Home > News Archive > Dalai Lama inaugurates a new Tibetan college

Dalai Lama inaugurates a new Tibetan college

Tibet Sun newsroom | Tibet Sun

A file photo of some staff members at the college in July 2008. The Dalai Lama inaugurated the college on 16 February 2009.File photo/TCV College/India

The Dalai Lama inaugurated a new Tibetan college: “The Dalai Lama Institute for Higher Education,” near Bangalore today, according to the website of the Tibetan government-in-exile.

In his inaugural speech, the Dalai Lama stressed the importance of teaching Buddhism to young Tibetans, as well as the Bhutanese, as this formed the basis of their cultures.

He also thanked the government of Karnataka state, south India, for providing land for establishing Tibetan settlements, monasteries and other facilities.

Around 3000 people, including Tibetans from the nearby Tibetan settlements and some 300 students from Bhutan studying in Bangalore, attended the inauguration ceremony.

Dr G Parameshwar, a former minister of state for higher education, Mr Kunga Dorjee, chief representative for Tibetan settlements in south India, and other officials were present at the ceremony.

Dr Parameshwar donated a sum of Rs 5 lakh (five hundred thousand) to the college. He also presented certificates to the first batch of 17 students who completed the teacher training course.

The college is aimed to educate Tibetan students in Tibetan language, culture, history and philosophy. Other subjects such as science, arts, computing and information technology will also be taught.

The college, situated on Mysore road, about 30 km from Bangalore, was built by the Tibetan Children’s Village schools. The college will initially have about 500 students, and eventually increased to 3000, depending on the availability of funding.

The first academic session was started with a teachers’ training course in August 2008 with 71 students and 13 staff members.

Mr Ngawang Dorjee is the principle of the college.

Karnataka state has the largest number of Tibetans living in exile in India. The first and the biggest Tibetan settlement of Bylakuppe, was established in the state in 1961, with the then state Chief Minister S. Nijalingappa, allotting the land.

Copyright © 2009 Tibet Sun

Published in Tibet Sun