The economic integration and the pluralistic development of politics and cultures are the general
characteristics of today's
world as well as the
characteristics of the large background against which Tibetological studies were undertaken. The
globalization background and the knowledge economy's coming have caused almost essencial changes to Tibetological studies: first, the Tibetological studies before were relatively close while today's Tibetological studies have gradually become open up; second, the Tibetological studies before paid special attention to the social ideological and political factors while today's Tibetological studies have broken the limitations in these aspects; third, the Tibetological studies before were quite backward in means (particually in handling informations and in information media)while today's Tibetological studies have entered a new era in research means; and the fourth, the field of Tibetological studies before was relatively narrow while today's Tibetological studies have dealt with a wide range of nearly all disciplines.