There are some 50 institutions engaged in Tibetan studies. They are distributed mainly in Beijing, the Tibet Autonomous Region and areas inhabited by the Tibetans in the four provinces of Sichuan, Qinghai, Gansu and Yunnan.

These organs belong mainly to the Chinese Academy of Social sciences, schools of higher learning, and government departments concerned. All of them play a role no others in the Tibetan studies field can match.

Tibetan studies organs attached to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences include: the Ethnic Nationalities Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the World Religion Research Institute, the Ethnic Minority Literature Research Institute, the China Frontier History and Geography Research Center, the Ethnic Nationalities History Research Institute of the Tibetan Academy of Social Sciences, the Language and Literature research Institute, the Religion and Philosophy Research institute, the Economic Research Institute, the Data and Information Institute, the Tibetan Studies and Chinese Documents Editorial Department, the Xikang-Tibet Research Center of the Sichuan Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, the Tibetology Research Institute of the Qinghai Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, the Ethnic Nationalities and Religion Research Institute, the History Research Institute, the Diqin Tibetology research Institute of the Yunnan Provincial Academy of social Sciences, the Religion Research Institute, and the Tibetan Epic King Gesar Research Institute.

Tibetan studies organs attached to schools of higher learning include: the Tibetan Studies Institute of the Central University for Ethnic Nationalities, the ethnic Minority Economic Research Institute, the Department of Tibetan language, the Department of Political Science and the King Gesar Research Institute of Tibet University, the ethnic Nationalities Research Institute of the Tibet Institute for Ethnic nationalities, the Tibet Archaeology, History and Cultural Research Center and Museum of the Sichuan United University, the Ethnic Nationalities Research Institute of the Southwest Institute for Ethnic Nationalities, the Ethnic Minority Language and literature Research Institute, the Ethnic Nationalities Research Institute and the Department of Ethnic Minority Language and Literature of the Qinghai Institute for Ethnic Nationalities, the Northwest Ethnic Nationalities Research Institute of the Northwest Institute for Ethnic Nationalities, the Dunhuang Research Office of the Department of history of the Lanzhou University, the Department of History Yunnan University, the Northwest History Research Institute of the Wenbo Institute of the Northwest University, and the Tibetan Studies Office of the Henan University.

Tibetan studies organs attached to government departments concerned include: the Beijing Ethnic Nationalities Library, the Archives of the Tibet Autonomous Region, the Cultural Relics Administrative Committee of the Tibet Autonomous Region, the Tibet Museum, the Tibet Ethnic nationalities Arts Research Institute, the Ethnic nationalities Education Research Institute of the Tibet Educational Commission, the King Gesar Rescuing Work Office of the Tibet Autonomous Region, the Sichuan Tibetan Studies research Institute, the Tibetan Studies Research Institute of the Sichuan Social Development Research Center, the Sichuan Provincial Ethnic Nationalities Research Institute, the Qinghai Provincial Cultural Relics Archaeological Research Institute, the Qinghai Provincial Gesar Epic research Institute, the Qinghai Education and Science research Institute, the Gansu Provincial Tibetan Studies Research Institute, the Gansu Provincial Ethnic Nationalities Research Institute, and the Gansu Provincial Dunhuang Research Institute. Of these, the most important is the China National Center for Tibetan Studies, a State-class Tibetan studies organ set up with a State investment to the tune of some 60 million yuan.

The China National Center for Tibetan Studies was set up in May 1986 to study history, status quo and future development of Tibet and other areas inhabited by the Tibetans in China. In addition to studying the political, economic, social, historical, cultural, art, religious, language and literary aspects of these areas, the Center is charged with publishing books on Tibetan studies in Tibetan, Chinese and English, as well as translations of academic books published overseas; collecting and compiling documents on Tibetan studies; cultivating Tibetan studies workers; organizing, leading and coordinating the Tibetan studies work nationwide; and conducting academic exchanges with foreign counterparts. Over the past 10 years or more, the China National Center for Tibetan Studies has grown up and now owns four research organs-the Socio-Economic Research Institute, the History Research Institute, the Religion Research Institute and the library and Data Hall; a Tibetology publishing house; and one national journal on Tibetan studies. It is staffed with 117 Tibetan studies workers, including 51 Tibetans, 60 Han people, and 6 of other ethnic groups. Of these, 72 are specialized in Tibetan studies; they include 7 research fellows, 20 associate research fellows, and 45 assistant researchers-with 41 being of the Tibetan ethnic group. These Tibetan study workers comprise 8 Ph. Ds and 2 who are studying for Ph.D-including 4 Tibetans; and 21 MAs-including 11 Tibetans. Its director is Lhaba Puncog, a noted Tibetologist who used to be vice-chairman of the government of the Tibet autonomous Region. Facts prove that the Center plays the role of boosting Tibetan studies throughout China.

Tibetan studies publishing organs total 8 including the China Tibetology Publishing House and the Tibet Tibetan Classics Publishing House. Journals published include China Tibetology, China's Tibet, Tibetan Studies, Tibet University News, Tibet Institute for Ethnic Nationalities news, Tibetan Art Research, Snow land Culture, Tibetan Language Work, Education in Tibet, Science and Technology in Tibet, Tibet Geology, Tibet Archaeology (compiled by the Tibet Archaeology, History and Cultural Research Center of the Sichuan United University), Tibetan Language Research (compiled by the Department of the Ethnic Minority Language and Literature of the Southwest Institute for Ethnic nationalities), Climbing (compiled by the CPC Qinghai Provincial Committee), and Amdo Research (compiled by the Gansu Provincial Tibetology Research Institute).

Of the above organs, the China National Center for Tibetan Studies and the Tibetan Academy of Social Sciences are comprehensive research organs staffed with accomplished Tibetan studies workers and complete with publishing organs. Other research organs are distributed mainly in the Tibet Autonomous Region and the areas inhabited by Tibetans in the four provinces of Sichuan, Gansu, Qinghai and Yunnan. They operate mainly locally and study local issues related to the society, economics, culture, history and religion. Major ones include the Tibetology Research Institute of the Qinghai Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, the Xikang-Tibet Research Center of the Sichuan Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, the Gansu Provincial Tibetology Research Institute, and the Diqin Tibetan Studies Research Institute of the Yunnan Provincial Academy of Social Sciences. There are also Tibetan studies organs which are specialized in studying specific subjects. They include the Ethnic Minority literature Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences which studies the Tibetan epic King Gesar, the King Gesar Research Office of the Tibet University, the Qinghai Gesar Epic Research Institute, the Northwest History Research Office of the Wenbo College of the Northwest University which studies imperialist invasion of Tibet and issues related to the Sino-Indian border, the Sichuan Tibetology Research Institute which studies Tibet Ethnic Nationalities Art Research Institute which studies Tibetan arts, the Tibet Ethnic Nationalities Art Research Institute which studies Tibetan arts, the Tibet Archaeology and History and Culture Research Institute of the Sichuan United University which studies archaeology in Tibet, the Ethnic Nationalities Research Institute of the Tibet Education Commission which studies teaching in Tibetan and Tibetan-Chinese, and the Astronomical and Calendaring Research Institute of the Tibet Tibetan Medicine hospital which studies astronomy and calendaring.