We’re pleased to announce that the dates and new venue for the 2016 Nitartha Summer Institute have been confirmed. Mark your calendars! Friday, July 15 through Saturday, August 13, 2016 at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

This year’s complete summer program will run for four weeks from Friday, July 15th through Saturday, August 13th, 2016. We anticipate being able to offer courses from three of our academic departments:

• Department of Buddhist Studies (BUD)
• Department of Languages (LAN)
• Department of Healing (HEA)

In addition, we will again offer a Mahamudra Practice Intensive (Gomdra) program for qualified students, similar to what we have offered at the past two Summer Institutes in 2014 and 2015.

To optimize the teaching and learning environment as much as possible, the four different departments/programs will run in tandem on two parallel schedules: one on a two 2-week session schedule, and the other on a three 9-day module schedule. The program dates arranged by department and session/module are as follows:

Schedule for the Department of Buddhist Studies (BUD), and Department of Languages (LAN) — two 2-week sessions:

Session I: Friday, July 15 to Thursday, July 28
Travel day: Friday July 29
Session II: Saturday, July 30 to Friday, Aug 12
Travel day: Saturday August 13

Schedule for the Mahamudra Practice Intensive (Gomdra) and Department of Healing (HEA) — three 9-day modules:

Module 1: Friday, July 15 to Saturday, July 23
Travel day: Sunday, July 24
Module 2: Monday, July 25 to Tuesday, August 2
Travel day: Wednesday, August 3
Module 3: Thursday, August 4 to Friday, August 12
Travel day: Saturday, August 13

It is planned that Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche will be present for Modules 1 and 2 and will continue his teachings on the topic of Mahamudra Vipashyana from the Ninth Karmapa’s Ocean of Definitive Meaning. Please note: Rinpoche’s talks will not be open to the public and only students who meet the Mahamudra study and practice requirements will be permitted to attend Rinpoche’s talks.

NEW VENUE! To better accommodate the growing needs of students and faculty, and also due to a variety of other considerations, Nitartha Summer Institute 2016 will be hosted at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada!

UBC Location: 2329 West Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4

Additional program details, such as registration, tuition rates, housing costs, etc., are forthcoming. For now, please save the dates and further details will be posted on our website and announced shortly.

In the interim, should you have any burning questions that just can’t wait, please correspond with our 2016 Summer Program Co-Coordinators, Christine Hwang and Crista Lawson at: summerprogram@nitarthainstitute.org.