Recently, the 22nd “Thorampa” Advanced Academic Title Buddhist Scripture Debating Examination was officially held at the High-Level Tibetan Buddhism College of China.

A total of 34 candidates for the senior academic degree participated in the debate examination, representing three major schools of Tibetan Buddhism: Gelug, Sakya, and Jonang. Of these, 12 are from the Gelug school, 13 from Sakya, and 9 from Jonang. The examination was conducted simultaneously across three separate venues.

The examinees and the defense committee engaged in five rounds of debate, focusing on the Five Great Treatises. Each round covered two debate topics.

The academic degree system of Tibetan Buddhism consists of three levels—Chenrampa, Chinrampa, and Thorampa—which correspond to the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. The “Chenrampa” and “Chinrampa” degrees are conferred by Tibetan Buddhist institutions established by Buddhist associations at the provincial or autonomous region level, while the “Thorampa” degree is conferred by the High-level Tibetan Buddhism College of China. Generally, applicants must obtain the lower-level degree before pursuing the next higher-level degree.