The Bhutanese Leading the way.
His Majesty The King graced the 17th Convocation of the Royal University of Bhutan at the Royal Institute of Management, Simtokha, on 17 June 2026.
His Majesty The King spoke to the graduates about Bhutan’s overarching goals as a nation: to survive amidst global challenges and hand over a more prosperous and secure country to future generations.
His Majesty said that to make up for Bhutan’s small population, Bhutan must have a competitive edge. Likening numbers to hardware, His Majesty said the focus must be on building the software.
In creating Gelephu Mindfulness City as an economic hub for the region, His Majesty said Bhutan was building one dimension of that software by serving the region’s needs in specialised areas. Another dimension, His Majesty said, lay in Bhutan’s cultural software: the innate curiosity of the Bhutanese people, their ability to learn and grow, the bonds that hold communities together, and the integrity and trustworthiness that have enabled generations of Bhutanese to overcome challenges and build a stronger nation.
“I have grown up serving my father, and have been King for almost 20 years. I know my people very well, and if I have ambitious plans for our country, it is because I have enormous faith and trust in our people and in your capabilities,” His Majesty said.
A total of 2,937 graduates from 11 colleges under the Royal University of Bhutan received their degrees at the convocation.
The graduates were drawn from the College of Language and Culture Studies, College of Natural Resources, College of Science and Technology, Gedu College of Business Studies, Gyalpozhing College of Information Technology, Jigme Namgyel Engineering College, Norbuling Rigter College, Paro College of Education, Royal Thimphu College, Samtse College of Education, and Sherubtse College.
