The 12 judges attending the meeting in the High-level Tibetan Buddhism College of China are from Tibet Autonomous Region and Tibetan-inhabited areas in the surrounding provinces, who are led by Rinpoche Drukhang Thubten Khedrup, head of Tibet Academy of Tibetan Buddhism and also member of the Standing Committee of the 12th CPPCC National Committee. [Photo/China Tibet Online]

The judging panel for the tenth "Tho Ram Pa" advanced Tibetan Buddhism degree held a meeting on May 10, marking the launch of the sutra debating and dissertation defending for this year's advanced Tibetan Buddhism degree, China Tibet Online reported.

The 12 judges attending the meeting in the High-level Tibetan Buddhism College of China are from Tibet Autonomous Region and Tibetan-inhabited areas in the surrounding provinces, who are led by Rinpoche Drukhang Thubten Khedrup, head of Tibet Academy of Tibetan Buddhism and also member of the Standing Committee of the 12th CPPCC National Committee.

The meeting deliberated and passed a port folio for the reviewing and accrediting of the candidate for the 10th "Tho Ram Pa" advanced Tibetan Buddhism degree.

According to the staff from the Buddhism college, the advanced degree exam and awarding ceremony is to be held together in May from this year, following which will be the enrollment and admission work for the next batch of the candidates from Tibet and Tibetan autonomous prefectures in Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan, and Yunnan provinces. This is a moving forward to make the Buddhism college professional modern institute as universities in terms of management and operation.

The college also formulated an enrollment plan, namely including the plan to increase annual enrollment and gradually establish a systematic degree promotion procedure which leaves the education and accreditation of junior and intermediate degrees to local and provincial Tibetan Buddhism colleges and the advanced degree accreditation to the High-level Tibetan Buddhism College of China in Beijing.

Meanwhile, the High-level Tibetan Buddhism College of China in Beijing also started computing the information of scripture teachers, faculty, scripture debaters(in charge of proposing questions to the candidate), "Nzhing Ram Ba" holders, and "Tho Ram Pa" holders so as to establish a database of Tibetan Buddhism talents for a high-quality religious education.

The passed decisions and plans received affirmative response and sturdy support from the judging panel members, who also spoke highly of government's efforts in building up Tibetan Buddhism colleges and the religious education.