Katia Buffetrille

Katia Buffetrille is a French anthropologist and Tibetologist currently serving as a Visiting Professor for the 2024-2025 academic year at an institution referenced as 'East', while maintaining her primary research position as a Research Engineer at École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE) in France.

She holds a doctorate in ethnology and previously served as editor of the academic journal Études mongoles et sibériennes, centrasiatiques et tibétaines. Her fieldwork practice includes three months of annual research travel to Tibet or Nepal.

Buffetrille's research centers on the evolution of folk rituals within the People's Republic of China, with specialized focus on emerging phenomena like self-immolation and vegetarianism among Tibetan communities. She critically examines Sino-Tibetan relations through the lens of cultural preservation under China's Sinicization policies, analyzing both historical Tibetan society (pre-1950) and contemporary political challenges.

Her recent lecture-courses demonstrate scholarly depth in both historical Tibetan systems and current policy impacts, reflecting her dual expertise in ethnographic fieldwork and political anthropology. As an active researcher traveling regularly to contested regions, she maintains direct engagement with evolving socio-cultural dynamics in Tibetan areas.