On Jan 29 – Feb 1, 2025, The Dalai Lama Institute for Higher Education hosted Seventh Tibetan Science Conclave jointly organized with Tibetan Scientific Society and Department of Education, CTA. The four-day event provided an incredible opportunity for BCA students to gain in-depth knowledge on Artificial intelligence and established network with many professionals in Tibetan Diaspora. More than 100 participated in this event. This year’s theme focused on Artificial Intelligence in STEM, and the experience was truly enlightening.
The first day kick off with an introduction and technical workshop on Artificial Intelligence by faculty from IIT-Madras. The session gave basic understanding of coding and fundamentals of AI and Machine learning (ML) and also highlighted the growing impact of it on science and technology, specially in view of research.
The second day of the conclave featured a visit to the Computational and Data Science (CDS) Department at IISc, Bengaluru. Dr. Tenzin Choephel opened with an overview of TSS’s mission and the AI-focused conclave. Prof. R. Venkatesh Babu welcomed participants and highlighted AI’s impact. The day included lectures by experts like Prof. Satish Vadhyar on high-performance computing, Prof. Yogesh Simmhan on cloud computing, Prof. Aditya Konduri on machine learning in engineering, and others. After a lab tour, participants visited IISc’s supercomputer and CIDR, where they explored research projects. The day ended with a group photo at the iconic IISc building.
The third day of the conclave focused on technical presentations, with pre-selected participants showcasing their scientific work. Dr. Dhonam Pemba gave an inspiring keynote on AI, sharing his entrepreneurial journey. Monastic participants presented posters on topics like meditation and compassion. A panel discussion moderated by Dr. Tenzin Nyibum explored STEM careers with experts. Afternoon sessions featured presentations on diverse topics, including disease diagnosis, AI in bioinformatics, and CRISPR-based gene therapy. The day ended with lively discussions continuing outside the seminar hall.
The fourth day of the conclave focused on “AI in the Tibetan community.” The Monlam AI team presented advancements in Tibetan language technology, including OCR and machine translation. Tenzin Lhawang discussed AI tools in education, sparking ideas for Tibetan schools. In the afternoon, a panel on “Ethics in AI” explored safety concerns, with insights from AI expert Dr. Chris Scammell and Geshe Thabkhe. The conclave concluded with a valedictory function, awarding certificates to 94 participants, 38 speakers from various institutions.