Royal Institute for Governance and Strategic Studies

LDP-2 for DGPCL - Closing

The six-day leadership course for the second batch of senior leaders concluded with a session on the State of Bhutan’s Economy: Its Future and the Role of the Energy Sector by Dasho Chhewang Rinzin, MD, DGPC.

The closing ceremony was graced by Dasho Chhewang Rinzin, where the participants were awarded the course completion certificates.

During the closing programme, Dasho Chhewang urged participants to engage in continual reflection as a means of setting clear priorities for the following day. He also underscored the importance of self-leadership, echoing His Majesty The King’s wisdom: “What we need is not a leader to lead the masses, we need leadership of the self.”

Dasho Tashi Wangyal, Interim Head of RIGSS, also took a moment to express how deeply RIGSS values our partnership with DGPC.

Twenty-eight participants attended the training.

LDP - 2 for DGPCL

A week-long leadership course for the second cohort of senior employees of Druk Green Power Corporation Limited (DGPCL) commenced today.

The course aims to enhance key leadership competencies for effective personal and organisational development, build camaraderie and social capital among the employees, and foster common ethos and culture to advance their organisation’s vision.

The course includes sessions on Neuroscience Based Mindfulness and Emotional Intelligence, Leadership, Creating an Engaged Workplace, Presentation and Communication Skills, Organisational Culture, Leveraging AI, State of Bhutan’s Economy: Its Future and the Role of Energy Sector among other learning activities like fireside chat and watching leadership documentary.

SLDP-15 Closing

The seven-day leadership Programme for the 15th batch of the School Leaders concluded today with a session on ‘Bhutanese Education: The Vision and a Care for Reform’ by Director Tashi Namgyal of DSE, MoESD.

The Director also graced the closing ceremony and awarded the course completion certificates to the participants. In his closing remarks, Director Tashi Namgyal urged the school principals to strategically translate their learnings through such training programmes into practice within their schools, emphasising that raising education standards depends on strong leadership and well-supported teachers. Drawing on TALIS findings, he informed the participants that higher teacher satisfaction drives better learning outcomes in students, and stressed that our education system must prepare students to meet the future demands of GMC as envisioned by His Majesty The King.

Thirty-one principals attended the training programme.

School Leaders Development Programme (SLDP) – 15

The seven-day leadership course for the 15th batch of the School Leaders Development Programme (SLDP) commenced today with an orientation session. The programme is designed to strengthen the instructional leadership capabilities of school leaders while fostering a professional network of educators, experts, and policymakers for continuous learning and development.

SLDP is organised in collaboration with the Department of School Education, MoESD. The programme aims to inspire school leaders to drive meaningful change and develop 21st-century skills among students and educators by enhancing leadership competencies.

Thirty-two school leaders, including CDEOs, are participating in the programme.

Book Launch | The Contractual Monarchy: Modern Buddhist Kingship in Bhutan

We extend our sincere gratitude to everyone who joined us for the launch of this book. Held on the auspicious occasion of Zhabdrung Kuchoe, the event served as a timely reminder of Bhutan’s enduring traditions of leadership, continuity, and renewal, values that resonate strongly with the ideas explored in the book.

We were deeply honoured by the presence of our Guest of Honour, His Excellency, the former Chief Justice of Bhutan, Lyonpo Sonam Tobgye, whose support and thoughtful engagement with the book, both at this launch and during its development, have been invaluable. Our heartfelt gratitude also goes to the author, Dasho Dr. Sonam Kinga, the inaugural Research Fellow, for this important and timely contribution that invites us to rethink monarchy, legitimacy, and Bhutan’s unique political journey.

This publication is the result of ten months of sustained research by the author as a Research Fellow at the Institute, culminating in three consecutive publications in 2024, 2025, and 2026.

For those interested, hard copies of the book are available for purchase. Please get in touch with us at [email protected]

An excerpt from the upcoming book, 'The Contractual Monarchy: Modern Buddhist Kingship in Bhutan', by Dasho Dr. Sonam Kinga.

Join us for the launch on 26 April 2026 by registering through the link. - https://events.rigss.bt/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=frm_forms_preview&form=even-form2

Limited slots left - register now!

"The Bhutanese monarchy is not a relic of the past. On the contrary, it has come to symbolise Bhutanese modernity. Not only is the institution modern, but it has also modernised Bhutanese society.

Its credentials as a modern institution are founded on the timing of its establishment, its ideological basis, and its role in modernising society and building a modern nation.
The Bhutanese monarchy, as well as those founded or restored in the 20th century, cannot be deemed survivors. They are rather starting anew as modern political institutions. Moreover, it was not another Bhutanese dynasty being established to replace an older one. Rather, its founding as a new political establishment was a reaction against the institutional and systemic weaknesses of the earlier monastic state. It was also not founded on the idea of divine rights but on the modern one of popular consent.

Additionally, it was the primary actor in the nation-building process, providing a common national identity to Bhutan's diverse ethnolinguistic groups. It modernised the country's education, health, transport, communications, bureaucracy, and, indeed, the economy. Perhaps most importantly, it preserved Bhutan's sovereignty and independence in a tumultuous century, when the region was beset by political conflicts and geostrategic rivalries that led to the disappearance of many of Bhutan's neighbours."

Book recommendations | A selection of books recommended by our faculty during the sessions. 📚✨Comment if you’ve read any of the books. 🤩

Invitation to the Book Launch

RIGSS is delighted to extend this public invitation to interested individuals for the launch of the book ‘The Contractual Monarchy: Modern Buddhist Kingship in Bhutan’. The book, authored by Dasho Dr. Sonam Kinga, a RIGSS Faculty Member who is also a World Fellow of the International Leadership Centre at Yale University, will be launched coinciding with the auspicious occasion of Zhabdrung Kuchoe.

It provides a comprehensive analysis and insights into the ideological foundations and expressions of the Bhutanese monarchy. Situated within the broader field of kingship studies, it adopts a multidisciplinary and comparative approach to study Buddhist kingship in Bhutan and its modern expressions in the Wangchuck Dynasty. Details of the event are given in the flyer below.

Kindly register using the link below. Seats will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
https://events.rigss.bt/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=frm_forms_preview&form=even-form2

Based on our past experiences, we have observed that some registered participants fail to show up for the event. We would be most grateful if you could kindly inform us in advance should you be unable to join, as this will greatly assist us in managing the logistics.