Robert Thurman, Tibet Advocate and Scholar, Passes Away at 84

The International Campaign for Tibet mourned the passing of Robert Thurman, a Tibetan Buddhist scholar and longtime Tibet advocate, in a June 17, 2026 statement. Thurman passed away on June 16 at age 84 in Woodstock, New York, according to reports citing Tibet House US. A retired Columbia University professor, he helped introduce Tibetan Buddhism to Western audiences and co-founded Tibet House US in 1987. ICT honored him with its Light of Truth award in 2003. ICT Chair Richard Gere called him a steadfast friend of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people.