Kapilvastu, September 18, 2026- Lumbini Buddhist University (LBU), Lumbini, Nepal, and the Central Institute of Buddhist Studies (CIBS), Leh, Ladakh, India, have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deepen academic and research collaboration, with a particular focus on Sowa Rigpa, the traditional Himalayan system of medicine and Bhot Baudh Darshan (Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy).
The MoU was signed by Prof. Rajesh Ranjan, Vice Chancellor, Central Institute of Buddhist Studies and Dr. Manik Ratna Shakya, Vice Chancellor, Lumbini Buddhist University and Mr. Indra Prasad Kafle, Registrar, Lumbini Buddhist University, in the presence of distinguished academics, scholars and representatives associated with the two institutions.
Among those present at the signing ceremony were Mr. Rajendra Ghimire, Dr. Sagar Neupane, Acharya Dayanidhi Gautam, Dr. Deepak Acharya, Mr. Gunakar Gaire, Mr. Rabin Panthi, Ms. Neera Gautam and others.
The collaboration brings together the complementary academic strengths of the two institutions. CIBS, established in Choglamsar, Leh, Ladakh, has a specialized academic focus on Bhot Baudh Darshan and Bhoti and also provides education and training in Sowa Rigpa, alongside traditional Buddhist arts and crafts. LBU, situated in Lumbini, Nepal, has a mandate to promote higher education rooted in Buddhist philosophy, culture and heritage and to advance research and scholarship in Buddhist studies and allied disciplines.
A key feature of the MoU is the establishment of a dedicated exchange track in Sowa Rigpa. Under the proposed collaboration, LBU faculty members and students will have opportunities to engage with CIBS’s Faculty of Sowa Rigpa and Shilpa Vidya and its Sowa Rigpa Garden for clinical observation, herbal medicine training and traditional pharmacology. CIBS faculty and students will, in turn, have opportunities to visit LBU for relevant coursework and cultural exchange in Buddhist studies.
The two institutions will also explore collaboration in Bhot Baudh Darshan, Buddhist philosophy and Himalayan Buddhist studies through academic exchanges, joint teaching and training programmes, research initiatives, seminars, workshops and conferences. The MoU provides for the exchange of faculty, researchers and students for teaching, research, training, internships and short-term academic visits.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Rajesh Ranjan, Vice Chancellor, CIBS said: “The collaboration between CIBS and Lumbini Buddhist University brings together two institutions with strong foundations in Buddhist learning and Himalayan knowledge traditions. Our focused cooperation in Sowa Rigpa and Bhot Baudh Darshan will provide an important platform for preserving, studying and transmitting these rich traditions through contemporary academic and research frameworks. We look forward to meaningful exchanges of scholars, faculty and students between Ladakh and Lumbini.”
Dr. Manik Ratna Shakya, Vice Chancellor, LBU said: “This MoU is an important milestone in connecting the academic traditions of Lumbini and Ladakh. Our focused collaboration in Sowa Rigpa and Bhot Baudh Darshan will create new opportunities for research, teaching, knowledge exchange and preservation of Himalayan Buddhist intellectual and medical traditions. LBU looks forward to working closely with CIBS to develop programmes that connect traditional wisdom with contemporary scholarship.”
Mr. Indra Prasad Kafle, Registrar, LBU, said: “This MoU provides a valuable institutional framework for translating our shared academic interests into practical programmes of exchange, research and training, particularly in Sowa Rigpa and Bhot Baudh Darshan.”
The partnership is particularly significant for Sowa Rigpa, a knowledge tradition closely associated with the cultural and intellectual heritage of the Himalayan region. By facilitating academic exchange, training and research, the two institutions intend to contribute to the documentation, preservation and wider academic understanding of this traditional medical knowledge.
Similarly, cooperation in Bhot Baudh Darshan is expected to strengthen scholarly engagement with Tibetan Buddhist philosophical traditions, languages and textual knowledge. CIBS’s academic specialization in Bhot Baudh Darshan and Bhoti provides a strong foundation for such collaboration.
The MoU also provides for sharing of relevant academic resources, research outputs and publications, as well as library resources, digital databases and manuscripts, subject to applicable laws and institutional policies.
The agreement will remain in force for five years from the date of signing with provision for renewal by mutual written consent.
The LBU-CIBS partnership is expected to provide a meaningful institutional bridge between Lumbini and Ladakh, strengthening academic cooperation in two important areas of Himalayan knowledge, Sowa Rigpa and Bhot Baudh Darshan, while creating opportunities for the next generation of scholars, practitioners and students to engage with these traditions through structured education, research and exchange.
The signing of the MoU is also the outcome of the sustained initiative and facilitation of Mr. Rajendra Ghimire and Dr. Sagar Neupane, who played a major role in initiating the proposal, bringing the two institutions together and facilitating the discussions that led to the formalization of the collaboration. Their efforts helped identify the complementary strengths of LBU and CIBS, particularly in Sowa Rigpa and Bhot Baudh Darshan, and helped translate the initial concept of cooperation into a formal institutional framework. Their contribution was acknowledged by those present at the signing ceremony.
