His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa received the prestigious honorary fellowship from Wolfson College of Oxford, in recognition of his tireless commitment to cultural preservation in the Himalayas on June 24.

His Holiness first visited the Tibetan and Himalayan Studies Centre at Wolfson in 2012. The centre is a unique Himalayan studies environment within the UK and one of the leading ones in the world, creating opportunities for interdisciplinary research and a new platform for presenting Himalayan culture to a wider audience. It is dedicated to preserving and promoting  Himalayan cultural heritage, to maintaining links between Oxford, Tibetan and Himalayan Buddhist communities in Asia and to providing the best possible training for a young generation of scholars.

“I am honoured to join the impressive list of Wolfson Honorary Fellows today,” said His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa. 

“It has been a privilege to work with the college over the past five years as it has led the way in promoting all the diverse cultures of the Himalayas and its history.”

In 2015 Wolfson College created ‘The Gyalwang Drukpa Scholarship’ in honour of His Holiness and today’s award further recognises his importance in helping educate and protect Himalayan cultural history preserving it for future generations.