Lopen Karma Phuntsho teaches Buddhism and Bhutan’s history, culture and religion. He was born and brought up in Bumthang, Bhutan. He completed his full monastic training before going to Oxford to pursue a DPhil. The first Bhutanese to obtain a PhD at Oxford and fellowship at Cambridge, he has worked at the University of Cambridge, CNRS, Paris, the University of Virginia and currently works as a web content creator for Tsadra Foundation.

He is the author of numerous books and articles including The History of Bhutan, which received Choice Outstanding Academic Title Award. Lopen Karma has also created and directed audio-visual productions and managed many digital documentation projects. He is also the founder of the Loden Foundation, a leading educational charity in Bhutan and the founder and spiritual director of Bodhitse Centre for Study and Contemplation. For his contribution to culture and human progress, he was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award, Asia’s premier prize and highest honour, in 2024.