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In 1983, the Buddhist Association of the Tibet Autonomous Region founded the Tibet Buddhism College and started to offer sutra-study classes in some monasteries. Now more than 3,000 monks study in such classes. Besides, each sect recommends and sends a certain number of Living Buddha, Geshe (Geshe is a scholar with equivalent to doctoral degree in Tibetan Buddhism) and monastery administrators to receive further training in the Senior Tibetan Buddhist College of China in Beijing.
In September 1987, with the approval of the State Council, the Beijing China Tibetan Language Higher Institute of Buddhism was set up according to the proposal of the late 10th Panchen Erdeni and Zhao Puchu, President of the Buddhist Association of China. Students of the institute are reincarnated Living Buddhas (some being monk students) of Tibetan Buddhism from the Tibet Autonomous Region, the Tibetan-inhabited areas in the four provinces of Qinghai, Sichuan, Gansu and Yunnan, and the Mongolian-inhabited areas in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Liaoning Province, and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The Institute teaches mainly Buddhist classics for two to three years in order to produce college-level graduates.
So far, the institute has recruited 10 classes of students, training more than 300 senior professionals in Tibetan Buddhism. Upon graduation, they return to where they came, working hard for unification of the motherland, ethnic unity, social stability and local economic construction.
The China Higher Institute of Tibetan Language Buddhism restored the degree system in 2004, and began to enroll students from the Tibetan-inhabited areas in Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan and Yunnan, as well as Tibet. A total of 27 monks attended examinations for 2005. The examination involves theories of Tibetan Buddhist classics, and Buddhist philosophy. Entrants are those who also succeeded in debate on Buddhist doctrines. In the end, four gained admission.
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