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In 1989, Chögyal Namkhai Norbu founded an international institute of Tibetan studies: the Shang-Shung Institute, named after an ancient kingdom of West Tibet which was the cradle of the autochthonous Tibetan civilisation. The Institute is based in Arcidosso, Italy and promotes the safeguarding of the cultural heritage of Tibet through courses on Tibetan language and literature, traditional medicine, astrology and the organisation of conferences and exhibitions. The Institute has a valuable collection of Tibetan texts and an important video and tape collection on the civilisation of Tibet and the Himalayas. Currently there is an intense programme to maintain an inventory and archives of the audio and video material of the teachings of Chögyal Namkhai Norbu.

Apart from the setting up of centres for the teaching and practice of Dzogchen, Chögyal Namkhai Norbu founded the non-governmental organization A.S.I.A. in 1988 ( Associazione di Solidarietà Internazionale in Asia ) with its headquarters in Rome. In 1998 this organization was recognized by the Foreign Affairs ministry of Italy and in 2000 chosen by the European Economic Community as a partner for emergency projects. Thanks to the enormous amount of work done, A.S.I.A. has become one of the major foreign humanitarian organizations to operate in Tibet, working for the economic, health and social development of the country and the protection of its cultural heritage. Amongst the numerous development activities, (building of schools, conservation of art works, distance adoption) ASIA has concentrated its work in the field of public health. It organized the building of several out-patient facilities for both modern and traditional medicine in the West and the South of Tibet, including the first hospital built with Italian co-operation in the ancient region of Kham in Gamthog.

Newspaper of the International Dzogchen Community
Excerpts from Namgyalgar Website