A school of high endeavor

A challenger stands and asks a question, and a defender sits and argues in favor of one's position, with gestures such as clapping hands.

"It's a good way to study Buddhism via debate because it inspires you to figure out some problems you can hardly solve on your own or you never thought about before. Some hardworking classmates debate until 10 pm in the courtyard," he says.

Chongdrub Kelsang Tuwang is busy and doesn't have much spare time. Sometimes he goes to Lhasa about 35 kilometers away to do grocery shopping on weekends.

The institute has a soccer field and a basketball court. Computer classes are also held and he has a smartphone to communicate with his family.

"It's impossible to have no contact with the internet these days. We (monks and nuns) are not isolated from society," he says.

In 2014, the institute started to recruit nuns, as a milestone in the history of Tibetan Buddhism. Monks and nuns are studying the same courses separately, except two large classes.

"In the past, nuns could only study Buddhism in nunneries. The institute offers us the opportunity to further our studies with better education resources," says Tsultrim Palmo, a 48-year-old nun and teacher at the institute.

"More importantly, nuns have the responsibility to pass on knowledge they've acquired here to their peers in nunneries after graduation."