‘Hello, this is Ellen from the OSU (Ohio State University). Can you see me?’ On the screen in the meeting room, Prof. Ellen Mosley Thomspon’s image was shown vividly. This was the video conference between USA and the ITP on August 24, 2006, in Beijing.

Shortly afterwards, as all members involved in the field expedition seated themselves in each of their own board room,respectively in Beijing and Ohio State, the video conference between the ITP and the Ohio State University kicked off.  Held initially to test the transmission and communication signals of ITP’s polycom system internationally, the video conference between the ITP and OSU proceeded successfully. Through such a new approach, questions were clarified, and field participants were familiarized despite the spacial distance.

Ever since the purchase of the polycom system and the operation of long-range communication system, the ITP’s Beijing office has actively pushed forward its application. Before this international connection, three video conferences had been held between the Beijing office and the Lhasa campus. The successful connection between China and US amazed both Prof Yao Tandong of the ITP and US Academician Prof Lonnie Thompson of the OSU, who foresaw the convenience the system would bring to the international research units interested in Tibetan Plateau research.

They also agreed to hold such international video conferences regularly in the future, either for academic seminars, or for note exchange between researchers.