About the College of Language and Culture Studies (CLCS)
CLCS is located approximately 16 kilometres south of Trongsa town along the TrongsaโZhemgang highway, towards Kuenga Rabten Palace, which formerly served as the winter residence of Bhutanโs Second King, His Majesty Jigme Wangchuck.
1961 โ Establishment
Originally established as Rigney Lobdra on 16 July 1961 at Wangdi Tse, Thimphu, under the patronage of the Third King, His Majesty Jigme Dorji Wangchuck.
1961โ1963 โ Founding Leadership
His Holiness the late Dilgo Khentse Rinpoche (1910โ1991) served as the first Principal, guiding the institute during its formative years with an initial intake of fifty students.
1961โ1980s โ Semtokha Dzong
Two months after its establishment, the Lobdra was relocated to Semtokha Dzong, where it functioned until the early 1980s before moving to its present campus above the Dzong.
1989 โ Academic Reform
The institute underwent its first major curriculum revision, was upgraded to Rigzhung College, and admitted female students for the first time.
1997โ1999 โ National Milestones
Renamed the Institute of Language and Culture Studies in 1997, the College launched Bhutanโs first fully homegrown Bachelorโs Degree Programme in Language and Culture in 1999.
2004 โ Royal University of Bhutan
On 28 April 2004, CLCS became the first tertiary institution formally incorporated under the Royal University of Bhutan.
2011 โ ILCS was shifted to Trongsa, Taktse
Following its 2011 relocation to Taktse, Trongsa, the College of Language and Culture Studies has undergone a significant transformation to align with national development priorities
Over the decades, CLCS has produced experts serving across the civil service, education sector, and media, while generating research that enriches Bhutanโs linguistic and cultural heritage.
Beginning in the Fall Semester of 2026, CLCS will introduce five new academic programmes, reinforcing its commitment to innovation, interdisciplinary learning, and the safeguarding of Bhutanโs cultural legacy.