Education: His Majesty the King and the Gyaltsuen yesterday granted an audience to 174 scholarship recipients who would be leaving abroad for higher studies.

His Majesty the King congratulated the class XII graduates for their achievements, and said they must now compete and excel among students from across the world.

His Majesty advised them to continue working hard and become capable individuals, who can contribute positively to their families, communities, and the nation.

His Majesty reminded the students that along with academic excellence, it was vital for individuals to be emotionally intelligent in order to succeed.

“What we call “Driglam-choesum”– the manner with which we work, communicate, interact and behave with each other, is a precious legacy, safeguarded and passed on for generations by our ancestors, and there is great wisdom in it,” His Majesty said.

“The Bhutanese have high emotional intelligence, because we have been brought up with Driglam-choesum. As a result, we have safeguarded and protected our country successfully for millennia. If we value our cultural legacy, and recognize its importance, we will continue to succeed, as individuals and as a Nation.”

His Majesty said as ambassadors of the culture, people and nation, the students must represent the country well wherever they went.

His Majesty told them three things about Bhutan that they must always bear in mind.

“Our country is a jewel of the world – it is a country blessed by Guru Rinpoche and Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel, and has always remained a proud sovereign nation, where the people enjoy happiness and peace today due to the labours of our ancestors,” His Majesty said.

“If we are to continue to safeguard all that is precious and special about our country in the 21st century, our journey ahead will not be without challenges.”

His Majesty said that we have to work harder than we ever did if we want to leave an even better legacy.

His Majesty said the country’s greatest strength and biggest challenge is the same – the small population.

“We must make up for what we lack in wealth and resources with talent. But being small also means that we have the advantage of speed. Everything that we do can be done faster, better and more efficiently than any other country. But as a small country with limited wealth and resources, we cannot afford to have the problems that large countries face,” His Majesty said.

His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Gyaltsuen then spoke with individual students over tea.

 

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