The glaciers and rivers of the world’s highest mountains took the stage at the first International Glaciological Society (IGS) Symposium on Glaciology in High Mountain Asia, which took place at the Yak and Yeti Hotel in Kathmandu from 2 – 6 March 2015.

The Symposium was designed to highlight research advances in glaciology, with a particular focus on the glaciers of High Mountain Asia, a region that includes the Himalayas, the Hindu Kush, the Karakoram, the Pamirs, the Tien Shan, and the Tibetan Plateau.

A total of 245 participants attended the Symposium, 40% of which were students. Another 49% were from ICIMOD regional member countries, primarily India, Nepal, and China. The Symposium was a great networking opportunity for regional and international students and researchers.

The Symposium featured innovative and interactive discussions. In addition to the 65 oral presentations and 170 poster presentations, participants joined a mid-week excursion to Bhaktapur and Nagarjun Forest, and attended the first international screening of ‘Himalayas: Abode of Snows’, a documentary that follows the research of Dr Patrick Wagnon and colleagues in the Khumbu Valley.

Papers submitted as part of the symposium will be published by the International Glaciological Society in a peer-reviewed thematic issue of the Annals of Glaciology in early 2016. Student travel support totaling over USD 25,000 from eight co-sponsors was provided to 62 students who presented the results of their research. Further, student presentation awards were sponsored by the International Association for Cryospheric Sciences.

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