Applications invited for Naropa Fellowship
The Drukpa Order, which has shaped and contributed to the Himalayan and Central Asian culture and heritage for over a millenium, has launched the Naropa Fellowship programme to develop entrepreneurial skills that will foster a robust socio-economic environment in Ladakh and the greater Himalayas.
This modern approach to serving the people of the Himalayas will help ensure that the communities and cultures cradled in the Himalayas thrive for generations to come.
The Naropa Fellowship is a one-year, fully residential, postgraduate, academic programme focused on creating and nurturing agents of change who will work towards building a sustainable socio-economic environment in Ladakh and the greater Himalayas.
It seeks to foster entrepreneurship, retain local talent while preserving the cultural heritage of the region.
The fellowship is designed to address the rising challenges of unemployment, lack of training and professional skills, and gradual cultural erosion in Ladakhi and the Himalayan societies.
The Naropa campus is located at Hemis, a beautiful village in Leh.
The Naropa Fellowship is inspired by His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa and co-founded by His Eminence Drukpa Thuksey Rinpoche, Spiritual Regent to His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa and Dr.
Pramath Raj Sinha, the founding dean of the Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad, and the co-founder of Ashoka University, Sonipat.
Expanding on the Drukpa Order’s centuries old tradition of experiential learning, the curriculum of the fellowship will include entrepreneurship, society and culture, communication skills and personal development tied up with a live project which will engage the fellows in working on sustainable solutions for the local community in Ladakh and surrounding regions with support from faculty which includes industry experts, academicians and practitioners who will guide and instruct the fellows.
Speaking on the occasion His Eminence Drukpa Thuksey Rinpoche said, “Education is the key for creating a sustainable future and finding solutions for the challenges that face us today,” and added, “The Naropa Fellowship is a step in the direction of inspiring our youth to take on these challenges, provide leadership and direction to efforts at revitalizing the land, the society and the balance of nature.”
Over 40 of the world’s leading academics, industry experts and practitioners will guide and instruct the Naropa Fellows as visiting faculty- facilitating professional development.