His Majesty the King granted an audience to the students of Sherubtse College in Kanglung just as they began their new academic session.
His Majesty spoke to the students about the importance of knowing the history to better understand where Bhutan stand today, to get a clearer picture of where the country is headed to in the future.
“Bhutan has navigated the uncertainties of a volatile geopolitics in the past, and emerged a strong proud nation. It was built by the united efforts of our forefathers, on their sweat and toil. We cannot take our sovereignty for granted,” His Majesty said.
His Majesty pointed out that the greatest advantage is that Bhutan is small. His Majesty said it opens up all kinds of possibilities for Bhutanese, and others admire because they see Bhutan’s enormous potential.
However, His Majesty also reminded the students of the increased challenges and responsibility Bhutan is faced with today, with the rupee shortage, inflation, and negative balance of trade.
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“Hydropower is the bedrock of our economy, a jewel for our people. We have concentrated all our efforts in building it, with the hope that it will be of great benefit to our people. But hydropower alone will not be sufficient. We need to diversify our economy,” His Majesty said.
His Majesty asked the students to reflect on whether three to four years in college will be sufficient to see them though the rest of their lives. “Sherubtse will give you a head start. But what you can achieve while you are here is learning how to keep learning for the rest of your life, which will provide you with the framework to help you address any challenges that you face in the future,” His Majesty said.
His Majesty told the students that Bhutanese have to work even harder to consolidate past achievements, and ensure that the children inherit a wonderful country, where they can achieve the things the present lot could not, and live by certain standards that we can only dream of.
“My eternal prayer is that you will become strong and capable citizens of our country. I have great expectations from you, and I give you all my support,” His Majesty said.
His Majesty the King also granted a seperate audience to the members of the faculty of Sherubtse College.
Later, His Majesty and Her Majesty the Gyaltsuen visited the Oygen Dogna Chokorling Gomdey in Yonphula, where hundreds of people gathered to offer Tshogchang to Their Majesties.
