62 Tibetan Buddhists awarded special doctorates in Beijing

BEIJING, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Sixty-two Tibetan Buddhists received "Tho Ram Pa" degrees, a prestigious academic title of Tibetan Buddhism, at the High-level Tibetan Buddhism College of China in Beijing on Tuesday.

The scholars were from different sects of Tibetan Buddhism, such as Gelug, Nyingma and Sakya.

After successfully completing three years of study, passing their exams and defending their dissertations, the scholars were granted the "Tho Ram Pa," which is equivalent to a doctorate.

Jamyang Losang Jigme Tubdain Qoigyi Nyima, a living Buddha and the president of the college, presented the monks with their degrees. Zhukang Tubdankezhub, a living Buddha and vice president of the Buddhist Association of China, congratulated the scholars.

The monks who took part in the exams for the degree paid religious homage to the Panchen Erdeni Chos-kyi rGyal-po, before taking the exams.

A total of 335 monks have received "Tho Ram Pa" degrees to date.