Research Partnership between RUB and Danish Universities Takes off
22 NOVEMBER 2011: As part of the DANIDA Transition Support Programme for Bhutan for the period 2012-2014, five joint research projects developed between the Royal University of Bhutan (RUB) and three universities in Denmark have been selected for funding. The main objectives of the research partnership are, among others, to enhance the research capacity of colleges of RUB, upgrade a number of talented RUB researchers to PhD levels, expose RUB researchers to the competitive global research environment, and to create platforms for sustained and continued co-operation between the partner universities.
A key element of the partnership is the inclusion of a 3-year “sandwich” PhD study to be completed by one RUB researcher in each of the five research projects. The five research projects were selected based on the recommendation of international peer-reviewers, relevance of the research project to the development priorities of Bhutan, capacity development needs of RUB, and sustainability of the partnership between RUB and the Danish universities. Of the five research projects, two will be based at Sherubtse College (Kanlglung), two at Samtse College of Education (Samtse), and one at the College of Natural Resources in Lobesa. The focus of the research projects will be in the areas of health, education, governance and climate change.
Of the two projects based in Samtse College of Education, one will investigate ‘Quality of School Education in the Perspective of GNH and Assessment Practices in Bhutan’ led by Nandu Giri (Dean of Student Affairs) with co-researchers Bupen Gurung (Assistant Lecturer) and Krishna Prasad Giri (Associate Lecturer) in partnership with Kurt Keller and Soren Willert of Aalborg University, Denmark. The PhD candidate in this project will be Karma Utha (Lecturer). The other project will study ‘ICT in Integrated Curriculum in the Institutions of RUB’ led by Choeda (Associate Lecturer) with co-researchers Dorji Dukpa and Singye Namgyal (Sherubtse college) in partnership with Marrane Georgsen and Par-ola Zander of Aalborg University, Denmark. The PhD candidate in this project will be Kinley (Lecturer).
Of the two projects based in Sherubtse College, one will explore ‘Coordinating Education and Health Policies in Bhutan’ and is led by Dr. Singye Namgyal (Director) in partnership with Johannes Schmidt and Line Christensen of Aalborg University, Denmark. The PhD candidate in this project will be Yezer (Lecturer). The other project will study ‘e-Governance in Bhutan: Present State and Future Prospects’ and is led by Sangay Thinley (Lecturer) with co-researchers Dorji S (Lecturer) and Thinley Namgyal (Lecturer) in partnership with Norbert Wildermuth and Thomas Tufte of Roskilde University. The PhD student in this project will be Devi B. Suberi (Lecturer).
The project based in the College of Natural Resources will investigate ‘Institutional Capacity Building for Climate Change and Environmental Studies at CNR’ led by Dr. Dhan Bahadur Gurung with co-researchers Om Katel (Lecturer) and Yeshey Khandu (Lecturer) in partnership with Jorgen Olesen of Aarhus University, Denmark. The PhD student in this project will be Ugyen Dorji (Lecturer).
Each research project will be awarded a budget of Danish Kroner (DKK) 1 million (approx. Nu. 9.15 million) for a period of three years starting January 2011.
