Technical staff from the Internationalization Office visited the Royal Thimphu College (RTC) within the framework of an Erasmus+ mobility program last May. During the visit, they partially coincided with representatives from IES Villaverde (Spain) and the VIVES University of Applied Sciences (Belgium). The UCA delegation delivered a detailed presentation of the University of Cádiz to all participating institutions and held several highly productive working sessions with representatives from RTC. On behalf of RTC, the sessions were led by the Dean of Development and External Relations, Chencho Lhamu, and the International Relations technician, Jamyang Choden.

Discussions addressed collaborations for ongoing projects, as well as the exploration of future potential alliances and academic opportunities, alongside the promotion of Erasmus+ mobilities between both institutions. The ORI technicians met with department heads and faculty members from several key areas of RTC, including: Nursing and Midwifery, Environmental Management, Business Administration, Social Sciences, and Communication and Creative Media.

The working sessions served both to review ongoing collaboration projects and to actively explore new potential alliances, academic opportunities, and the promotion of future Erasmus+ mobilities between both institutions. The technicians from the International Relations Office (ORI) met with heads of the following departments and faculty members from key areas of RTC, defining the following strategic lines for expanded collaboration:

Health and Psychological Well-being Area: The possibility of introducing a specialization in physiotherapy within the curriculum of the Bachelor’s degree in Nursing and Midwifery at RTC was studied. Furthermore, a close collaboration was proposed between this department and the UCA Psychological Care Service for the development of joint programs regarding mental health, diagnosis, and psychoanalysis.

Sustainability and Circular Economy: The Business Administration and Environmental Management departments of RTC showed great interest in designing programs oriented toward the circular economy, seeking to link environmental conservation practices with direct benefits for local communities.

Humanities, Culture, and Communication Area: The development of synergies between the Humanities and Mass Communication departments was proposed in order to generate innovative and engaging content focused on the dissemination of Bhutanese history and traditional culture.

Research and Early Childhood Education: The Research and Development Unit of RTC assessed pathways for cooperation with UCA in the field of training oriented toward Early Childhood Care.

These departments showed great interest in collaborating on future Capacity Building in the field of Higher Education (CBHE) proposals, as well as exploring opportunities within the Jean Monnet Actions.