Bhutan Institute of Himalayan Studies (BIHS) was established in 2016 to provide a rich platform for professional education and development. Our aim is for everything we do to be impactful, practical, needs-based and focused on improving efficiency and effectiveness, alleviating unemployment, and building interdisciplinary skills in current and future conservation and sustainable development professionals working across the Himalayan region.

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       BIHS is established to provide professional development, research, and education opportunities for both national and international professionals. We provide an outstanding avenue for researchers, policy makers, and students to development individual capacity to create solutions for some of the most pressing challenges facing our world. The Institute aims to capture research and education focused on biodiversity conservation, water, food security and livelihoods, culture and tradition, the climate change nexus, etc. into a global center for practical knowledge, particularly for the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region. We provide researchers, trainees, and trainers a forum to understand this rather complex nexus in the wake of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

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       To put BIHS into alliance actions, we are currently exploring potential collaborations with universities, institutions, and researchers of high international standing. Such collaborations are specifically intended to:

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1. Provide education opportunities for international students.

2. Provide opportunities for expat faculty to spend time in Bhutan and conduct research to enrich knowledge and guide policy makers in the region.

3. Provide research facilities and opportunities for graduate and undergraduate researchers.

4. Source experts to co-tech professional development course such as Nature Guiding, Evaluation and Assessment, Monitoring, Forest Fire Management, etc.

 

       BIHS strengthens professional skills and provides career prospective learning with professional development courses led by technical experts both from national and international arenas. The courses are developed in a global context with the guidance and expertise from national and international professional bodies and organizations.

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       The Institute, which is located in the heart of Himalayan region, is an ideal setting to train government and non-government personnel, researchers, and students to conduct field studies in Hindu Kush Himalayan region. The Himalayan region is enriched by a significant diversity of cultures, ecosystems, biodiversity, ethnic groups, and traditional knowledge systems. Additionally, the Hindu Kush Himalayan region is a hotspot for climate change and impacts, which offers notable opportunities for conservation science research on a diverse array of issues and needs. Focusing on the current challenges and needs within and outside of Bhutan, BHIS engages transnational space for researchers and academics in the field exploring the Himalayan region and the importance of its hidden treasures. The institute boasts a faculty that has extensive knowledge, expertise and experiences to deliver comprehensive learning and we aim to create and facilitate comprehensive studies recognizing the importance of ecological, social, and livelihood values in the human dominated landscapes, religion, and culture of the Himalayas.

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Vision

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To become a top-notch research, training, and education institution to enhance natural resources management and sustainable development across the Himalayan region as well as internationally.

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Mission

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BIHS is committed to gaining a world class reputation for applied scientific excellence by serving as an effective incubator offering flexible customized training and education designed for students, faculty, researchers, policy makers, professionals, and community leaders working at the forefront of natural resources management and sustainable development, thereby helping them to achieve their professional goals.

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Purpose

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To facilitate educational access and academic excellence through vocational education, training and research focused on developing professional competencies, current professionals, and future workforce that optimize individual, community and organizational performance and foster a balanced approach to the sustainable development of local and international communities. BIHS collaborates with local organizations and top international institutions in designing and conducting a variety of educational approaches and training modules towards achieving its purpose.

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