BA Development Studies

His research interests in Development Studies covers climate change, culture and society, and education, with a particular focus on the impacts of climate change on high-altitude herders in Bhutan, annual rituals, and rural interactions between deities and villagers. He is currently conducting research on Multispecies Migration in the Climate-Changed Himalayas, funded by ICIMOD Himalayan University Consortium in collaboration with Royal Thimphu College.

In addition to his academic and research engagements, he is a Himalayan collaborator in the Pandemic Narratives of Tibet and the Himalayas project. He also serves as a member of the Review Panel for the BSc in Sustainable Development programme at the College of Natural Resources, Royal University of Bhutan.

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After completing his Masters degree, Dr. Aaditya worked as a visiting faculty in the Department of Management at Sri Ramaswamy Memorial University, Sikkim. He has also worked as a part-time teaching faculty at Accelerator Academy, Vision Academy and Smart Academy, Sikkim, India.

He has published three research papers pertaining to performance evaluation of banks operating in Bhutan and Evaluation of Non-Banking Financial Companies of India. He has presented his research papers in National and International conferences in India.Further, he researched and wrote a paper titled “A Study of Need of Microfinance in Southern Bhutan” for the fulfillment of his master degree.

Aaditya worked as an intern under the finance manager of ‘Government Fruit Preservation Factory’, Sikkim. Thus, the combination of his research, academic and industrial experiences will deeply contribute to the academic and personal development of the students.

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After completing his B.Ed programme at the National Institute of Education in Samtse, he was placed at Zhemgang High School in July 1990. With a year and half of teaching there, he was promoted as the Assistant Principal soon after which he was given the opportunity to pursue Master’s Degree in education at the University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, Canada in 1993 and completed it towards the end of 1994. No sooner had he joined Zhemgang HSS than he was transferred as the Vice Principal of Drugyel High School in 1995 where he also taught English to XI and XII students. At the end of 1998, he was sent to Damphu High School on promotion transfer as the Principal there. He was the one to revive Damphu Junior School which was closed down due to 1990 uprising in the south to a new Higher Secondary School. Damphu High School soon became one of the most performing schools in those days. He was then transferred to Dagana Dzongkhag as the District Education Officer (DEO) in 2002. As the DEO, he established eight new schools on top of the eight schools which were already existing and he was also instrumental in implementing the devolvement of power to the people by His Majesty the Great Fourth – by serving as the Dzongkhag Chief Election Officer during the Gup election using ballot boxes. Following Dasho Pema Thinley’s policy of DEO and principal posts being inter-changeable that time, he was posted to Samtse HSS as the principal there in 2006. He established the new high school which was just bifurcated from the then existing Lower Secondary School. The school soon became one of the most popular and successful schools at that time.

In the beginning of 2010, he was hand-picked as the Chief Curriculum Officer to head the then Curriculum and Professional Support Services Division (CAPSSD) under the Ministry of Education. At the CAPSSD, he was charged with the responsibility to upgrade it to a department called Department of Curriculum Research and Development (DCRD). Soon after that he was transferred to Bhutan Council for School Examinations and Assessment (BCSEA) as the Chief Research Officer. Through a selection interview, he was promoted to the post of Secretary of Examinations at BCSEA in 2013. At BCSEA, he brought about several streamlining and reforms in assessment and examination in the school education system of Bhutan. Towards the end of 2016, he was transferred as the Director of the Royal Education Council in Paro which was just beginning to get established. As the new Director, he not only established the agency but he also brought about many major curriculum reforms in four years despite the huge COVID-19 disruptions in the education system worldwide. The response to COVID-19 in terms of curriculum development and instruction was phenomenal. In 2020, he was promoted as the Director General and towards the end of 2021, he was promoted and sent to National Council of Bhutan as the Secretary General. March 2022, after having served six months at the National Council, he voluntarily resigned from service under the Special Retirement Scheme where he was paid salary for 24 months after retirement.

Besides the regular employment experience as shown above, he also served as Board Member for Programme Quality Control Board (PQC), RUB; Higher Education Accreditation Board, MoE; Tertiary Education Board, MoE; and Curriculum Board, MoE, among others.

He also served as the External Examiner (SCE and PCE); Programme Reviewer (SCE) and held other additional posts such as General Secretary for Dzongkhag Sports Association and Chief Election Officer, Dagana, and the like. He received several awards including the Civil Service Award (Gold and Silver Medals).

He attended many in-country seminars and short-term trainings that included Bhutan Executive Service Training (BEST-3) conducted by RIGSS and RCSC, Executive Forum conducted by RCSC, and Management Training conducted by RIM. He also attended various international level seminars/ short-term training in Canada, Malaysia, Australia, Sri Lanka, India, and so forth.

His publication and editorial work included some research papers, school curriculum materials including school textbooks (2016-2021), moderation of high-stakes examination papers (BHSEC and BCSE – 2012-2015), among many others.

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She joined NRC as a founding member in 2017 as Resident Tutor and Academic Assistant. She also has worked as ECCD Facilitator.

Her commitment to academics will enrich the classroom experience of her students.

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As a part of his Master’s Programme, Dorji carried out research project on “Quality of Life and Wellbeing of Elderly people in Urban Area of Bhutan”.

At NRC, he is a Member of the Examination Unit and Staff Advisor to Waste Management Club.

Combination of his research experience and academic credential complimented by his commitment and willingness to learn fosters his credibility to enrich academic and personal development and growth of students.

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As a part of his Master’s Programme, Namgay carried out research on Overview on Growth and Development of Bhutanese Economy. Thus, the combination of his research experience and academic credential complimented by his commitment and willingness to learn fosters his credibility to enrich academic and personal development and growth of his students.

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She began her career as a teacher at Barshong Primary School under the Ministry of Education, teaching Mathematics and Science and serving as a Matron. She then worked as a Human Resource Officer at Lhaki Cement, where she managed employee relations, organized staff development programs, and represented the company at community and recruitment events.

She gained banking experience as an intern at Bhutan Development Bank Limited, assisting in loan processing, customer verification, and service delivery. Later, she served as an Administrative Officer at Bhutan Himalayan Beverages Pvt. Ltd., where she managed departmental budgets, handled inventory, and coordinated meetings and events.

Ms. Sonam Choden has also worked as a Data Analyst at the Office of the Gyalpoi Zimpon, where she contributed to the development of the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system and supported the Administrative and Finance Division.

She is skilled in data analysis using R-Studio and proficient in Microsoft Office. She is fluent in English, Dzongkha, Sharchop, and Lhotshamkha/Nepali. With strong academic achievements and professional experience in education, administration, HR, finance, and data management, Ms. Sonam Choden is well prepared to contribute to organizational growth and national development.

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Her academic projects, such as LagdaAI, Stock Market Analysis using Apache Spark and Hadoop, Text-to-Image Generation with GANs, and Neural Style Transfer for Bhutanese Arts, showcase her technical abilities and innovative approach. She received the Best Project Award for LagdaAI and has also completed professional certifications, including Google UI/UX Design, AWS Cloud Foundations, and the Innovation Challenge by DHI & Super FabLab.

Alongside academics, she served as Vice President of Tarayana, leading community service and events. Proficient in multiple programming languages and fluent in Dzongkha and Sharchop with working proficiency in English and Lhotshampa, she combines technical expertise with leadership, teamwork, and creativity, making her a versatile professional committed to meaningful contributions.

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She worked as a programme developer in the Department of Curriculum and Professional Development, MoE. She also taught at Sheruntse College, Kanglung as an adjunct faculty.

Mrs. Chhimi Wangmo has two publications: A Resource Book for Training of Trainers of Primary School Principals on Place Based Education Approach and Bringing Curriculum into Place: Place Based Education in Practice, A Teacher Guidebook on the Implementation of Place Based Education Approach in Bhutan.

Mrs. Chhimi Wangmo also carries with her the experiences of a school teacher and the school principal. Combination of her leadership and academic experiences will deeply contribute to the academic and personal development of the students.

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