P.O. Box 457Tel: + 975 2 333878, 333808Fax: 332977

Royal Academy Project OfficeHis Majesty’s Secretariat

Thimphu, Bhutan

w w w . a c a d e m y . b t

TheRoyal

Academy

Our nation’s vision can only be fulfilled if the scope of our dreams and aspirations are matched by the reality of our commitment to nurture our future citizens.

- His Majesty The King

The Royal Academy

The Royal Academy is a visionary initiative of His Majesty The King to nurture the development of committed, mindful, and compassionate leaders. The best students from all over the country will be given an opportunity to study in the Academy through full scholarships from His Majesty The King.

The Academy aspires to stand out as a centre of excellence — one where education is a dialectical process that enables collaboration amongst learners, teachers, teacher-educators, and researchers. The Academy’s commitment to on-going research on

education, curriculum, and teacher development will be achieved through the establishment of a unique triad model consisting of three interlinked centres: the School, the Education Research Centre, and the Teacher Development Centre. All three constituents of the Royal Academy will work closely with the Ministry of Education to help develop research-based educational practices and professional development of teachers in Bhutan.

The Royal Academy is idyllically located in the pristine village of Pangbisa overlooking the Paro valley.

Constituents of the Academy

THE SCHOOLThe School will be a coeducational and fully residential school for children from grades VI to XII. The School at the Academy will be a centre of excellence in Form, Function and Performance, emphasizing academic achievement and development of character.

THE EDUCATION RESEARCH CENTRE (ERC)The research centre shall undertake higher-level research in the field of school education and learning, focusing on simultaneous development of a curriculum as well as methodologies for teachers to deliver such curriculum in class at the School and beyond.

THE TEACHER DEVELOPMENT CENTRE (TDC)This centre will focus on empowering teachers at the Academy and beyond through training methodologies developed in collaboration with the Education Research Centre and the School. The TDC will work closely with existing teacher training colleges in the country to help empower teachers in Bhutan.

The architectural design of the Royal Academy is steeped in Bhutan’s history and culture. The Academy will be housed in a Dzong, which will become the centre for learning at the Academy. Dzongs are fortresses that have served as a center for governance and spirituality in Bhutan since the 17th Century. Dzongs also serve as the main venue for local festivals and bring the whole community together. Similarly, the Dzong at the Academy will be multi-functional and bring together all the different components of the school.

Surrounding the Dzong are all the infrastructural facilities required to make the Academy a fully functional and outstanding educational institution. These facilities

Architecture

include housing for students and faculty, athletic grounds and gymnasiums, outdoor amphitheaters, and multi-purpose halls and spaces.

The placement of a Dzong at the heart of the architectural design of the Academy signifies efforts leading towards the realization of the Academy’s vision to provide a learning environment that is deeply embedded in Bhutanese history, values, and culture while at the same time promoting a global outlook.

The entire architectural design of the Academy is rooted in a combination of traditional and modern styles taking into consideration environmentally friendly and sustainable measures.

Creating new standards in education

The Royal Academy’s curriculum will empower learners to become active, responsible, and caring citizens.

Taking into consideration Bhutan’s rich culture and heritage, the curriculum will incorporate relevant aspects of Buddhist philosophy and innovative research-based modern educational practices to help learners at the academy actualise their potential across all five areas of development (cerebral, physical, social, emotional, and spiritual) to empower every individual to become a good human being.

To achieve this, the Academy’s curriculum will focus not only on academic achievement alone but also on character development that fosters fundamental values such as honesty, integrity, teamwork, generosity, and compassion.

Moreover, while the Royal Academy’s curriculum is uniquely Bhutanese, it will instill in learners understanding, attitudes, and abilities that have global relevance and application.

The Curriculum

DisciplineAdult Mentorship Group Mentorship Peer Mentorship Senior Peer Peer Support Guidance & Counselling

Academic CouncilSports CouncilCultural Service CouncilClass Representative House Representative

Art & Design Computer Science Health & Physical Education Languages Mathematics Performing Arts Science Social Studies

DISCIPLINE

STUDENTLEADERSHIP

StudentLeadership

Com

mun

ityEn

gage

men

t

COMMUNITYENGAGEMENT

Service Learning Public Engagement Internship Apprenticeships Outdoor Learning

Mentorship

MENTORSHIP

P.O. Box 457Tel: + 975 2 333878, 333808Fax: 332977

Royal Academy Project OfficeHis Majesty’s Secretariat

Thimphu, Bhutan

w w w . a c a d e m y . b t

TheRoyal

Academy