News about the English program at Dzongsar Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö Institute, the scholarship programs, the new Khyentse Awards, and an new education exchange initiative.
The English program at Dzongsar Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö Institute (DKCLI) in India, where KF supports approximately 500 students, is now offering both full- and part-time courses, as well as classes for monks to study at an advanced level. The objective is to train qualified Buddhist teachers for the English-speaking world.
In addition to our existing scholarship programs, the scholarships committee is working with our advisor, Professor Peter Skilling, to implement his idea for Khyentse Awards. These awards are intended to encourage and support the study of Buddhism as well as increase awareness of the Foundation. The awards will be made through selected universities to students chosen by their faculty for excellence in Buddhist studies. We expect to start with one or two centers of excellence and to expand the program in the future.
A new education initiative involves exchange programs to bring Tibetan scholars and khenpos to have teaching, study, and living experiences at universities in the West. In 2010, two DKCLI scholars will take up residence at the Sakya Centre in Washington, D.C. and spend four months as visiting scholars at George Washington University. Another DKCLI khenpo will begin a similar program at UC Berkeley.
The Khyentse Foundation 2009-2010 Budgets and Activities (a PowerPoint presentation), presented and approved during the board meeting, is available upon request. To receive the presentation, send an e-mail to [email protected].