Singularity Academy and Paro Tara Monastery Establish Partnership for Wisdom, Well-Being and Interfaith Learning
- Singularity Academy
- Aug 1
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 11
Zurich/Paro, August 2026 — Singularity Academy (Switzerland) and Paro Tara Monastery in the Kingdom of Bhutan have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding establishing a five-year framework for educational, contemplative, well-being, research and interfaith collaboration.
The MoU was signed in Zurich on 29 June 2026 by Prof. Dr. Ying Zhang, President of Singularity Academy, and Khentrul Rinpoche (Juney Chokey), Head of Paro Tara Monastery, and became effective on 1 August 2026.
The partnership is established within the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Royal Government of Bhutan and Singularity Academy, signed on 20 January 2025, concerning the establishment of the Singularity-Bhutan Consortium. It translates the Consortium’s broader commitment to education, healing, sustainable development and human well-being into concrete institutional cooperation.
Seven Areas of Collaboration
Singularity Academy and Paro Tara Monastery will work together across seven priority areas:
The fellowship and international teaching activities of Khentrul Rinpoche;
The development of a GNH Wisdom Institute in Bhutan and internationally;
Interfaith dialogue and the networking of Eastern and Western philosophical traditions;
Online, onsite and hybrid teaching for global audiences;
Well-being initiatives with Singularity Academy partners, including Verus Care Group;
Scholar exchanges and joint research; and
The responsible development of educational and well-being services and programmes.
The planned GNH Wisdom Institute will draw inspiration from Bhutan’s philosophy of Gross National Happiness and Paro Tara Monastery’s educational approach, which combines philosophical study, practical application, meditation, retreat and comparative engagement with different wisdom traditions.
The collaboration seeks to educate people of “good will, good heart and good deed” while advancing inner peace, compassion, ethical awareness and trainable well-being. It will also create opportunities for dialogue among Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity and other philosophical and spiritual traditions, with the aim of identifying shared values that can serve humanity and future generations.
As an important part of the partnership, Khentrul Rinpoche has served as Fellow of Buddhist Philosophy at Singularity Academy since 1 August 2026, with a particular focus on philosophy, happiness and human well-being.
Born Chokey Juney in Paro, Bhutan, Khentrul Rinpoche is a respected Buddhist monk, teacher and humanitarian whose life has been devoted to spiritual practice, philosophical inquiry and service to society.
In his fellowship role, he will contribute his wisdom, knowledge and experience to international dialogue on compassion, ethics, inner development, education, well-being and sustainable human progress. His activities may include public teachings, academic forums, clinical-partner workshops, scholarly reflection and the development of educational materials in Bhutan, Switzerland, Germany and other international locations.
The appointment builds upon his teachings at Verus Care Group’s clinics in Germany in 2026, including Verus Libori Klinik in Todtmoos on 23 June and Verus Bonifatius Klinik near Fulda on 22 July. These encounters explored how contemplative philosophy can support inner peace, emotional freedom, caregiver resilience and a deeper understanding of human well-being.
All activities in clinical environments will remain complementary to professional healthcare. The partnership places particular importance on voluntary participation, trauma-sensitive delivery, cultural integrity and clear boundaries between contemplative teaching and clinical treatment.
Connecting Bhutanese Wisdom with Global Challenges
Through this partnership, Singularity Academy and Paro Tara Monastery aim to create a respectful bridge between Bhutanese contemplative traditions and contemporary global challenges.
Future initiatives may include residential study programmes at the monastery, international teaching modules, interfaith roundtables, scholar and monastic exchanges, joint publications, research on contemplative wisdom and mental health, and educational programmes for students, professionals, patients, caregivers and the wider public.
The partners are committed to presenting Bhutanese wisdom authentically and avoiding the reduction of Bhutan’s contemplative culture to a commercial image. Each joint project will therefore be developed with mutually agreed branding, intellectual-property arrangements and public attribution.
The MoU marks a significant step in Singularity Academy’s commitment to connecting education, research and practice across cultures. By bringing together academic inquiry, contemplative wisdom, healthcare experience and international cooperation, the partnership seeks to contribute to a more compassionate, ethically grounded and sustainable understanding of human progress.
Two artciles related to Khentrul Rinpoche's teachings in Germany on June 22, and July 22. 2026
Comments