Dr. Samir Patel earned his Ph.D. from Stanford University, USA, in Biological Sciences. He has served at Royal Thimphu College in Thimphu, Bhutan since 2012 as an Associate Professor of Environmental Studies, and as an Associate Dean of Academic Affairs since 2013, facilitating the development and review of academic programmes. He currently also advises the IT Office and serves as the Dean for the Development and External Relations Department. He was an external member of the RUB's Programmes and Quality Committee (2016-2022) appointed by the Academic Board, gaining experience in applying quality assurance procedures in higher education.
Dr. Shivaraj Bhattarai heads the Academic Affairs of the college. Prior to joining RTC in 2008 as the Founding Dean, he was the Dean of Academic Affairs at Sherubtse College, the lone premier university college in Bhutan till recent times. He has an MSC in Bio-Science and a Ph.D. in Limnology (freshwater ecology). With several years of teaching, research, and administrative experience, he is involved in the administration and management of the academics of the college. A member of the Academic Board of the Royal University of Bhutan, he is responsible for the execution of existing academic programs and for the general academic advancement of the college. For his long and dedicated public service, he received the prestigious Life Time Service Award (Gold) from His Majesty the King in 2013. His other interests include traveling, trekking, reading, and playing indoor games. He is a keen user of social media and blogs at http://shiva-bhattarai.blogspot.com
Chencho Lhamu, Dean of Development and External Relations is one of the esteemed members of CITL advisory team. She brings a wealth of experience with over 14 years in civil service and an additional seven years in the civil society sector. An educator by profession, Chencho was part of a pioneering team at the Royal Education Council dedicated to reshaping national education, reimagining teacher education, revamping educational policies, and crafting innovative curricula while bolstering the professional development of educators. Her recent leadership as the Executive Director of the Bhutan Centre for Media and Democracy marked a significant milestone. Here, she spearheaded initiatives designed to empower marginalized groups, foster critical thinking, and facilitate participatory and inclusive policy discussions and planning. Notably, she worked to infuse the principles of Gross National Happiness into community planning and development. She has also written several training resources to facilitate youth and citizen participation in community development and planning processes. Her contribution to civic space also extends to her role as an eminent member on the board of the Civil Society Authority, where she was elected by registered civil society organizations in the country.
Chencho's academic background includes a Ph.D. in Education from the University of New Brunswick, Canada (focus on youth well-being), an MEd in Psychology from the University of New England, Australia, and postgraduate qualifications in Education from Samtse College of Education, Royal University of Bhutan. She earned her bachelor's degree in Psychology, Sociology, and Economics from Mount Carmel College, Bangalore University, India. She is a strong advocate of Gross National Happiness while also championing open civic spaces. Beyond her professional achievements, Chencho firmly believes in the importance of "making time for family and friends," especially in today's fast-paced era exacerbated by the challenges of navigating the real and digital worlds.
Ms. Nawang Yangden started her career at RTC in 2010 as a faculty of business (has taught modules related to accounting, business law, and entrepreneurship) and then served as the Programme Leader for the Business Programme (Bachelor of Commerce & Bachelor of Business Administration) till 2016 before serving the current position. She holds a Master's Degree in Commerce (M.Com with specialization in finance) from Himachal Pradesh University, a Post Graduate Diploma in Higher Education from the Royal University of Bhutan, and a Bachelor of Commerce (Honors) degree from the University of Delhi. She was also appointed by the RUB Academic Board as the External Examiner (for the BCom programme) of Gedu College of Business Studies from 2015-2017 and from 2017-2019, was appointed as one of the members of the RUB’s Resource Check Panel for Norbuling Rigter College for the adoption of their Business degree programmes. She was also one of the members of the RTC Professional Services who successfully completed the consultancy work of “Development of FITI’s Strategic Business Plan 2019- 2021”. Her interests include hiking, learning new things, and traveling.
Ms. Sonam Deki is from Thimphu, Bhutan. She holds a B.A. in English with honors from Sherubtse College, a post-graduate certificate in Education from the National Institute of Education, Samtse, and a Masters's in Social Science with honors from the University of Newcastle, Australia. Before joining RTC, she taught literature and language for undergraduate programmes for Delhi University and the Royal University of Bhutan (RUB), as well as the post-graduate diploma in English for B.Ed teachers at Sherubtse College. She has management and administrative experience as the head of the English department at Sherubtse. In addition, she has worked on the development of the revised English curriculum for schools and has also taught English at higher secondary schools in Bhutan.
MS. VANLALLAWMKIMI
Associate Professor
Ms. Vanlallawmkimi is an Associate Professor in the English Studies programme at Royal Thimphu College. She is from Mizoram, India and joined RTC in 2010 as an Associate Lecturer. She has a Bachelor’s degree in English from Loreto College, Darjeeling and a Master’s degree in English from Darjeeling Government College. Prior to joining RTC, she worked as a lecturer at Darjeeling Government College and St. Joseph’s College, Darjeeling. Ms. Kimi received the prestigious RTC 'Excellence in Active Student-Centred Teaching.
Dolma Choden Roder is an Associate Professor and Programme Leader in the Anthropology Programme at RTC . She earned an MA and Ph.D. in Socio-cultural Anthropology from Arizona State University, USA. She also has a BA (honors) in Anthropology from the University of Melbourne, Australia. Her Ph.D. dissertation was focused on gender and education at the tertiary level in Bhutan and she continues to have research interests in youth aspirations and higher educational experiences. In 2012 she was the recipient of the Council on Anthropology and Education ( CAE) Presidential Early Career Fellowship and in 2018 she received RTC's Excellence in Active Student- centre Teaching Award for the Academic year 2017- 2018
Mr. Madhav Verma, an Indian national born in Phuentsholing, Bhutan, holds a Master’s degree in Commerce (specializing in Business Administration) and a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce (Honours) from Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. He has in-depth exposure to Tally 7.2, MS Office, and Windows and worked with two chartered accountancy firms before coming to Bhutan. He served in the Spiritual Assembly of Baha’i’s of Delhi for 7 years in various positions. He has also been actively involved in social welfare services and has volunteered in the Baha’i House of Worship in New Delhi and in various other NGOs. His personal interests include singing, painting, and traveling.