Higher Education in Bhutan

Policy, Current Status, and Challenges

Kuenzang Gyeltshen and Rinchen Dorji

ContentsIntroduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2History of Higher Education in Bhutan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Overview and Current Status of Higher Education in Bhutan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Access, Participation, Retention, and Transition Practices in Higher Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Education Governance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Higher Education Institutions (HEIs): Governance Structure and Modus Operandi . . . . . . . . . . . 11Study Programs Offered by the Higher Education Institutions in Bhutan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Curriculum, Pedagogy, and Assessment Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Use of Technology in Higher Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Faculty Preparation, Professional Development, Social and Economic Status, andCareer Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Research in Higher Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Internationalization of Higher Education in Bhutan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Quality Initiatives, Reforms, and Innovation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Legal or Administrative Grievance Redressal System for Students, Teachers, andAdministrative and Service Staff, With or Without Social Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Challenges Facing Higher Education in Bhutan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Cross-References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

AbstractHigher education in Bhutan is relatively a young system and was primarily drivenby the need to develop the human resource capacity of the country to drive theeconomy and development efforts in the country. Higher education in Bhutanformally started only in the early 1980s with the introduction of undergraduatestudy programs in a few selected higher education institutions in the country.

K. Gyeltshen (*) · R. DorjiSamtse College of Education, Royal University of Bhutan, Samtse, Bhutane-mail: kgyeltshen.sce@rub.edu.bt; rinchendorji.sce@rub.edu.bt

© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020P. M. Sarangapani, R. Pappu (eds.), Handbook of Education Systems in South Asia,Global Education Systems, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3309-5_58-1

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Despite the late start, higher education in Bhutan has witnessed unprecedentedgrowth and progress within a short period of over three decades.

The Royal University of Bhutan (RUB), established in 2003, is the principalhigher education institution in Bhutan that offers various undergraduate andpostgraduate study programs in diverse areas including language and culture,natural resources and sustainable development, business studies, science, andtechnology, engineering, information technology, and arts and humanities acrossthe different colleges. The Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences ofBhutan (KGUMSB), established in 2015, offers study programs related to nurs-ing, public health, and traditional medicine and postgraduate study programs withspecialization in different fields of medicine. The Royal Institute of Management(RIM) established in 1986 and Jigme Singye Wangchuck School of Lawestablished in 2015 also offer higher education study programs related tohuman resource capacity development, public policy and administration, andlegal studies.

While provision of high-standard and quality higher education study programsthat are contextually relevant and meaningful to prepare higher education stu-dents with the twenty-first century skills of creativity, innovation, and intellect isbeing accorded a high priority both at the national and institutional level, thechallenges confronting the Bhutanese higher education system are equally daunt-ing and herculean. Constraints include inadequate infrastructure facilities andfinancial resources to support high standards of teaching and learning, groundedon empirical findings informed by a robust culture of research and scholarlypursuits among the higher education academia.

KeywordsTertiary education · Gross National Happiness and Research

Introduction

Bhutan is a small landlocked country located between 26.70� to 28.30� N latitudeand 88.80� to 92.10� E longitude. It is a mountainous country with China to its northand India to its south. According to the Population and Housing Census of Bhutan(PHCB) 2017, the total population of the country as of May 30, 2017, was 735,553persons. Out of the total population, 681,720 persons were Bhutanese, and 53,833persons were non-Bhutanese. It has a total area of 38,394 km2. The literacy rate ofBhutan is 71.4% (NSB 2019).

Until the advent of modern education in Bhutan, monastic education served thespiritual and human resource needs of the country. The foundation of educationbased on western model of schooling using foreign language as the medium ofinstruction began in 1914, when Gongzin Ugyen Dorji was asked by Gongsa UgyenWangchuck, the first King of Bhutan, to establish a school at Haa in the west. In1915, the second school was opened in Wangdicholing in Bumthang. Many students

2 K. Gyeltshen and R. Dorji

were also sent to Kalimpong in India for studies at that time. These students returnedto Bhutan in 1921 to join the core of administrators in his court (Tobgay n.d.).

The first King also invited Buddhist monks and scholars from other countries andsent Bhutanese monks to Tibet for higher studies. Besides, the monks also traveled toTibet on their own in search of learned masters. The second King, JigmeWangchuck, set up seven to ten Hindi medium schools in the country. This wasthe beginning of the present Bhutanese education system.

After the ascension of His Majesty Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, the third hereditarymonarch to the Golden Throne in 1952, and the introduction of the First Five YearPlan Development in 1961, the number of schools modeled along the westerneducation system began to grow considerably. The growth of the education systemwas part of His Majesty’s vision to bring about economic development of thecountry through the formulation of new government policies and the introductionof the Five Year Plans. Ever since, education was provided free to all those enrolledin school irrespective of social status, language, or ethnic background.

In 1961, Bhutan started providing primary education with 59 primary schools;1500 students, mostly boys; and 150 teachers (Dorji 2005). Admission to schoolswas not restricted to any individual or group. By 1968/1969, the cohort of studentsadmitted in 1960–1961 were ready for class ten examinations. Sherubtse (then highschool) had conducted this examination in 1969, but this was not recognized inIndia, where students had to go for higher studies. So, this was dropped and startedfollowing the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE, which was thencalled senior Cambridge examination).

In 1976, the first National Education Policy was drafted on the command of HisMajesty the fourth King Jigme Singye Wangchuck. This policy was revised in 1984to make the education system in the country more relevant (Rabgay 2012). The 1984Education Policy reiterated the need to make the school curriculum more relevant tothe need of the learners, the society, and the country at large.

The Constitution of the Kingdom of Bhutan states that the state should provideeducation to improve and increase knowledge, values, and skills of the entirepopulation for full development of the human personality. It also mandates theprovision of free education to all children of school going age up to the tenthstandard and ensures that technical and professional education is made generallyavailable and that higher education is equally accessible to all based on merit.

Gross National Happiness (GNH) is the guiding development philosophy ofBhutan, and Sustainable and Equitable Socio-Economic Development, one of thefour pillars of GNH, plays a critical role in contributing toward the happiness andwell-being of the people. Within this development context, tertiary education plays aparamount role in the socio-economic development, and the population of peopleaspiring for tertiary education is increasing rapidly. Within a period of less than fourdecades, the tertiary education system in Bhutan has expanded from a few institutesin 1983 to 19 tertiary institutes with over 12,000 students in 2019 (MoE 2019). Atthe national level, the Royal Government of Bhutan has prioritized enhancing accessto tertiary education.

Higher Education in Bhutan 3

Further, given the current pace of development in the country, there is a need fordynamic workforce steeped in knowledge and skill. So, the tertiary education systemis challenged to respond accordingly by creating an enabling environment thatfacilitates the generation of new knowledge and competencies to support a knowl-edge-based economy. Considering the significant role higher education plays insetting new directions for the overall human resource development of a country,understanding the state of tertiary education is paramount.

According to the draft National Education Policy of Bhutan 2018, tertiaryeducation in Bhutan aspires to be a nationally rooted and globally competitivesystem that aims to develop productive, socially responsible, culturally grounded,ecologically sensitive, and spiritually aware citizens equipped to lead Bhutan into aknowledge-based society that values lifelong learning. Tertiary education plays acentral role in building future leadership of the Kingdom of Bhutan and its profes-sional requirements in the near and distant future. It develops citizens who canresolve complex social and technical problems.

History of Higher Education in Bhutan

Education in Bhutan was mainly monastic until the 1950s. Formal literacy develop-ment was confined to the monasteries, and many eminent Bhutanese scholarstraveled to Tibet to study Buddhist scriptures. Although two schools were startedin 1914/1915, one each in Haa and Bumthang, modern education in a more orga-nized fashion actually began only in the late 1950s. Various colleges were laterestablished throughout the country, and these eventually led to the establishment ofthe Royal University of Bhutan in 2003. The establishment of a national universitywas envisaged as early as the Fifth Five Year Plan (1981–1986), and it was to benamed as Ugyen Wangchuck National University (MoE 2010).

Education system in Bhutan currently has three main elements: general educa-tion, monastic education, and nonformal education. The first type of education is byfar the biggest and is now commonly seen as the formal educational structure. Whilemonastic bodies continue to provide traditional monastic education, the currentformal education system has expanded since the first Five Year Plan (FYP) in1961 to address basic educational needs and develop human resources required forthe socioeconomic development of the country. Within a period of about six decades,modern education system has expanded from about 11 schools prior to 1961 to 880schools and other educational institutes in 2018, spanning from early childhood careeducation to tertiary and technical and vocational education (MoE 2018).

To cater to the increasing demand of teachers in the education system due to theexponential growth in the number of schools in the country, a Teacher TrainingInstitute (TTI) was established in Samtse on May 29, 1968, by the Third DrukGyalpo (Dragon King), His Majesty Jigme Dorji Wangchuck. This premier teachereducation institution was established with the vision to educate and train not onlyteachers who are professionally competent but also who are immersed in their richculture and heritage and accordingly transmit these values to our younger generation

4 K. Gyeltshen and R. Dorji

of Bhutanese children. In 1984, TTI Samtse was upgraded to the National Institute ofEducation (NIE) and began offering general Bachelor of Education programs. NIESamtse was renamed as Samtse College of Education (SCE) in 2008, and as one ofthe constituent member colleges under the Royal University of Bhutan, the Collegenow specializes in the preparation of secondary school teachers and offers a numberof postgraduate programs in the area of education including Master of Arts inContemplative Counselling Psychology and Master of Education in Science andMathematics. This College launched a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work in July 2019,the first of its kind ever to be offered in the country, and two other Master ofEducation in Geography and English have been launched in February 2020.

Again in 1975, another teacher education training institute called as the TeacherTraining College (TTC), the present Paro College of Education (PCE) wasestablished. Paro College has a mandate to prepare teachers for the primary schooleducation in addition to the preparation of Zhungkha (Dzongkha – national languageof Bhutan) teachers and also offers Master of Education in Educational Leadershipand Management. PCE also have started offering a Master of Education in InclusiveEducation as an initiative to prepare teachers for inclusive classrooms, especially inaddressing the learning needs of children with disabilities.

In the same year the Teacher Training Institute in Samtse was established in 1968,His Majesty Jigme Dorji Wangchuck also established a public school in the east inKanglung under Trashigang district. Later in 1976, this school was upgraded to ajunior college, and in 1983, it was further upgraded to Sherubtse College, affiliatedto the University of Delhi in India and became the first higher education institution tooffer bachelor-level study programs in the country. Sherubtse College, as one of thefirst premier higher education institutions, specializes in the provision of arts andhumanities higher degree study programs.

Like the history of modern education modeled upon the western education systemis young compared to the education systems in many other countries, highereducation system in Bhutan is still in its nascent stage. In fact, the history of highereducation is slightly over three decades, and the three higher education institutionsbriefly presented were the pioneer institutions in offering higher education studyprograms in the country.

Presently, there are two universities in Bhutan that serve as the umbrella organi-zation in the provision of higher education in the Bhutanese education system. TheRoyal University of Bhutan (RUB) was established in 2003 through a royal decreewith nine federated colleges. RUB has ten constituent and two affiliated collegesoffering diverse programs of study including language and culture, natural resourcesand sustainable development, business studies, science, and technology, engineer-ing, information technology, and arts and humanities across the different colleges(see Fig. 1).

The Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan (KGUMSB) wasestablished in 2015 to cater for the increasing demand of medical personnel in thecountry. With the establishment of KGUMSB, the erstwhile Royal Institute ofHealth Sciences and National Institute of Traditional Medicine which were theconstituent colleges of RUB were delinked and became the faculty of this new

Higher Education in Bhutan 5

university. Currently, KGUMSB functions with three different faculty, namely, theFaculty of Postgraduate Medicine, Faculty of Nursing and Public Health, andFaculty of Traditional Medicine, under its preview. Three private institutions,namely, Arura Academy of Health Sciences, Royal Thimphu College, and ApolloBhutan Institute of Nursing, also offer nursing study programs affiliated toKGUMSB.

Two other higher education institutions, the Royal Institute of Managementestablished in 1986 and Jigme Singye Wangchuck School of Law established in2015, also offer higher education study programs related to human resource capacitydevelopment, public policy and administration, and legal studies.

Overview and Current Status of Higher Education in Bhutan

According to Tertiary Education Policy of Bhutan 2010, in order to fulfill theobjectives of tertiary education, there are three types of institutions of tertiaryeducation in Bhutan: universities, colleges, and specialized institutes.

These tertiary education institutions in Bhutan offer a wide variety of studyprograms including, but not limited to, humanities, social sciences, natural sciences,commerce, and professional education at both undergraduate and graduate levels.These include courses offered in traditional academic disciplines, employment-oriented specific areas, and cross-cutting competencies including the use of infor-mation technologies. Such coherent programs of study are aimed to produce grad-uates with desired personal attributes, balanced worldview, high levels of analyticaland creative skills, and a broad range of competencies (MoE 2010).

Fig. 1 Constituent and affiliated colleges of the Royal University of Bhutan

6 K. Gyeltshen and R. Dorji

Table 1 Student enrolment in the Royal University of Bhutan

College Program Female Male Total

College of Language andCulture Studies

1. Undergraduate bachelorprograms

581 403 984

2. Undergraduate diplomaprograms

29 23 52

3. Master’s programs 29 9 38

Subtotal 639 435 1074

College of NaturalResources

1. Undergraduate bachelorprogram

533 417 950

2. Master’s programs 10 12 22

Subtotal 543 429 972

College of Science andTechnology

1. Undergraduate bachelorprograms

276 716 992

2. Master’s program 0 3 3

Subtotal 276 719 995

Gaedu College of BusinessStudies

1. Undergraduate bachelorprograms

717 906 1623

2. Master’s program 4 13 17

Subtotal 721 919 1640

Gyalpozhing College ofInformation Technology

1. Undergraduate bachelorprogram

122 145 267

Subtotal 122 145 267

Jigme Namgyel EngineeringCollege

1. Undergraduate bachelorprograms

29 108 137

2. Undergraduate diplomaprograms

204 439 643

Subtotal 233 547 780

Paro College of Education 1. Undergraduate bachelorprograms

677 534 1211

2. Undergraduate diplomaprograms

124 40 164

3. Postgraduate diploma programs 47 92 139

4. Master’s program 18 126 144

Subtotal 866 792 1658

Samtse College of Education 1.Undergraduate bachelor programs

315 253 568

2. Undergraduate diplomaprogram

10 5 15

3. Postgraduate diploma programs 111 149 260

4. Master’s programs 13 62 75

Subtotal 449 469 918

Sherubtse College 1. Undergraduate bachelorprograms

822 782 1604

2. Postgraduate diplomaProgramme

21 29 50

Subtotal 843 811 1654

(continued)

Higher Education in Bhutan 7

As of August 2019, there were a total enrolment of 12,689 students studying inthe tertiary education programs in the country (see Tables 1, 2, and 3). Femalestudent enrolment was slightly lower than males, making up 48.5% of the totalenrolment at the tertiary level.

Table 1 (continued)

College Program Female Male Total

Yonphula Centenary College 1. Master’s programs 11 33 44

Subtotal 11 33 44

Norbuling Rigter College 1. Undergraduate bachelorprograms

174 161 335

Subtotal 174 161 335

Royal Thimphu College 1. Undergraduate bachelorprogram

672 563 1235

Subtotal 672 563 1235

Grand total 5549 6023 11,572

Source: CLCS, CNR, CST, GCBS, GCIT, JNEC, PCE, SCE, SC, YCC, NRC and RTC, 2019

Table 2 Student enrolment in Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Science of Bhutan

College Program Female Male Total

Faculty of PostgraduateMedicine

1. Master’s programs 17 29 46

Subtotal 17 29 46

Faculty of Nursing and PublicHealth

1. Undergraduate diplomaprograms

212 236 458

2. Undergraduate bachelorprograms

21 18 39

Subtotal 233 254 487

Faculty of Traditional Medicine 1. Undergraduate bachelorprogram

11 26 37

2. Undergraduate diplomaprogram

22 17 39

Subtotal 33 43 76

Arura academy of healthsciences

1. Undergraduate diplomaprogram

56 18 74

Subtotal 56 18 74

Royal Thimphu College 1. Undergraduate bachelorprogram

57 6 63

Subtotal 57 6 63

Apollo Bhutan institute ofnursing

1. Undergraduate diplomaprogram

11 0 11

Subtotal 11 00 11

Grand total 407 350 757

Source: FPGM, FNPH, FoTM, AAHS, RTC and ABIN, 2019

8 K. Gyeltshen and R. Dorji

Large numbers of students also study abroad through private funding. Accordingto Annual Education Statistics 2019, there were 5686 students pursuing variousdegree programs outside Bhutan. Majority of the students on government scholar-ships and private funding are studying in India. There are more males receivingscholarship as compared to female.

The gross enrolment ratio (GER) for tertiary education in the country (excludingthose tertiary students outside Bhutan) was estimated at 27.5% with Gender ParityIndex (GPI) of 0.85. The GER and GPI for both studying within and outside Bhutanwas estimated to be 41.6% and 0.82, respectively, in 2018 (MoE 2018). The GER attertiary level is derived by dividing the total enrolment in tertiary education by totalpopulation in the age group of 19–23 years old based on the standard methodologyof the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). However, since the tertiary educationsystem in Bhutan offers mostly undergraduate and diploma programs with courseduration ranging from 2 to 4 years, only the age group of 19–21 are used asdenominator while estimating the GER for 2018. This is adjusted mainly to derivea realistic indicator to measure the participation rate of the population aged 19–21 years at higher education in the context of Bhutan (MoE 2019).

The GER based on the UIS definition, i.e., proportion of 19–23 years oldparticipating in the higher education system (both within and outside Bhutan), isestimated to be about 24.9% for 2019. The sharp decline in GER observed in 2019 iscompared to previous years is due to the change in the methodology (MoE 2019).

The structure of higher education in the country varies depending on the pro-grams. The undergraduate diploma programs are for 2 years, while the undergrad-uate degree programs range from 3 years in case of general bachelor programs to4 years for bachelor with honors program and 5 years for specific programs likeBachelor of Architecture. The Royal University of Bhutan also offers part-timeprogram both at the undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Access, Participation, Retention, and Transition Practices inHigher Education

Access to higher education is free to all provided the students meet the eligibilitycriteria for each of the programs. The selection of students to each of the programs isbased on merit ranking which is calculated using the ability rating for each of theprograms.

Table 3 Student enrolment in two autonomous tertiary institutes

College Program Female Male Total

Jigme Singye Wangchuck school of law All students 40 22 62

Royal Institute of management All students 160 138 298

Grand total 200 160 360

Source: Annual Education Statistics, 2019

Higher Education in Bhutan 9

There is participation from all parts of the country, and disparity does not exist interms of education participation in Bhutan. As there are limited options of studywithin the country, almost all the students complete the program once enrolled.However, there are a few isolated cases of students leaving the college afterenrolment without completing the program when they receive scholarships tostudy abroad in countries such as Thailand, Australia, the United States, Canada,and Europe.

The enrolment of students in the tertiary education within the country hasincreased from 5051 in 2009 to 12,689 in 2019 (MoE 2019). There were just 1775female and 3926 male students enrolled in colleges and institute in 2009, while in2019 there were 6156 (48.5%) female and 6533 (51.5%) male students enrolled in 19tertiary institutes in the country (MoE 2019). This indicates very rapid increase inaccess to tertiary education within a decade. The enrolment of male student isslightly higher than the female. However, the data of individual colleges show thatin many of the colleges, the enrolment of female is more than the male, and in fewyears’ time, the overall female enrolment is going to be higher than the male.

The colleges, faculty, and institutes of two universities and two autonomoustertiary institutes in the country do not have adequate facilities to cater to the needof differently abled candidates. They have to follow the mainstream curriculum.However, there are certain facilities to cater to visually impaired students. Otherdisability considerations are not available in the colleges. This limitation of access totertiary education for children with disabilities is expected to change once theNational Disability Policy, which is in its final stage of development, is formallyendorsed as a policy document.

Since education in Bhutan is free even at the tertiary level for 70% of the studentsenrolled in the colleges for the undergraduate programs, there is no discriminationbased on the social, ethnic, and language minorities. Reservation of scholarship oradmission does not exist for anyone. The admission is open to everyone which ispurely based on academic merit ranking.

However, 30% of the students enrolled in the undergraduate programs are on self-funding, based on the admission policy of RUB. The Department of Adult andHigher Education provides interest-free education loan to these students to pursuehigher education within the country, which can be repaid later after the studentcomplete their studies.

Education Governance

The Ministry of Education has the overall responsibility to formulate tertiary edu-cation policy and for ensuring that the necessary funding for tertiary education isavailable from all possible sources. The MoE is also responsible for the developmentof overall national education system of the country. The Department of Adult andHigher Education (DAHE) established in 2003 is mandated with tertiary educationservices. The tertiary education system is governed by the Tertiary Education Policy2010 (TEP) which has mandated the establishment of the Tertiary Education Board

10 K. Gyeltshen and R. Dorji

(TEB) and the Bhutan Accreditation Council (BAC). TEB and BAC are empoweredbodies that take all major decisions pertaining to planning, establishment, funding,quality assurance, registration, and licensing. They also provide oversight anddirection to the TEIs (MoE 2010).

The Tertiary Education Board is composed of members from relevant stake-holders such as the Gross National Happiness Commission, Ministry of Education,Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Labour and Human Resources, Ministry of Eco-nomic Affairs, Royal Civil Service Commission, and other members drawn fromrelevant professional bodies and eminent professionals.

Funding for tertiary education in Bhutan has been mainly provided by the RoyalGovernment of Bhutan and, through external aid, mostly provided by the Govern-ment of India. However, tertiary education institutions (TEIs) are free to raise fundsfrom endowments, alumni contributions, research, collaboration and consultancyactivities, short programs, and rent from infrastructure. External donor grants to TEIsneed approval of the Gross National Happiness Commission (GNHC &MoE 2013).

The Royal Government of Bhutan supports in terms of meeting the capitalexpenditure – a one-off infrastructure development, building of new colleges andupgrading existing ones – and operating expenditure funding to cover all recurrentcosts such as staff costs, materials, and all other costs required to deliver programsannually in the form of per student cost that the students bring to the college. In therecent years, the colleges have also started enrolling 30% of the undergraduatestudents on self-funding scheme where the students will have to bear their tertiaryeducation expenses.

According to the State of the Tertiary Education in Bhutan 2018 (MoE), thetertiary education expenditure as a percentage of GDP in financial year 2017–2018was 0.75%. In absolute figures, a total expenditure of Nu. 1235.284 million wasspent on tertiary education against Nu. 164,627.92 million GDP in the 2017–2018fiscal year. The expenditure in various universities and institutes for the financialyear 2017–2018 is given in Table 4.

However, the Royal Government of Bhutan considers participation of the privatesector as important strategy to build high-quality tertiary education in specific fieldsand contribute toward developing Bhutan into a knowledge hub. This would alsocreate additional capacity wherever needed, through a cost-sharing operationalmodality. As a result, two colleges under Royal University of Bhutan and threenursing institutes under the Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences ofBhutan were established by the private sector. The third private college in thecountry is in the process of getting established.

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs): Governance Structure andModus Operandi

The Tertiary Education Policy (TEP) 2010 provides overall guidance for the gover-nance structure of higher education institutions in Bhutan (MoE 2010). This policyhas led to the establishment of the Tertiary Education Board (TEB), which is the

Higher Education in Bhutan 11

highest executive decision-making body in terms of managing the tertiary educationsystem in the country through planning and funding, quality assurance, and regis-tration and licensing of both public and private tertiary education institutions. TheBoard was established though an Executive Order issued by the cabinet based on theTertiary Education Policy of the Kingdom of Bhutan 2010. The Hon’ble Minister forEducation chairs the Board. The Department of Adult and Higher Education servesas the Secretariat to the Board (MoE 2019).

Following the establishment of the Tertiary Education Board, the Bhutan Accred-itation Council (BAC) was set up to ensure quality assurance and accreditation. TEBand BAC are empowered and autonomous bodies that take major decisionspertaining to planning, establishment, funding, quality assurance, registration, andlicensing. The Quality Assurance and Accreditation Division of the Department ofAdult and Higher Education (DAHE), MoE, serves as the Secretariat to BAC. Toeffectively implement its role, the BAC has developed Accreditation Principles, theAccreditation Manual, and the Bhutan Qualifications Framework (BQF). BAC hasso far accredited 12 tertiary education institutions in the country (Ra andJagannathan 2018). The TEB has also developed a Tertiary Education Roadmapfor Bhutan (2017–2027), with the aim of developing a forward-looking tertiaryeducation system in Bhutan (MoE 2017). The Tertiary Education Roadmap under-scores the critical role of tertiary education in building long-term human capital andinnovative capacities to support socioeconomic development in the country.

The Royal University of Bhutan was established based on the Royal Charterissued by the Great Fourth, His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck on April 18,2003. The Royal University of Bhutan functions based on the statutes of the RoyalUniversity of Bhutan which was approved by the Lhengye Zhungtshog (CabinetMinisters) on December 25, 2012. The University has a formal Head of the Univer-sity, a Chancellor. His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck is theChancellor of the Royal University of Bhutan.

According to Article 3 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Bhutan, theUniversity Council is the supreme governing authority of the University (RUB2017). The University Council members consist of four government representatives,

Table 4 Tertiary education expenditure

Institutions Capital (millions) Current (millions) Total (millions)

Royal University of Bhutan 500.248 32.144 532.392

Royal institute of management 27.500 47.374 74.874

Khesar Gyalpo university ofmedical sciences

31.893 43.731 75.624

Department of Adult and HigherEducation

298.798 19.392 318.190

Jigme Singye Wangchuck schoolof law

203.385 30.819 234.204

Total 1061.824 173.46 1,235.284

Source: Department of Public Accounts December 2018

12 K. Gyeltshen and R. Dorji

seven representatives chosen by the council from public and private individuals, fiveUniversity representatives including one student, and two others chosen by thecouncil who are not from the University. The Vice Chancellor is the ExecutiveHead of the University and is appointed by the Royal Government on the nominationof the Council. The Vice Chancellor is responsible for the organization, manage-ment, and discipline of the University (RUB 2017b). In addition to the ViceChancellor, the University appoints Registrar who is responsible for day-to-dayadministrative work of the University.

The University also has an Academic Board. The Academic Board is responsiblefor academic affairs, including academic standards, research, and scholarship, teach-ing, and courses at the University, subject to the overall responsibilities of theCouncil and of the Vice Chancellor (RUB 2017a).

The Office of the Vice Chancellor houses Registrar’s office and three departmentswhich cater to various functions in the University. The three departments are headedby the Directors. The Department of Academic Affairs looks after the academic-related matters in the University, while the Department of Planning and Resourceslooks after the overall planning and resources of the University. The Department ofResearch and External Linkages is responsible for promoting research and externalrelations in the University.

Similarly at the college level, College Academic Committee, in principle, is theAcademic Board of the University acting in the College. It serves as the guarantor ofacademic standards and quality in respect of the design, delivery, development, andpromotion of best practices in curricula, programs, general educational matters, andresearch within the Colleges (RUB 2017b). The College is headed by the Presidentand is support by three Deans: Dean of Academic Affairs, Dean of Student Affairs,and Dean of Research and External Linkages.

The Tertiary Education Policy highlights that in order to fulfill the function ofproviding quality education, tertiary education institutions shall have autonomy interms of planning, staffing, finance, and academic matters. As far as is consistentwith the effective fulfillment of their responsibilities, a tertiary education institutionshall develop the effective operation of these functions as deeply as possible withinits organization. Based on this policy, the Royal University of Bhutan was grantedautonomy in terms of financial and human resource management in 2011 to improvethe efficiency and provide quality education.

Study Programs Offered by the Higher Education Institutions inBhutan

The Royal University of Bhutan is fully responsible for providing general under-graduate education. The constituent and affiliated colleges of RUB provide generalundergraduate education in arts, humanities, business studies, science, technology,engineering, and mathematics (Table 5).

As of August 17, 2019, there were around 80 undergraduate diploma andbachelor degree programs offered by constituent and affiliated colleges of the

Higher Education in Bhutan 13

Royal University of Bhutan. The total enrolment of students in the undergraduateprograms was 10,760 out of which 5273 were female and 5487 were male. At theundergraduate level, female enrolment is slightly less than the male. However, theenrolment pattern is changing in many of the colleges. Female student enrolment isincreasing every year, while male enrolment is decreasing (Table 6).

In the Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan, there are 7undergraduate programs offered by 2 different faculties and 3 private nursinginstitute with a total enrolment of 711 students. Out of the total students enrolledin undergraduate programs, 390 are female and 321 are male. The enrolment forfemale is slighter higher than the male in the KGUMSB. This is clear indication ofno gender discrimination for education in the country.

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) began in 1965 at DonBosco Technical School, in Rinchending, Phuntsholing. Later it was renamed asRoyal Technical Institute. In 2001, it was upgraded to the College of Science andTechnology. The National Technical Training Authority (NTTA) was established inthe late 1990s and placed under Ministry of Labour and Human Resources(MoLHR) in 2002. After that, three technical training institutes were established in2003 (MoE 2019). According to Annual Education Statistics 2018, there were 6technical training institutes and 2 Institutes of Zorig Chusum (13 traditional arts andcrafts) managed by MoLHR and 1 autonomous institute of tourism and hospitalitymanaged by the Tourism Council of Bhutan. There were 1,793 trainees with 161instructors as of 2019. Students generally enter the TVET program after completingclass X. Technical and vocational education and training as optional subjects fromclasses IX to XII would start from the next academic session in seven pilot schools(Rinzin 2019) (Table 7).

Two colleges of education, namely, Samtse College of Education and ParoCollege of Education, under the Royal University of Bhutan are responsible forproviding professional education. Samtse College of Education provides Bachelor ofSecondary Education, Bachelor of Primary Education, and undergraduate Diplomain Library and Information Management, while Paro College of Education provides

Table 5 Enrolment in undergraduate programs in RUB

Sl Program Female Male Total

1 Diploma programs 367 507 874

2 Bachelor programs 4906 4980 9886

Total 5273 5487 10,760

Source: Constituent and affiliated Colleges of RUB, 2019

Table 6 Enrolment in undergraduate programs in KGUMSB

Sl Program Female Male Total

1 Diploma programs 301 271 572

2 Bachelor programs 89 50 139

Total 390 321 711

Source: FPGM, FNPH, FoTM, AAHS, RTC and ABIN, 2019

14 K. Gyeltshen and R. Dorji

Bachelor of Primary Education and undergraduate Diploma in Physical Educationand Sports Coach and Early Childhood Care and Development (Table 8).

As of August 2019, the two colleges of education together had a total studentenrolment of 2590 that includes both full-time and part-time students. Even in thetwo colleges of education, female student (1309) enrolment is higher than the male(1281). This may be because more females have started taking up the teachingprofession as maximum enrolment in the two colleges is for training teachers.

Not all the colleges offer postgraduate degrees. The colleges that offer postgrad-uate programs are at the diploma and master’s level. Postgraduate diploma programsfor teachers are offered at three colleges: Paro College of Education, Samtse Collegeof Education, and Yonphula Centenary College under Sherubtse College. Similarly,master’s degree programs are offered at the College of Language and CultureStudies, College of Natural Resources, College of Science and Technology, Gedu

Table 7 List of TTI and student enrolment

Sl Institute Female Male Total

1 Chumey TTI 108 133 241

2 Khuruthang TTI 93 147 240

3 Jigme Wangchuk power training institute 99 202 301

4 Thimphu TTI 13 66 79

5 Institute of Zorig Chusum 63 232 295

6 Royal Institute of tourism and hospitality 52 51 103

7 Rangjung TTI 62 121 183

8 Institute of Zorig Chusum 78 119 197

9 Samthang TTI 30 124 154

Total 598 1195 1793

Source: Annual Education Statistics, 2019

Table 8 Enrolment in professional education programs in RUB

Sl Program Female Male Total

1 Bachelor of secondary education 277 264 541

2 Bachelor of primary education 597 386 983

3 Bachelor of education in Dzongkha 91 128 219

4 Postgraduate diploma in education 125 183 308

5 Postgraduate diploma in contemplative counseling psychology 31 36 67

9 Postgraduate certificate in higher education 20 43 63

10 Postgraduate diploma in higher education 3 8 11

11 Master in education 21 171 192

12 Master in contemplative counseling psychology 10 17 27

13 Diploma in library and information management 10 5 15

14 Diploma in early child care and development 114 5 119

15 Diploma in physical education and sports coach 10 35 45

Total 1309 1281 2590

Source: PCE and SCE, 2019

Higher Education in Bhutan 15

College of Business Studies, Paro College of Education, Samtse College of Educa-tion, and Yonphula Centenary College. However, the master’s programs are veryspecific to each of these colleges. There are no parallel programs offered at differentcolleges at the master’s level (Table 9).

The total enrolment for postgraduate programs in RUB was 792 as of August 25,2019. Out of this 264 were female and 528 were male. At the postgraduate level, theenrolment for female (33%) is much less than the male (77%). The low enrolment offemale student could be due to the social and cultural factors (Table 10).

The enrolment pattern of postgraduate programs in KGUMSB is also similar tothe RUB. The enrolment of female (37%) is much less than the male (63%).However, the pattern might change in the future as the enrolment for female at theundergraduate level is increasing constantly.

PhD program is not offered in any of the colleges in the country. People go toIndia, Europe, Australia, and Canada for pursuing PhD. However, there are plans tostart PhD programs in the RUB colleges within few years from now. Currently, alarge number of faculty members of the two universities are pursuing PhD inAustralia, India, Japan, and many other counties.

Curriculum, Pedagogy, and Assessment Systems

The Tertiary Education Policy 2010 states that GNH-inspired tertiary educationprograms and research shall be characterized by the constant interaction of theoryand practice with the objective of creating the most fruitful environment for change.The point of departure in education, training, and research will always be the practicenecessary to achieve the goals of the society.

In designing, evaluating, and revising programs and planning future develop-ment, tertiary education institutions shall take into account the emergence of newdisciplines and interdisciplinary studies, keeping in mind national priorities, globaltrends, and the desirability to attract foreign students (MoE 2010).

The constituent and affiliated colleges of the Royal University of Bhutan developcurricula for the programs that the colleges wish to offer based on the needassessment and market study. The program is first developed by the workingcommittee in the colleges and endorsed by the College Academic Committee(CAC). Then, the program proposal is submitted to the Academic Planning andResource Committee (APRC) of the Royal University of Bhutan for planning and

Table 9 Enrolment in postgraduate programs in RUB, August 2019

Sl Program Female Male Total

1 Postgraduate certificate programs 20 43 63

2 Postgraduate diploma programs 159 227 386

3 Master’s programs 85 258 343

Total 264 528 792

Source: Constituent Colleges of RUB, 2019

16 K. Gyeltshen and R. Dorji

resource approval. After the planning and resource approval, the program committeein the colleges develops the full program. It is then submitted to the Programmes andQuality Committee (PQC) of the Royal University of Bhutan for endorsement. ThePQC is responsible for the quality and relevancy of the program. After the PQCaccords the approval, it is then submitted to the Academic Affairs Department of theOffice of the Vice Chancellor for validation. Validation of the program is carried outwith the help of external panel members who are experts in the subject. After thevalidation, the final approval to launch the program is given by the Academic Boardof the Royal University of Bhutan.

Furthermore, once a program has been developed, if the other colleges wish tooffer the same program, it must adopt the already existing curriculum (Schofield2016). The resource check for the program must be carried out by the AcademicAffairs Department of the Office of the Vice Chancellor. The approved programs arereviewed based on the dates mentioned in the validation report, which is generallyafter completing a cycle or 1 year after completing a cycle.

Pedagogy is considered very important for teaching and learning in the RoyalUniversity of Bhutan. Engaging the student in learning is very important to makethem understand the contents that are taught in the class. The use of traditionalmethod of lecture in the class is highly discouraged in the colleges. Faulty membersare expected to use pedagogy that are student centered and engage the students inlearning. In order to make learning more active and meaningful for the student,strategies like collaborative learning, inquiry learning, discovery learning, brain-based learning, field learning, and project method are used.

Further, considering the importance of pedagogy, RUB has made it mandatory forthe new faculty members to have at least a postgraduate certificate or postgraduatediploma in education. In addition to that, the new faculty members who do not haveformal teaching qualification must attend 10 days’ induction program on UniversityLearning and Teaching organized by the Centre for University Learning and Teach-ing (CULT) of the RUB.

However, there are challenges in using pedagogy which engage students inlearning because of the large number of students in the class and also due to moreworkload for the faculty members. It is also challenging for many of the facultymembers to use those pedagogies as they do not have adequate training in thepedagogy.

Assessment reflects the achievement by the individual student in fulfilling theprogram objectives, in relation to a consistent national standard of awards. Assess-ment, both summative and formative, serves as useful feedback to students. It is amatter of judgment, not simply of computation (RUB 2017a). Marks and

Table 10 Enrolment in postgraduate programs in KGUMSB August 2019

Sl Program Female Male Total

1 Postgraduate programs 17 29 46

Total 17 29 47

Source: FPGM 2019

Higher Education in Bhutan 17

percentages are not treated as absolute values but as symbols to be used byexaminers to communicate their judgment of different aspects of a student’s work,to provide information on which the final decision on a student’s fulfillment ofprogram objectives may be based.

Assessment approach in the University consists of both formative and summa-tive. But the percentage of formative and the summative assessment is based on thenature of the modules. In some cases modules are fully assessed through formativeassessment. Generally the assessment in the higher education in the University is notexam oriented. The move is toward the formative assessment, thereby involving thestudent in doing various tasks like project, field work, reflection, and literaturereviews which are more useful for them to develop knowledge, skills, and attitudeinstead of mugging up the information and reproducing it in the exams.

Use of Technology in Higher Education

The use of technology in the higher education has been accorded a high priority bythe Royal Government of Bhutan and the University. It is inevitable for the institutesto make use of the modern technology for teaching and learning process.

Though online courses are very rare, the use of online learning managementsystem is considered very important. Throughout the colleges of RUB, VirtualLearning Environment (VLE) using Moodle as the platform is mandatory in all theconstituent colleges. Faculty members make use of the VLE while on campus andalso when they are out of station. Students and teacher use this VLE to interact,involve in discussion, share teaching learning resources, and assess and gradestudent work. Free internet facilities are provided in all the campuses of RUBcolleges for both faculty members and students.

Recently, RUB has started using the RUB Information Management System foroverall management of the information in the Royal University of Bhutan. The useof online journal is an important component of teaching and learning in the RUBboth at the undergraduate and postgraduate level. Students have free access to onlinejournal articles from EBSCO, JSTOR, DOAJ, and Research4life.

Further, in order to improve the efficiency of online administrative systems, in-house software for online university admission and selection of students has beendeveloped and is operational. This is, however, limited for programs that are meantfor class XII passout students (MoE 2014a).

A uniform student email address has also been initiated for the new batch ofstudents from 2013. Within the next few years, all students in the University willeach have a RUB email address. This emailing service is expected to build a strongbase for communication and information sharing and to bridge the gap between thestudents and management including faculty for any support services (MoE 2014b).

A university-wide electronic mailing system through the use of Google Apps foreducation has been created. Currently, a uniform RUB email address has beencreated to all staff of the University (MoE 2014b). The University is now monitoringthe use of this email for communication and providing facilitation services. A

18 K. Gyeltshen and R. Dorji

common mailing list has been created that can help the managers share informationand communicate effectively with all staff effectively.

Lately, the Ministry of Education has launched the iSherig-2: Education ICTMaster Plan 2019–2023, which will serve as the guiding document of creating atechnology enabled education system. In the implementation of this master plan, thetwo colleges of education under the Royal University of Bhutan in particular will beinvolved as key partners because enhancing the ICT competency of educators is oneof the core focuses of this guiding document.

Faculty Preparation, Professional Development, Social andEconomic Status, and Career Paths

Faculty development is considered very important by the Royal University ofBhutan and the Royal Government of Bhutan in order to provide quality highereducation to its citizens. A large number of faculty members avail scholarship to goto India, Australia, the United States, Thailand, and Japan for upgrading theirqualification and for professional development.

To be eligible to become a teaching faculty in tertiary education institutions, anaspiring applicant is required to have a minimum qualification of a bachelor degreewith a condition that they acquire a master’s degree within 4 years after theappointment. It is mandatory for the new faculty members to attend 10 days’induction program on university learning and teaching within a semester of theirjoining the college. It is also mandatory for the new faculty members of the RoyalUniversity of Bhutan to have teaching qualification. Therefore, Samtse College ofEducation offers part-time programs for the faculty members of higher educationinstitutes in the country. The two part-time programs are Postgraduate Certificate andPostgraduate Diploma in Higher Education.

Since there are very limited master’s level study programs in the country, almostall the faculty members go out for pursuing master’s degree. Further, no PhDprograms are offered in the country, and so, all faculty members with PhD qualifi-cation have completed their PhD studies from countries like India, Australia, Europe,Thailand, Japan, and other countries.

There are continuous professional development programs organized at the collegeand institutional level and at the national level for the faculty members. Theseprofessional development programs at the national level for the faculty membersare organized by the Centre for University Learning and Teaching of the Departmentof Academic Affairs, Office of the Vice Chancellor, Royal University of Bhutan. Alarge number of faculty members also constantly go out of Bhutan for the profes-sional development programs (Table 11).

There are 462 faculty members in 10 constituent and 2 affiliated colleges. Out ofthe total, only 28% are female, while 72% are male. In terms of qualification, only11% of the faculty members have PhD qualification, while maximum facultymembers have master’s qualification. There are also a large number of faculty

Higher Education in Bhutan 19

members with bachelor’s qualification, and it accounts for 23% of the total faculty.The situation of the faculty member of KGUMSB is also quite similar to RUB.

Comparatively, faculty members of the higher education institutes have highersocial status in the country, and they also enjoy relatively higher economic status.Even the opportunities for the faculty member to attend professional developmentprograms are better. They get opportunities to attend conferences and seminars andpresent papers at the national and international level (Table 12).

There is a clear career path for the faculty members of the Royal University ofBhutan. The career ladder of faculty members starts from Assistant Lecturer which isat position level 6. The highest career ladder is the Professor which is at positionlevel 1. Any faculty member can get promotion from one level to a higher level if therequirement is fulfilled which is based on teaching and service for the lower levels.Individuals can apply for promotion after a minimum of 2 years in the same levelprovided they fulfill all the criteria. From level 4 onward, an individual faculty canget promoted to the next level within 2 years if they have managed to get the requirednumber of research and scholarly publications in refereed journals and have broughtin research or any other forms of grants to support research and other academicactivities in the College.

The promotion criteria that define the career paths of academics in highereducation institutions especially under the Royal University of Bhutan has beendone to motivate academics to pursue research and scholarly activities with addedrigor and commitment; there are indications that such a requirement actually has

Table 11 Number of faculty by qualification in RUB colleges, August 2019

Sl College

Qualification Gender GrandtotalPhD Master Bachelor Female Male

1 College of Language andCulture Studies

1 35 21 10 47 57

2 College of Natural Resources 11 28 14 14 39 53

3 College of Science andTechnology

5 46 22 24 53 73

4 Gaedu College of businessstudies

9 57 1 14 53 67

5 Gyalpozhing College ofinformation technology

1 7 14 11 11 22

6 Jigme Namgyel engineeringCollege

0 24 24 9 39 48

7 Paro College of education 11 49 8 20 48 68

8 Samtse College of education 10 34 5 16 33 49

9 Sherubtse College 12 66 24 30 72 102

10 Yonphula centenary College 5 0 0 2 3 5

11 Norbuling Rigter College 0 21 0 5 16 21

12 Royal Thimphu College 7 72 0 27 50 77

Total 72 439 133 182 464 642

Source: Constituent and affiliated Colleges of RUB, 2019

20 K. Gyeltshen and R. Dorji

resulted in results that are contrary to what was expected. Considering the currentworking conditions and the scope, academics have to actively engage in research andother scholarly pursuits; many see this as very stringent and limiting the opportunityof career advancement. Although there is no empirical research evidence to supportthese claims, there are also evidence where such a stringent promotion criteria hasalso discouraged experienced school teachers to join the university colleges asfaculty members.

Research in Higher Education

A strategic objective for Bhutan shall be to increase research, innovation, and the useof new knowledge in all aspects of the country’s work, to improve the system for thedissemination of information and the provision of relevant information to persons inneed of that information, and to develop a culture of enquiry and investigation in thesociety (MoE 2010).

The Research and Innovation Committee (RIC) particularly in RUB promotesresearch and innovation within the University and its associated professions. Thiscommittee is responsible to formulate, for approval by the Academic Board, policiesto promote research and innovation in the University; taking account of externalresearch policy developments by the Royal Government of Bhutan and other fundersand also ensure implementation in accordance with the policy. This committee issupported by the Research Ethics Sub-Committee which is responsible to ensure thatresearch conducted in the University complies with appropriate ethical standards(RUB 2017c).

Table 12 Number of faculty by qualification in KGUMSB, August 2019

Sl College

Qualification Gender GrandtotalPhD Master Bachelor Diploma Certificate Female Male

1 Faculty ofPostgraduateMedicine

0 74 0 0 0 28 46 74

2 Faculty of Nursingand Public Health

1 24 7 2 1 20 15 35

3 Faculty ofTraditionalMedicine

0 8 4 0 0 3 9 12

4 Arura academy ofhealth sciences

0 1 7 0 0 6 2 8

5 Royal ThimphuCollege

1 4 2 0 0 4 3 7

6 Apollo Bhutaninstitute of nursing

0 1 2 0 0 3 0 3

Total 2 112 22 2 1 64 75 139

Source: FPGT, FNPH, FoTM, AAHS, PTC, ABIN, 2019

Higher Education in Bhutan 21

RUB Research Policies is the primary reference regarding research for membersof the University (administrators, faculty, staff, and students) as well as affiliates andanyone involved in research with the University or using University resources. TheResearch Policies (ZHIB TSHOL) of the RUB was endorsed by the 14th Researchand Innovation Committee in October 2013 and approved by the 29th AcademicBoard, which is the primary academic authority of the University responsible foracademic affairs, including academic standards, research, scholarship, teaching, andprograms at the University (RUB 2016). The policies define the official policies,procedures, and structures of the University governing all aspects of research.

In the past research was not given much importance; that is why it has notdeveloped well. However, today it is considered very important in order to makedecision because it provides empirical evidence. Research is also considered veryimportant to fulfill the goal of knowledge-based society. It is only through researchthat knowledge can be created, and this can help Bhutan to become a knowledge-based society.

Most research related to Gross National Happiness and history of the country arecarried out by the Centre for Bhutan Studies which is an organization of the RoyalGovernment of Bhutan. Other research related to each specific area are carried out byindividual organization. The Ministry of Agriculture has various research centerslocated in different parts of the country to carry out research related to agriculture inthe country.

Further, the Ministry of Education established the Education Endowment Fundon June 1, 2014. The Education Endowment Fund was officially launched on August23, 2016 (MoE 2018). The Fund is managed by the Board under the chairmanship ofHon’ble Education Minister supported by the Technical Committee. The TeacherProfessional Support Division, Department of School Education, is the Secretariat ofthe Fund. The main purpose of the fund is to enhance the quality of teaching andlearning through promotion of action research among schools.

The Royal University of Bhutan has instituted the Annual University ResearchGrant (AURG), which is provided to the faculty members of the constituent collegesof RUB to carry out research. There are various categories based on which the grantis provided after the proposal is evaluated by the research committee of the RUB.

At the college level, there is the College Research Stimulus Fund which is aimedat promoting research among the faculty members. This fund is given to those peoplewhose proposal are accepted by the College Research Committee after the evalua-tion, and it is mainly aimed at improving teaching and learning through researchactivities in the college.

Internationalization of Higher Education in Bhutan

There are a few international students from Australia, Europe, and Japan who cometo Bhutan for higher education. These international students are on exchange pro-grams, or they have come to Bhutan to complete their studies. As of August2019, there were 36 students from various countries for the exchange programs

22 K. Gyeltshen and R. Dorji

in the various colleges of the Royal University of Bhutan. Few students from variouscolleges of RUB also go for exchange programs in Europe, the United States,and Australia.

A large number of Bhutanese students go out of Bhutan for higher education. Ofall the countries, the majority of students go to India for both undergraduate andpostgraduate studies. There are also a large number of students who go to Australiafor higher education. Besides these two countries, a few students also go to Europe,the United States, Canada, Thailand, etc. Most of the students who go to thesecountries are on various scholarships provided by these countries, and there are a fewstudents who go on private funding.

According to the State of the Tertiary Education in Bhutan 2018, there were 1465student pursuing higher education in various countries on scholarship, and maxi-mum of them are studying in India. A significant number of students also studyabroad through private funding. As of 2018, there were 4,251 students pursuingvarious degree courses through private funding outside Bhutan. The limited intakecapacity of the tertiary education institutions in the country to accommodate highschool graduates is the reason for many students studying outside the country.

There are a few countries which have played an important role in the establish-ment of higher education. India has played a significant role in the establishment ofhigher education institutions in the country. Further, countries such as Japan havealso played an important role in the establishment of vocational training institutes.

Many universities abroad who have collaborations with the RUB and KGUMSBhave also played an important role in further strengthening tertiary education inthe country. The University of Delhi, India, has played a major role in thehigher education in Bhutan. Other universities include the University of NewEngland, Australia, London School of Education, and University of New Brunswickin Canada.

Quality Initiatives, Reforms, and Innovation

The quality of higher education is one of the important concerns of His Majesty theKing and the Royal Government of Bhutan. Therefore, all the colleges under the twouniversities in Bhutan are required to create and maintain an effective qualityassurance system that covers all programs offered in the colleges. To ensure highstandards and quality of academic programs and teaching and learning in highereducation, a periodic, critical evaluation of each program by those staff involved inthe program’s operation and an evaluation of the operation of the program by a groupof peers, including external members, are already instituted in place. This evaluationincludes direct discussions with the staff, students, and other relevant persons.Further, each of the college under the university must be accredited by the BhutanAccreditation Council.

The first ever education policy of Bhutan was developed in 1976 on thecommand of His Majesty the Fourth King of Bhutan, and then this policy was

Higher Education in Bhutan 23

revised in 1986 (Rabgay 2012). Further in 2016, Education Blueprint for 2016–2020was developed by the Ministry of Education. The education policy of Bhutan wasdrafted in 2018 and it is still in the draft form.

The Tertiary Education Policy 2010 is the only policy document related to highereducation in Bhutan. Besides, there are no other policies related to the highereducation in the country. A legislation such as an Education Act may provide atimely direction to maintain a high standard of tertiary education comparable to anyinternational standards.

Within the Royal University of Bhutan, especially for academic-related task, theWheel of Academic Law (WAL) is the guiding document for any kind of programdevelopment and other related issues. The Wheel of Academic Law is the definitivecompilation of policies, regulations, and guidelines governing academic matters ofthe Royal University of Bhutan. It provides the framework for the conduct of theRoyal University of Bhutan’s academic activities and is intended to be a guide for themember colleges and institutes of the Royal University of Bhutan (RUB 2017a).

Within the RUB, for check and balance to ensure that the University is contin-uously growing and the study programs that the University offers are dynamic,vibrant, and of high quality, the University has also developed the Royal Universityof Bhutan Human Resource Rules and Regulation in 2017 and also put in place theRUB Governance Manual and RUB Financial Manual after RUB was granted theautonomy in 2011.

Legal or Administrative Grievance Redressal System for Students,Teachers, and Administrative and Service Staff, With or WithoutSocial Security

The Royal University of Bhutan has a University Grievance Redressal System. TheOffice of the Vice Chancellor also has a Legal Officer. A staff may appeal to the ViceChancellor or Legal Officer on administrative decision taken by the College/OVCand within the prescribed period (RUB 2017b). All administrative and disciplinaryissues concerning a staff are acted upon by University when an individualapproaches as per the provision of rule except criminal proceedings, which areunder the jurisdiction of Courts.

The Human Resource Committee (HRC) and College Management Committee(CMC)/Senior Management Committee (SMT) of the Colleges/OVC function as theDisciplinary Committee and initiate disciplinary action against an erring staff. Thepowers to impose penalty on a staff lie with the HRC. The HRC may designate, fromwithin the University, a responsible and competent staff as an investigator orconstitute an Investigation Committee to conduct formal investigation of an admin-istrative case against a staff under the Committee’s jurisdiction and submit investi-gation report.

The grievances for academic-related matters for the student are dealt with by theAcademic Appeals Committee. A student may appeal to the Academic AppealsCommittee of the University against the finding or penalty imposed by the Board of

24 K. Gyeltshen and R. Dorji

Examiners. An appeal must be lodged in writing with the Secretary to the AcademicAppeals Committee within 14 days of the date of the decision appealed against andmust be based on the one or both of the grounds specified under paragraph 3 “Rightof Appeal” (RUB 2017b). Students lodging an appeal are required to submit anominal fee of Nu 1000 (subject to periodic review) with their appeal documenta-tion. The appeal fee is non-refundable.

Challenges Facing Higher Education in Bhutan

From just a single fledgling undergraduate college that was affiliated to the Univer-sity of Delhi, India, in 1983, now the country has 2 universities with 12 colleges, 3faculty, 3 private nursing institutes, and 2 autonomous tertiary institutes. The totalnumber of students enrolled in higher education within the country has increasedfrom few hundreds to more than 12,000 students in 2019. In a short period of time,just as how it has witnessed extraordinary growth and development in the educationsector as a whole, Bhutan has succeeded in making quantum leaps when it comes tothe development of tertiary or higher education. The growth and developments in thehigher education especially in the last decade or so have been spectacular in terms ofinfrastructure facilities, quality, and diversity of the academic programs offered andthe enhancement of the educational qualifications of higher education academics,which has a direct positive impact in the quality of classroom teaching and learning.

Despite this phenomenal growth, like education systems in many other develop-ing nations, the challenges confronting the Bhutanese higher education system aremany and innumerous. Some of the key challenges are:

Increasing Access. Increasing the access to higher education institution toaccommodate the increasing number of students completing higher secondaryschool is one of the challenges. The expansion of higher education facilities andinfrastructure in the country had not been able to accommodate all the students whoqualify for tertiary education in the country. As a result, a large number of studentsgo outside Bhutan to pursue higher education.

Quality of Education. Education in Bhutan has always received a high priorityfrom the Royal Government of Bhutan, but it also has been a sector where people’sconcerns regarding the perceived decline in the quality of education have received anincreasing scrutiny and debate in the last decade or so (MoE 2014). In the recentyears, the quality and standards of the university graduates have been heavilycriticized, and as a consequence, the quality of higher education has become anational concern. Although there is no empirical evidence to prove that the qualityof higher education and education in general has declined besides the records ofstudents’ performance in year-end examinations and the recent PISA-D test admin-istered to students in Bhutan, the concerns the Bhutanese populace has regarding thequality of education including that of higher education are genuine and havemanaged to capture the attention of the Royal Government of Bhutan, which is apositive development.

Higher Education in Bhutan 25

Research. Research is just beginning to pick up in the higher education system. Itwas introduced very recently, and the amount of fund available is very negligible.Therefore, it is not able to support many researchers to carry out research activities.Each college is mandated to allocate only 1% of its annual budget for research whichis a very small amount. Besides the research fund available in the respectivecolleges, the central university office also provides some research fund through theAnnual University Research Grant (AURG), which is also meager when viewedfrom the number of academics in the colleges of RUB. Thus, the lack of funding tosupport a robust culture of research that facilitates higher education academics topursue research with greater rigor for research-informed teaching and learning off-sets the goal of promoting research among the higher education academics. In theabsence of adequate financial resources to support research and scholarly pursuits,the goal of building a sound higher education system will remain a distant dreambecause evidences show that research is one of the key determinants of successfulhigher education institutions.

Mismatch Between the Education and the Job Market. There is no in-depthanalysis of the unemployment situation in the country. But it is believed that there ismismatch of skills to jobs in the market which has resulted in unemployment(Kuensel 2017). This is believed to be due to mismatch between the higher educationthat is provided in the country and the jobs that is available in the market. Theeducation that is provided does not seem to be preparing people for the world ofwork. Knowledge and skills gained are not really applicable in the real-worldsituation which led to a high unemployment rate in the country and is one of themajor concerns for the government and His Majesty the King.

Resources. Lack of financial and human resources is one of the greatest chal-lenges of higher education in Bhutan. Due to financial constraints, the infrastructureand other facilities cannot be expanded or improved to increase the access. Further, ithas impact on the human resource development as human resources cannot betrained. This finally impact the quality of higher education provided in the country.

Bhutan’s Tertiary Education Policy 2010 states that:

ATertiary Education Act shall set out criteria for the establishment of universities, colleges,and institutes. It shall provide for the protection of the titles (“university,” “college,” and“institute”) and awards. It shall set out the powers of the Tertiary Education Board, theBhutan Accreditation Council, and the Registrar for the Tertiary Education and their rolesand responsibilities and such other professional bodies and positions in the governance,interpretation and operational processes of the tertiary education system in Bhutan (p. 29).

Except for the Tertiary Education Policy and draft Education Policy, there isneither Education Act nor Tertiary Education Act in the country. Therefore, there isan urgent need to have Education and Tertiary Education Act to improve and providequality education to its citizens.

The current Tertiary Education Policy that was developed in 2010 is not reallyserving the purpose. Though many things are spelled out in the policy, in realityimplementation is not happening according to the policy. So there is also an urgent

26 K. Gyeltshen and R. Dorji

need to review the Tertiary Education Policy of the country if the higher educationsystem is to improve and provide quality education to its citizens.

Conclusion

Bhutan has made commendable progress in education. However, more needs to bedone to improve quality. In response to this challenge, numerous measures have beeninitiated such as school reform programs, teacher development programs, andcurriculum and assessment reforms.

In the light of ongoing reforms within the sector and to make education morerelevant for changing needs and expectations, the National Education Policy 2018was drafted with an aim to provide overarching directions for building and nurturingan education system that prepares citizens who are nationally rooted and globallycompetent.

Further, Bhutan’s tertiary education system has made remarkable progress withina short period of time. With just one college offering undergraduate degree programin 1983 with a handful of students, it now has two universities offering diverseundergraduate and postgraduate programs of study including language and culture,natural resources and sustainable development, business studies, science, and tech-nology, engineering, information technology, and arts and humanities.

In spite of the unprecedented growth and development, tertiary education inBhutan is still grappling with challenges such as inadequate intake capacity to absorbthe increasing population of high school graduates from the school system; quality ofeducation and alignment of the student knowledge, skills, and competencies with theworld of work; promotion of research and scholarly pursuits; and finally inadequatefinancial resources to support the overall development initiatives of higher educationsystem in the country.

Nevertheless, with the current political ruling government’s commitment andpriority to invest in the health and education sector in the next 5 years of develop-ment, higher education in Bhutan is expected to improve considerably in terms ofboth quality and quantity in the years to come.

Cross-References

▶Higher Education Systems and Policy▶ School Education in Bhutan: Policy, Current Status, and Challenges▶ Schools Education System and Policies

References

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Gross National Happiness Commission. (2013). 11 Five year plan: 2013–2018. Thimphu: GrossNational Happiness Commission, Royal Government of Bhutan.

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