes for 21 research projects by scientific and technological workers in Tibet. The Tibet science and technology association was established after great efforts were made to develop education.

The government of the autonomous region decided early this year to give favourable treatment to scientific workers of various nationalities in Tibet. The scientific workers will receive subsidies (ranging from 10 to 35 yuan per month) in line with their professional titles and different work places. The subsidies will be larger for those who have worked in Tibet for a long time. Those who are on holidays or are receiving training also will get subsidies. The regional government also will issue prizes of honour to scientific workers who have worked there for long periods.

(This article appears on page 7, No. 40, 1983)