In Memoriam: Prof. Dr. Suresh Raj Sharma
It is with deep sorrow that the Kathmandu University Centre for Buddhist Studies at Rangjung Yeshe Institute mourns the passing of Prof. Dr. Suresh Raj Sharma, founding Vice-Chancellor of Kathmandu University, on 23 September 2026 in Kathmandu, at the age of 86.
Born in Khurkot, Sindhuli, in 1940, Prof. Sharma trained as a chemist, earning his doctorate in the United Kingdom before devoting his life to education in Nepal. After teaching for many years at Tribhuvan University, he became the first Executive Director of the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training. In 1991, together with a small group of colleagues, he was pivotal in bringing Kathmandu University into being, and he served as its Vice-Chancellor for more than two decades, from 1991 to 2012. Under his leadership, KU grew into one of Nepal’s most respected institutions of higher learning. Until his passing, he has continued to guide the university as a member of its Board of Trustees.
Our own community owes Prof. Sharma a special and lasting debt. When our founder, Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche, first met with him and Dr. Bhadra Man Tuladhar and shared his vision of offering rigorous university education in Buddhist philosophy in combination with traditional monastic scholarship, Prof. Sharma’s response was immediate. He is remembered as saying to Rinpoche, “Guru, this is incredibly important. Whatever it takes, we must establish this Centre, so that the wisdom of Buddhism can be studied, and be accessible and of benefit to all students.” He saw clearly what such a Centre could mean, not only for Kathmandu University but for Nepal as a whole: a way to honor and preserve the country’s rich Buddhist heritage and to make Nepal a beacon of learning for students and scholars from across the globe. From that moment onward, things moved quickly. With his complete backing, and the steadfast guidance and support of Dr. Tuladhar, a fellow founding member of the University and the Centre, the initiative to found the Centre was treated as a matter of the highest priority. In 2001 the Centre for Buddhist Studies was established in partnership with Rangjung Yeshe Institute. The Centre’s BA, MA, and PhD programs that have educated students from Nepal and around the world grew from that single, wholehearted “Yes”. Every graduate of KU-CBS is, in a real sense, part of his legacy.
Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche has always spoken of Prof. Sharma with deep warmth and great respect, honoring him as a man of rare vision and character whose support never wavered. We share Rinpoche’s appreciation and admiration.
We remember Prof. Sharma with the deepest gratitude for his foresight, his generosity, and his lifelong conviction that quality education could transform our nation. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, to the rest of the Kathmandu University community, to all whose lives he has touched.
