The Druk Gyalpo's Institute is a non-profit, autonomous educational institution in Pangbisa, Paro, established by royal command as a tribute to the leadership and legacy of the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, Jigme Singye Wangchuck. It aims to provide world-class school education, especially to children from disadvantaged backgrounds, and comprises three bodies: the Royal Academy, the Education Research Centre and the Teacher Development Centre.
The Druk Gyalpo's Institute is a non-profit, autonomous educational institution located at Pangbisa in Paro, Bhutan. Conceived as an initiative of His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, it was established as an enduring tribute to the leadership and legacy of his father, the Fourth Druk Gyalpo Jigme Singye Wangchuck.[1]
The institute reflects a royal emphasis on the role of education in national development — empowering citizens, narrowing economic and social disparities, and nurturing successive generations of capable leaders. A particular objective is to provide world-class schooling to talented children from humble and economically vulnerable backgrounds, enabling them to continue their education and realise their potential.[2]
Structure
The Druk Gyalpo's Institute is organised into three bodies. The Royal Academy is its school, providing residential education with an emphasis on values, leadership and academic excellence. The Education Research Centre conducts research to inform teaching and learning, and the Teacher Development Centre focuses on training and professional development for educators. Together these aim to develop and disseminate world-class knowledge and skills for teaching, learning and education research within Bhutan.[1]
Leadership and wider role
The institute has been led by the educationist Dasho Arun Kapur as its director. His prominence in Bhutanese education was underlined when he was named among the leaders appointed to help drive the Gelephu Mindfulness City project, the flagship special administrative region announced by the King.[3] The Druk Gyalpo's Institute thus sits within a broader contemporary effort to strengthen Bhutanese human capital and leadership for the country's long-term development.
References
See also
Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan
The Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan (KGUMSB), established in 2012 and named after the Fifth Druk Gyalpo, is Bhutan's sole university dedicated to health sciences education. It trains doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals to strengthen Bhutan's constitutional commitment to free universal healthcare.
society·4 min readWangsel Institute for the Deaf
Wangsel Institute for the Deaf in Drugyel, Paro, is Bhutan's only school for deaf students, established in 2003 as a unit at Drugyel Lower Secondary School, granted special-institute status in 2020, and the home of Bhutanese Sign Language development.
society·4 min readInstitute of Traditional Medicine Services (Bhutan)
The Institute of Traditional Medicine Services (ITMS), formerly the National Institute of Traditional Medicine, is the principal Bhutanese institution for the practice, training and pharmaceutical production of Sowa Rigpa traditional medicine. Established in stages from 1968, it operates a hospital and pharmaceutical laboratory in Thimphu and trains drungtshos and menpas through the Faculty of Traditional Medicine of Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan.
society·5 min readDruk PNB Bank
Druk PNB Bank Limited is a Bhutanese commercial bank, established in 2010 as a joint venture between Punjab National Bank of India (51 percent) and Bhutanese investors (49 percent). It was the first foreign-invested bank in Bhutan and the country's fourth licensed commercial bank, with branches in seven dzongkhag headquarters.
society·4 min readDruk Air
Druk Air is the national airline of Bhutan, established in 1981 by royal charter. As the sole carrier serving Paro International Airport for over three decades, it has played a central role in connecting the isolated Himalayan kingdom to the outside world and remains integral to the country's carefully managed tourism policy.
society·6 min readThe Druk Journal
The Druk Journal is Bhutan's premier intellectual journal, a nonpartisan biannual publication dedicated to policy analysis, cultural commentary, and the development of informed public discourse. Founded with the goal of expanding national conversation on governance, development, and society, it has been described by UNDP representatives as unique in its category for promoting independent thinking in Bhutan.
society·5 min read
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