AcademicsSchools CentersCenter for Bhutan Partnerships

Naropa Center for Bhutan Partnerships

Naropa University has a longstanding relationship to the Kingdom of Bhutan through the founder Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche’s extensive time on retreat and heartfelt connection to the royal family of Bhutan and its people and culture. Naropa University (NU) and the Royal University of Bhutan (RUB) have had a memorandum of understanding since 2010 which confirms our commitment to programmatic collaboration and academic exchange.  As the Kingdom of Bhutan increasingly opens to the world, many of the social problems of modernity are increasingly present.  Naropa University has partnered with the Royal University of Bhutan to collaborate in the areas of contemplative education and psychology to meet those concerns and to further build upon our historical ties.

Alumni spotlight

“This experience gave me so much.”

Tom Conchie

Tom Conchie

Alumnus, BA Interdisciplinary Studies

Max Prah, Centre College, Bhutan Spring 2016:

“These have been the richest five months of my life so far.  … I have gained more wisdom, love, happiness, and humility than I would ever have thought possible.”

Andrea Becker, Naropa University, Bhutan Spring 2018:

“I have loved this program so much. It is a good program design and I am infinitely grateful to have been accepted as a part of it.”

Sophia Jones, Naropa University, Bhutan Spring 2018:

“I feel that it is nearly impossible for me to verbalize my experience…  I know that something has been seriously transformed within me I can feel it in every step that I take.”

Our programs and initiatives

Collaborative Initiatives between Royal University of Bhutan and Naropa University

Bhutan Study Abroad Program

Post-Graduate Diploma in Guidance and Counseling in Bhutan

Masters in Contemplative Psychotherapy

Faculty exchange

Student exchange

YOU ARE READY.

This is where experiential learning meets academic rigor. Where you challenge your intellect and uncover your potential. Where you discover the work you’re moved to do—then use it to transform our world.

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About Naropa

Located in Boulder, Colorado, Naropa University is a Buddhist-inspired, nonsectarian liberal arts university that is recognized as the birthplace of the mindfulness movement. Naropa offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs that emphasize professional and personal growth, intellectual development, and cultivating compassion. 

Academics

Contemplative education brings together the best of Western scholarship and Eastern world wisdom traditions. Therefore, your pursuit of wisdom at Naropa means learning both about academic subjects and about your own place in the world. This innovative approach places Naropa on the cutting edge of the newest and most effective methods of teaching and learning.  

Admissions & Aid

If you’re seeking an education that resonates with both personal fulfillment and global impact, Naropa could be your top choice. At Naropa, you will experience a comprehensive curriculum that integrates the best of Eastern and Western educational approaches. Explore how Naropa can fuel your journey of intellectual and spiritual development.

Life at Naropa

Through its incredibly vibrant and welcoming community,  “Naropa offers a home for those who aren’t willing to conform to convention—the mystic, the healer, the prophet, the rebel, the artist, the revolutionary, the oddball—those who are incredible contributors to the evolution of society and of our planet.”—Core Associate Professor Zvi Ish-Shalom

The Naropa Difference

How is Naropa different from other universities? At Naropa, a liberal arts education balances rigorous academics with powerful interpersonal skills and self-awareness to educate the whole person. Naropa’s contemplative approach is inspired by Buddhist philosophy and the conviction that we can build a diverse, contemplative, enlightened society when we have transformed education to affirm the basic goodness of every person. 

Support Naropa

At a time when the value of higher education is being questioned, Naropa University stands firmly rooted in its mission to create a more just and regenerative world by nurturing insight, awareness, courage, and compassion in its students. By making a gift to Naropa, you play a pivotal role in helping to create the authentic, effective & mindful leaders that the world desperately needs.

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Naropa University campuses are closed on 12/17/2025. 

Due to adverse weather conditions of high winds and planned power outages, all Naropa campuses will be closed today.