Dr. Sonam Wangmo

2021– 2023     Postdoc    University of Bonn                 Tibetan Studies

2015–2020       PhD        University of Oslo                  Area Studies and Tibetan Studies

2011–2013       M.Phil.   University of Oslo                   Tibetan Studies

2010–2014       MA         Minzu University of China     Tibetan Religion

2006–2010       BA          Minzu University of China     Tibetan History

·       Implementation of the Chinese development policies in Tibet

·       China’s environment policy and ecological sustainability in Tibetan nomadic areas

·       Tibetan Buddhism and culture

·       Tibetan language and dialects

·       Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (2021-2023)

·       The Ryoichi Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund (2018/07-08)

·       Long-Research Fieldwork Grand, Faculty of Humanities, University of Oslo (2015 and 2018)

·       PhD Norwegian Quota Scholarship, University of Oslo. (2015-2019) 


·       Tibet-Network Research Grant, University of Oslo. (2013-2014)

·       MA Norwegian Quota Scholarship, University of Oslo. (2011-2013)

·       MA Full Scholarship, Minzu University of China (2010-2011)

Suzuki, Hiroyuki, Sonam Wangmo and Tsering Samdrup. “A contrastive approach to the evidential system in Tibetic languages: Examining five varieties from Khams and Amdo.” Gengo Kenkyu 159, 69-101.

2021. Suzuki, Hiroyuki and Sonam Wangmo. “Hearsay evidential marking strategy in Lhagang Tibetan: A case study on folktales and legends.” Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area 44 (2):157-182.

2021. 2021. Suzuki, Hiroyuki, Sonam Wangmo and Tsering Samdrup. “Lamei, another dialect of Lamo (mDzogong, TAR): Vocabulary and sentence structure.” In Nagano, Yasuhiko and Takumi Ikeda (eds.), Grammatical phenomena of Sino-Tibetan languages 4: Link languages and archetypes in Tibeto-Burman, 25-69. Kyoto: Kyoto University press.

2021. Suzuki, Hiroyuki and Sonam Wangmo. “Kamutibettogo Tagong [Lhagang] hoogen ni okeru koogaisuion.” Journal of Kijutsuken 13, 1-12.

2021. Suzuki, Hiroyuki, Tsering Samdrup and Sonam Wangmo. “Taya-Ma [Drag-yab sMar] go Bae [mBengo] hoogen no goi siryoo (nitiei-taisyoo).” Journal of Kijutsuken 13, 189-213.

2020. Suzuki, Hiroyuki and Sonam Wangmo. “カムチベット語塔公 [Lhagang] 方言における間投詞と談話標識 (Exclamations and discourse markers in the Lhagang Tibetan dialect).”『言語記述論集』(Journal of Language Description) 12, 31-41.

2020. Sonam Wangmo. A Tibetan village on the Sino-Tibetan borderland: a study of social organization, narrative and local identity in Lhagang. PhD Dissertation at University of Oslo，1-310.

2019. Sonam Wangmo and Hiroyuki Suzuki. “Migration history of Amdo-speaking pastoralists in Lhagang, Khams Minyag, based on narratives and linguistic evidence.” In Bianca Horlmann, Ute Wallenböck, and Jarmila Ptáčková (eds.), Mapping Amdo: Dynamics of Power 2, 243-262.

2019. Suzuki, Hiroyuki, Tsering Samdrup, Niangwujia (Nyingbo-Gyal), Jixiancairang (Chaksham Tsering), and SonamWangmo. “/ɧ/ in Amdo Tibetan: Descriptive and historical approaches.” Journal of the Phonetics Society of Japan 23, 76-82.

2019. Suzuki, Hiroyuki and Sonam Wangmo. “カムチベット語塔公 [Lhagang] 方言における口承文芸の記録と言語分析 (Documentation and language analysis of oral literature and art in Lhagang Tibetan dialect).”『言語記述論集』(Language Description)11, 17-38.

2019. Suzuki, Hiroyuki and Sonam Wangmo. “An outline of the sound structure of Lhagang Choyu: A newly recognized highly endangered language in Khams Minyag.” Revue d'Etudes Tibétaines Vol. 48, 99-151.

2018. Dan Smyer Yü and Sonam Wangmo. “A Historical Sketch of Buddhism in Tibet.” Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Asian History. Oxford University Press.

DOI:10.1093/ACREFORE/9780190277727.013.193.

2018. Sonam Wangmo. “A study of written and oral narratives of Lhagang in Eastern Tibet.” Revue d’Etudes Tibétaines 45, 69-88.

2018. Sonam Wangmo and Hiroyuki Suzuki. “Two folktales in Lhagang Tibetan (Minyag Rabgang Khams): Three birds and lark and partridge.” Asian and African Languages and Linguistics (AALL) 13, 131-150.

2018. Suzuki, Hiroyuki, Tsering Samdrup, and Sonam Wangmo. “Contrastive word list of three non-Tibetic languages of Chamdo——Lamo, Larong sMar, and Drag-yab sMar.” Kyoto University Linguistic Research 37, 79-104.

2018. Suzuki, Hiroyuki and Sonam Wangmo. “Geolinguistic approach to the route of Tibetic loanwords in Lhagang Choyu.” In Suzuki, Hiroyuki and Mitsuaki Endo (eds.), Asian Geolinguistics, 115-126.

2018. Suzuki, Hiroyuki and Sonam Wangmo. “Aorist in Lhagang Tibetan.” Proceedings of the 51st International Conference on Sino-Tibetan Languages and Linguistics, 877-884.

2017. Tsering Samdrup, and Sonam Wangmo (Translated). “藏区和东南亚高地——反思藏学研究的知识背景(Tibet and Southeast Asian highlands: Rethinking the intellectual context of Tibetan Studies)”，郁丹，苏发详，李云霞主编(In Yu Dan, Su Faxiang, and Li Yunxia(eds.),《环喜马拉雅区域研究编译文集2:佐米亚、边疆与跨界(Compilation Proceedings of Trans-Himalayan regional studies 2: Zomia, frontiers and borders)》，学苑出版社出版(Xueyuan Publishing House)，181-197。

2017. Suzuki, Hiroyuki and Sonam Wangmo. “King’s pig: A story in Lhagang Tibetan with a grammatical analysis in a narrative mode.” Himalayan Linguistics 16 (2), 129-163.

2017. Suzuki, Hiroyuki and Sonam Wangmo. “Prince’s wife become a lark in Lhagang Tibetan of Khams.” Kyoto University Linguistic Research 36, 71-91.

2017. Suzuki, Hiroyuki and Sonam Wangmo. “Additional remarks on counting ‘one’ noun in Lhagang Tibetan.” Studies in Asian Geolinguistics VI ---Means to count nous---, 54-57.

2017. Sonam Wangmo and Hiroyuki Suzuki. “Language evolution and vitality of Lhagang Tibetan, a Tibetic language as a minority in Minyag Rabgang.” International Journal of the Sociology of Language, 245, 63-90.

2017. Suzuki, Hiroyuki and Sonam Wangmo. “「カムチベット語塔公[Lhagang] 方言の述部に標示される証拠性」(Evidences in predicates of Lhagang Tibetan Dialect).” 『言語記述論集』(Language Description) 10, 13-42.

2017. Suzuki, Hiroyuki and Sonam Wangmo. “Lhagang Choyu wordlist with the Thamkhas dialect of Minyag Rabgang Khams (Lhagang, Dartsendo).” Asian and African Languages and Linguistics (AALL) 12, 133-160.

2017. 鈴木博之、四郎翁姆. “「カムチベット語塔公[Lhagang]方言による翻案物語『裸麦の種子の由来』---訳注と語りの特徴 ---」” (The adapted story in Lhagang dialect: Translation and narrative features of “The Origin of Wheat Seeds).”『言語記述論集』(Language Description) 9, 23-42.

2016. Sonam Wangmo. “The relationship between monastic and local communities: the example of Lhagang village in Kham Minyag.” Études mongoles et sibériennes, centrasiatiques et tibétaines, Vol. 47. DOI : 10.4000/emscat.2805.

2016. Suzuki, Hiroyuki and Sonam Wangmo. “Vocabulary of Shingnyag Tibetan: A dialect of Amdo Tibetan spoken in Lhagang, Khams Minyag.” Asian and African Languages and Linguistics (AALL) 11, 101-127.

2016. Suzuki, Hiroyuki and Sonam Wangmo. “「カムチベット語塔公 [Lhagang] 方言の文法スケッチ」(Grammatical description of Lhagang Tibetan dialect).”『言語記述論集』(Language Description) 8, 21- 90.

2016. Suzuki, Hiroyuki and Sonam Wangmo. “Cultural contexts of the expansion of a Tibetan word ’bras ‘rice’ in the easternmost Tibetosphere.” In Mitsuaki Endo (ed.), Papers from the Third International Conference on Asian Geolinguistics, 72-79.

2016. Suzuki, Hiroyuki and Sonam Wangmo. “Lhagang Choyu: A first look at its sociolinguistic status.” In Mitsuaki Endo (ed.), Studies in Asian Geolinguistics II ---Rice---. Fuchu: Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asian and Africa, 60-69.

2015. Suzuki, Hiroyuki and Sonam Wangmo. “Lhagang Tibetan of Minyag Rabgang Khams: Vocabulary of two sociolinguistic varieties.” Asian and African Languages and Linguistics (AALL) 10, 245-286.

2015. Suzuki, Hiroyuki and Sonam Wangmo. “Challenge to discover endangered Tibetic varieties in the easternmost Tibetosphere: a case study on Dartsendo Tibetan.” Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area 38 (2), 256-270.

2015. Suzuki, Hiroyuki and Sonam Wangmo. “Quelques remarques linguistiques sur le tibétain de Lhagang, «l’endroit préféré par le  Bodhisattva».” Revue d’études tibétaines 32, 153-175.

2015. Suzuki, Hiroyuki,  Sonam Wangmo, and Lhamogyi. “「チベット語塔公 [Lhagang] 方言の物語『菩薩の愛する地・塔公』訳注—塔公方言の多層構造と物語の異同に関する考察を添えて—」(Notes on Lhagang stories: An exploration of the multi-layer structure of Lhagang dialect).” 大西正幸・千田俊太郎・伊藤雄馬編 (In Masayuki Onishi, Shuntaro Senda, and Yuma Itoh, (eds.),『地球研言語記述論集』(Glossary of Linguistic Studies)7, 111-140.

2015. Sonam Wangmo (Translated). “浅谈藏语支语言的濒危-以东方藏区的语言境况为例(Endangerment of Tibetan varieties:Taking language situation in Eastern Tibet).” 铃木博之(In Hiroyuki Suzuki),《东方藏区诸语言研究(Studies on languages in the eastern Tibetosphere)》. 成都：四川民族出版社(Sichuan Minzu Publishing House), 19-36.

2015. Suzuki, Hiroyuki,  Sonam Wangmo, and Lhamogyi.  “塔公藏语长篇故事《菩萨喜欢的地方·塔公》语法注释—兼谈塔公藏语的多重语言层及故事版本的异同问题 (A grammatical commentary on the story of “Bodhisattva’s Favorite Place-Lhagang”: Disccussing multilingual layers of Lhagang Tibetan and similarities and differences of different versions of the story).”  铃木博之(In Hiroyuki Suzuki),《东方藏区诸语言研究(Studies on languages in the eastern Tibetosphere)》. 成都：四川民族出版社(Sichuan Minorities Publishing House), 163-195.

2013. Sonam Wangmo. Lhagang Monastery in Myth, History and Contemporary Society. M.Phil. thesis at University of Oslo, 1-146.

2014. Sonam Wangmo. 论塔公寺的现状和社会功能(Current Situation and Social Functions of Lhagang Monastery), MA thesis at Minzu University of China, 1-138.

2012. 四郎翁姆. “道孚民居建筑色彩探源(An investigation of the usage of colors in residential house of Daofu County in Eastern Tibet).” 罗桑开珠(In Luosang Kezhu), 《明轮藏式建筑研究论文集(Collection of research papers on Tibetan architecture)》. 北京：中国藏学出版社(China Tibetology Publishing House) ，283-289.

In progress:

Sonam Wangmo. “COVID-19 Prevention at the Grassroots: Experiences, Perspectives and Responses in Rural Tibet of China”, China Perspectives. 

Sonam Wangmo. “Ethnic Minority’s Image in Contemporary China: “Tenzin” Phenomenon and Related Discourses”.

铃木博之、四郎翁姆.《木雅塔公藏语《王家的猪》民间文学结构分析》聂鸿音（ed.)《中国少数民族文学与文献国际学术论坛论文集》。

2021. “Differentiating the authenticity and falsity of Tibetan reincarnated lamas in contemporary China” at Institute of Oriental and Asian Studies, University of Bonn, Germany. (1st December)

2021. “Identifying Belief: Defining fakeness and authenticity of Tibetan Buddhist lamas in contemporary China” at Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.(12th-13th August)

2021. “COVID-19 prevention at the grassroots: Experiences, perspectives and responses in rural Tibet of China” at Institute of Oriental and Asian Studies, University of Bonn, Germany. (4th May)

2019. “Balancing the rights and obligations of grassroots government and local residents in the social conflict of Tibetan villages” at Institute of Oriental and Asian Studies, University of Bonn, Germany. (12th December)

2019. “Rural Tibetans in the context of rapid urbanization: A case study of Lhagang village in Eastern Tibet” at  the 15th Seminar of the International Association of Tibetan Studies, National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilizations, Paris, France. (7th-13th July)

2019. “Generational differences in the Rongsmad dialect of Larong sMar: Phonetic and lexical features” at the 25th Himalayan Languages Symposium, Australia. (with Hiroyuki Suzuki, 28th-29th June)

2019. “Evidential marking in narratives in Lhagang Tibetan” at the 52nd International Conference of Sino-Tibetan Languages and Linguistics,  Australia. (with Hiroyuki Suzuki, 24th-26th June)

2019. “How the hearsay evidential functions in narratives in  Lhagang Tibetan” at the 4th Linguistic Research Student Conference SOAS, UK. (with Hiroyuki Suzuki, 10th-11th June)

2018. “Aorist in Lhagang Tibetan” at the 51st International Conference of Sino-Tibetan Languages and Linguistics. Kyoto University, Japan. (with Hiroyuki Suzuki, 26th-28th September)

2018.“《木雅塔公藏族民間故事的類型及其特徴:以猪故事為例(Tibetan folk tales and their characteristics in Muya Lhagang: An example of pig tales)》” at the International Academic Forum on Chinese Ethnic Minority Literature and Literature, Sichuan Normal University, China.(with Hiroyuki Suzuki, 20th July)

2018. “Geolinguistic approach to the route of Tibetic loanwords in  Lhagang Choyu” at the 4th International Conference of Asian Geolinguistics, Indonesia. (with Hiroyuki Suzuki, 3rd-4th May)

2018. “《归属、存在和形成:浅析西南少数民族通过叙述来构建的当地身份认同(Belonging, being and forming: An analysis of local identity construction through narratives by ethnic minorities in Southwest China)》” at Department of Economics, Sichuan University, China. (with Hiroyuki Suzuki, 2nd June)

2017. “A study of local identity construction through narratives in Lhagang, Eastern Tibet, China” at Graduate Research Seminar of the Department of Economics Sichuan University, China. (2nd June).

2017. “《国内外藏学研究的认识与展望:作为一名本地研究者的田野调查经历和一些反思(Opportunities and challenges of an ‘insider-outsider’ researcher in a rural Tibetan community)》” at the 24th Academic Lecture of the Department of the Tibetan Language, Sichuan University for Nationalities, China. (26th September).

2017. “Migration history of Amdo-speaking pastoralists in Lhagang, Khams Minyag: Based on narratives and linguistic evidence” at the 2nd International Workshop of the Amdo Research Network, (29th-31st January).

2016. “Constructing local identity in Lhagang village in Kham Minyag” at the 14th Seminar of the International Association of Tibetan Studies, University of Bergen, Norway. (21st-27th June).

2016. “Tibetans’ languages of Thamkhas Hamlet, Lhagang Town, Dartsendo” at 2016 Beijing Seminar of Tibetology, Beijing,  China. (with Hiroyuki Suzuki, 2nd-5th August).

2016. “The extended cultural background of the Tibetan word "bras (rice)" in Eastern Tibet” at 3rd International Conference of Asian Geolinguistics, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. (with Hiroyuki Suzuki, 23rd-24th May).

2016. “Written and oral narratives of the founding of Lhagang monastery in  Eastern Tibet” at the Interplay between the Spoken and the Written Word in Tibetan Literature Conference, Wolfson College, Oxford University, UK. (13th-14th May).

2015. “The importance of narrative in the construction of local identity for local ethnic villagers” at the Oriental Institute, University of Oxford, UK. ( 23rd October)

2015. “Reflections on theories and methodology” at the Seminar on Anthropological Field Research Methods, Central Universitaire de Norvège à Paris. (11th-13th May).

2015. “Challenge to discover endangered Tibetic varieties in the easternmost Tibetosphere: a case study on Dartsendo Tibetan” at the 4th International Workshop on the Sociolinguistics of Language Endangerment, Chiangmai, Thailand. (with Hiroyuki Suzuki, 23rd May).

2014. “Language evolution and vitality of Lhagang Tibetan, a Tibetic language as a minority in Minyag Rabgang” at the Workshop on the Linguistic Minorities of the Chinese Tibetosphere, Uppsala University, Sweden. (with Hiroyuki Suzuki, 2nd-3rd November).

2014. “Lhagang [Tagong] Tibetan as a member of the Minyag Rabgang group of Khams — a sociolinguistic description” at the 47th International Conference of Sino-Tibetan Languages and Linguistics, Kunming, China. (with Hiroyuki Suzuki, 22nd-25th October).

2014. Academic training and translated “Tibetan Regions and the Southeast Asian Highlands - Rethinking the Intellectual Context of Tibetan Studies by Samuel Geoffrey” at the First Trans-Himalayan Areas Studies: Zomia, Frontiers and Borders, Yunan Minzu University. (10th -17th August)

2013. “The relationship between monastic and local communities: the example of Lhagang village in Kham Minyag” at the 13th Seminar of the  International Association of Tibetan Studies, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. (1st-6th August).