Leo E. Rose

Dr. Leo Eugene Rose, Professor Emeritus of the University of California, Berkeley, was a true friend of Nepal and one of the most illustrious specialists on South Asia. Dr. Rose wrote The Role of Nepal and Tibet in Sino-Indian Relations as his Ph.D. dissertation at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1960 and academically introduced Nepal to the West. Leo's many articles and books on South Asian politics and foreign policy enlightened several generations of Americans. His writings were always well grounded in field research, and displayed a high degree of objectivity as well as numerous insights into the domestic politics and international relations of every nation in the region. His work developed out of a combination of extensive library research and on-site exploration, including close interaction with a large number of South Asians of diverse ages and backgrounds.

Linked throughout his life to the University of California, Dr. Rose received his B.A. (1949), M.A. (1954), and Ph.D. (1960) from that institution. In addition to teaching and research from the early 1960’s until his death, he served as co-editor of Asian Survey with his longtime colleague Robert Scalapino for more than three decades, helping to establish its reputation for balanced, accurate analysis of current events. In addition, he was mentor to a number of students, undergraduate and graduate, in the course of over fifty years at Berkeley.

Sources: The Himalayan Times and Institute of East Asian Studies