Tibet and Mongolia in History and Language: Two Guest Lectures 

We warmly invite you to an evening with two lectures devoted to the history and languages of Tibet, Mongolia, and Central Asia.

The Origins of the Tibetan Imperial Clan and the Names of Tibet
Prof. Christopher I. Beckwith

Prof. Christopher I. Beckwith is an Emeritus Distinguished Professor at Indiana University Bloomington and a leading specialist in the history and linguistics of ancient and medieval Central Eurasia and East Asia. His work covers languages such as Old Turkic, Old Tibetan, Koguryo, and others, as well as the broader history of Central Eurasia. He is the author of influential books including Empires of the Silk Road and The Scythian Empire. At Masaryk University, he will give a lecture entitled “The Origins of the Tibetan Imperial Clan and the Names of Tibet.”

The Avar Language of Mongolia and Central Asia
Assoc. Prof. Andrew Shimunek

Assoc. Prof. Andrew Shimunek is a historical linguist specialising in Mongolic and so-called Serbi-Mongolic languages, the linguistic history of Mongolia and Central Asia, and the Kitan and Jurchen scripts and languages. He is the author of Languages of Ancient Southern Mongolia and North China (2017) and numerous studies on language contact along the Silk Road. In his lecture “The Avar Language of Mongolia and Central Asia”, he will introduce the language of the Jou-jan / Avars, its sources, and its place in the ethnolinguistic history of Central Eurasia.

🗓 Tuesday, 2 December 2025, 18:00
📍 Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University, lecture hall N51

All students, staff, and members of the public are warmly welcome.