Director

Dawa Tsering was born in 1963 in the eastern Kham region of Tibet. He completed his schooling in Tibet and his school education was entirely taught in Chinese.

In 1993, after clearing the Tibetan civil service exams, which test both Tibetan and Chinese language skills, he was appointed the deputy secretary of the Research and Analysis section of the Department of Security, Central Tibetan Administration (CTA). In 1995, he was appointed the head of the newly formed China Desk section of the Department of Information and International Relations of CTA. As the head of the China Desk, he was mainly responsible for the CTA’s Chinese outreach initiatives as well as bringing out publications in Chinese.

On 27 February 2008, he was appointed as the chairman of the Tibet Religious Foundation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama (also known as the Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Central Tibetan Administration) in Taiwan. During his successful thirteen years as the Representative, Representative Dawa Tsering was able to invite His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Taiwan and establish a close relationship between Taiwan and Tibet.

He has published many books, such as: 1. An Oblation to the Land of Snows (The book is about the Tibetan military resistance to the Chinese invasion in 1959 and is based on in-depth interviews with over a hundred people.) 2. Chinese translation of the book The Status of Tibet by Dr. Dr. Michael van Walt. And also contributed many research articles on Sino-Tibetan issues to over 10 publications.

Secretary Dawa Tsering formally took charge as the new Director of Tibet Policy Institute, the official think tank of the Central Tibetan Administration on 26 July 2021.

He has dedicated almost 30 years in service of the Central Tibetan Administration

Tenzin Lekshay was a recipient of Tibetan Scholarship Program from 2006 -2008 and graduated in International Relations from New York University.

He studied MA Economics from Loyola College and BA Economics from Madras Christian College. He initially worked in the Department of Information and International Relations, Central Tibetan Administration (CTA). In 2008, he served as the Coordinator of the India-Tibet Coordination Office in Delhi. In 2011, he briefly worked in the Kashag Secretariat in Dharamshala. In 2012, he returned to Delhi and worked as the Media Coordinator at Bureau of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in New Delhi. Over the years, he had coordinated and organized national and international conferences and programmes of Tibet Support Groups and Interfaith. Since May 2017, he worked as the Deputy Director of Tibet Policy Institute. On 25 September 2020, he has been assigned as the Director of Tibet Policy Institute, succeeding Mr. Tsewang Gyalpo Arya. On 1 July 2021, he was transferred as an additional secretary at the Department of Information and International Relations of Central Tibetan Administration and has been appointed as the official spokesperson of CTA.  

Tsewang Gyalpo Arya did his schooling from CST Mussoorie. He started his service in Tibetan Administration with Department of Finance in April 1988, where he worked under various capacities notably as President of Charitable Trust Tibetan Handicraft Exports (CTHE) and Director of Paljor Publications.
He has B.A. from Panjab University; M.A. Economics from Annamalai University; M.A. Japanese Studies and Diploma in Tibetan Language and Literature from Delhi University; and Diploma in International Trade & Economics from Chiyoda College of Business, Tokyo. He is pursuing his Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies at University of Delhi.
In July 2000 he joined the mainstream CTA as Deputy Secretary at Department of Finance. In June 2005, he was appointed the Secretary of Liaison Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Tokyo, and later in November 2013 as Secretary of Bureau of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in New Delhi. In May 2018, he was transferred to Department of Home in Dharamshala as its Additional Secretary, and in December, he was appointed the Additional Secretary of Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR). On 3 May 2019, he was promoted as Information Secretary of the Department of Information and International Relations. On 11 October, Kashag appointed him the additional charge as Director of Tibet Policy Institute. On 25 September 2020, he handed over the directorship of Tibet Policy Institute to his colleague, Mr. Tenzin Lekshay.

Tsewang Dolma Shosur has dedicated over 40 years in service of the Central Tibetan Administration since 1979. Born on 14 October 1959 at Langchu district in Toe Ngari, Tibet, Tsewang Dolma did her primary education at Lower Transit School (Sursok), lower Dharamsala and successfully passed higher secondary from CST Shimla on 19th May 1976. She joined Force Academy in Dehradun from 19th May 1976 to 24th October 1977 as per CTA’s rules and regulation and completed Secretary Course there. After that, she studied Administration course in 1978. She was appointed as Junior clerk on 15th August 1979 in Branch Security cum Welfare Office, McleodGanj in Dharamsala. Tsewang Dolma then served at the Bureau of H.H the Dalai Lama from 15th March 1986 as Public Relation Officer. From 15th September, she joined the Chief Justice Commission, Dharamsala as Senior Clerk. Again at Bureau Of H.H The Dalai Lama, Tsewang Dolma served as Rehabilitation Officer from 17th May 1995. She was then appointed as the Settlement Officer of Sataun, Sirmour district on 25th April 1997. From 11th February 1997, she served as the Secretary, Co-operative Society in BylakuppeDelar, later as Settlement Officer, Herbertpur on 21st June 1999. From 4th September 2000, she was promoted to Deputy Secretary at Health Department and on 4th February 2002, joined Department of Home as deputy secretary. Until her promotion, she has served as Additional Secretary of the Home Department. Tsewang Dolma was recently promoted to the rank of Secretary by the Kashag and appointed as the director of Tibet Policy Institute, succeeding TseringYangkey.

Tsewang has received the distinguished CTA Officer level award on 6th July 2010 from His Holiness The Dalai Lama and Lifetime achievement award received from Katri Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche for 25 yrs service (1979-2007) on 6th July 2007. She was transferred to the Department of Home as the secretary on 16th October 2019, and was succeeded by Mr. Tsewang Gyapo Arya, who takes the directorship of the Tibet Policy Institute as an additional portfolio.

Tsering Yangkey, born on 15 June 1971, hails from Mundgod Tibetan Settlement, south India. She first joined the Central Tibetan Administration as Under Secretary in the Department of Religion and Culture on 25 April 1996.

On 11 February 1999, she was promoted to Deputy Secretary of the Department of Religion and Culture. On 1 June 2005, she was promoted yet again to the rank of Joint Secretary. Following her two years’ service in the department, she was appointed as Joint Secretary of Department of Finance on 16 July 2007. After a year, she was transferred to Department of Health.On 1 May 2012, she was appointed as the Director of Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts. After a year on 5 September 2013, Tsering Yangkey was appointed as Additional Secretary.On 15 October 2014, she was appointed as Additional Secretary of the Tibet Policy Institute.On 1 August 2016, she was appointed as Additional Secretary of the Department of Information and International Relations.From 6 October this year, she was promoted to Secretary and joined the Tibet Policy Institute as the Director on November 01, 2018.

Mr. Thubten Samphel is the first executive director of the Tibet Policy Institute, since its establishment in 2012. He retired in November 2018.

He was the secretary of the Department of Information and International Relations from 1999-2012 and also served as the spokesperson for the Central

Tibetan Administration. He completed his high school from Dr. Graham’s Home, Kalimpong. He studied B.A and M.A in History from St. Stephen College, Delhi University. He was among the first group of Tibetan Fulbright Scholars to study in the United States and earned a degree in Journalism from Columbia University, New York.

He was a member of the last fact-finding mission to visit in Tibet in 1985.

He has written extensively on Tibet in Indian and international newspapers and journals.

He is the author of ‘Falling Through the Roof’, a work of fiction and co-author of the Dalai Lamas of Tibet.