ANNUAL REPORT 2019 E D I T I O N TABLE OF CONTENTS
About Us...... 01
The IOH Team...... 0022
Training...... 0033 Adaptive Leadership...... 03 Girls for Girls...... 04 Innovating the Business of Happiness...... 05
Research...... 0066
Collaboration...... 07 IE University...... 07 Harvard Conference...... 0088 GNH Conference...... 1111 Japan...... 12 Happiness Schools in Delhi...... 15 College Visits...... 1166 Santa Monica Wellbeing Summit...... 18 Harvard Student Trek...... 1199
P A G E 1
ABOUT US
We are inspired by the Kingdom of Bhutan's philosophy of Gross National Happiness (GNH). The Institute of Happiness (IOH) is an evidence-based think and do tank that seeks to be a thought center for Bhutanese GNH experience.
The institute will serve as an accumulator for GNH philosophy and present the alternative development paradigm for actors in societal structure for harmony.
The Objective
The IOH's objectives are to:
Conduct and facilitate collaborative research with institutions/ partners Develop, Assess and Impart training/skills for actors in the policy process including leaders from Government, Business and Civil Societies. Organize, coordinate and lead experiential trips to learn, understand and discuss the Bhutanese GNH journey.
Our Story
The GNH philosophy originated in Bhutan, but has inspired scholars, academics, and policymakers around the world. The IOH shall be a private intellectual platform where academics and practitioners of GNH philosophies can convene to discuss, learn, and implement best practices in development, governance, policy, and business management.
The IOH has three primary practice areas: Training, Research, and Collaboration P A G E 2 THE IOH TEAM
Team Members
International Advisory Panel
Bhutan Advisory Panel P A G E 3 TRAINING ADAPTIVE LEADERSHIP WORKSHOP DECEMBER 2, 2019
The IOH training component shall provide the skills for leadership in public services with a curriculum based on ethical leadership, social harmony, conflict resolution, mediation, and the well-being of the larger community.
The Institute of Happiness organised its first workshop in collaboration with Mr. Dennis SESSION RATING (1 - LEAST SATISFACTORY, 4 - MOST SATISFACTORY): Schroeder from Germany who was recently a professor at Royal Thimphu College (RTC), Bhutan. Titled “Adaptive Leadership,” the workshop aimed to enhance the leadership skills required to govern public services using strategies studied at Harvard Kennedy School, where Mr. Schroeder earned his Master of Public Administration in COMMENTS FROM PARTICIPANTS: 2017. It was good to attend workshop as it gave me the opportunity to reflect and learn new methods of leadership management Eleven individuals in leadership and its role in the organization. roles from various backgrounds attended the event. They were from Workshop although short was very informative. Got an opportunity to learn something new :) DGPC, State Trading Corporation of
Bhutan, Ministry of Works and Continue the ground breaking work to make Bhutan a Human Settlement, CAB and DHI knowledge based society. Thanks a million for including me. officials. Great initiative by IOH on building a knowledge based society, deeply inspired but he vision and mission of the institute and it's management. P A G E 4
GIRLS FOR GIRLS: GLOBAL MENTORING INITIATIVE DECEMBER 12, 2019
The Institute of Happiness organized a workshop “Girls for Girls: Global Mentoring Initiative” in collaboration with Miss Allen Asimwe from Uganda and an alum from the Harvard Kennedy School cohort of 2017. The program has been now launched in over 14 countries around the world.
Girls for Girls offers young women access to mentorship through mentorship circles. From Thimphu, there were 16 very inspirational women in power from business, NGOs, school teachers, government officials and diplomats who participated in the workshop.
The workshop created a physical and safe space for the mentors to talk about everything and anything and also included a courageous leadership video from Nancy Kohen, a key Harvard faculty member. SESSION RATING (1 - LEAST SATISFACTORY, 4 - MOST SATISFACTORY): P A G E 5
INNOVATING THE BUSINESS OF HAPPINESS DECEMBER 16, 2019
The IOH welcomed Dr. Ravi Chitturi from Lehigh University, USA for the workshop, "Innovating the Business of Happiness." Since joining the faculty of Marketing in the College of Business & Economics in 2003, Dr. Ravi has published a number of premier scholarly journals. Having also worked in Intel and IBM, Dr. Ravi shared valuable insights about business strategies used abroad.
The audience comprised of members from BPC, T&K, Chuniding, DrukRide, JICA, Gedu College, Land Commission, DGPC, Ministry of Health, and Thimphu Tech Park.
The audience engaged in hands-on group activities and learned how to apply techniques regarding creativity, customer delight, GUEST SPEAKERS: process of innovation, and brand strategy. "Developing a GNH Module for a Knowledge Economy" (Kinga Tshering, IOH) SESSION RATING (1 - LEAST SATISFACTORY, 4 - MOST SATISFACTORY): "Comprehensive National Development Plan" (Krishna Subba, JICA)
"Social and Environmental Sustainability & Happiness" (Sangay Thinley, IOH} P A G E 6 RESEARCH
Bhutan incorporates GNH into every aspect of its economic development, policy landscape, and social construct. Therefore, the IOH will conduct research into the following areas, which broadly represent the four pillars of GNH:
Environment Governance Culture Economic Development
Research themes that we hope to pursue
reflects spiritual Environmental Research includes Cultural Research studying climate change, practices related to Bhutanese renewable energy, Himalayan Buddhism, community and rural studies, and glacial lakes. development, tourism and hospitality, and dispute resolution, mediation, and arbitration.
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Governance involves studying Economic Development includes happiness in public service, promoting evidence-based policies, democracy and innovation, ethical social enterprises, social impact politicking, leadership and media investment, infrastructure, and training, corporate strategy, and urban issues. business management. P A G E 7 COLLABORATION IE UNIVERSITY, SPAIN APRIL 11 - 26, 2019
The IOH offers opportunities for Experiencing the outdoors collaboration between Bhutanese 2 and testing people's institutions and other institutions of leadership abilities higher learning and policy design, both domestic and internationally. Students got to experience both the joy and the challenges of surviving in the wilderness as well The IE- Bhutan Trek is organised for as appreciate the pristine impact of under-graduate students studying the environment on our overall at the IE University in Spain to visit well-being. Bhutan. This trek had two main objectives
Institutional visits (meeting 1 with government officials, civil society groups, etc)
The trek explored policy making based on GNH principles and how those lessons could be applied to our own lives and the organisations, communities and countries we aspire to serve.
QUESTIONS EXPLORED:
1. How is GNH implemented in Bhutan? 2. How can happiness be a competitive advantage for organisations and countries? 3. How do we think about balancing happiness and productitvity in our personal lives, the organisations and institutions we lead, and our broader cultures? P A G E 8 HARVARD CONFERENCE APRIL 13, 2019
This inaugural student-led Re-imagining Happiness for a Better Happiness Conference at the World explored specific initiatives Harvard Divinity School explored in the economic, technological, the questions, "how do we govern environmental, health, spiritual, and for happiness? How do we ethical domains for cultivating and approach measuring happiness?" measuring happiness in among others about the global communities and organizations movement in happiness. across the globe.
The GNH Conference at Harvard sought to create awareness about various GNH frameworks and develop an action plan on how we may collectively attain happiness by drawing from the knowledge of happiness experts in academia, business, politics, and religion. P A G E 9 SOME OF THE SPEAKERS
Dean David N. Hempton Dean, Harvard Divinity School; Alonzo L. McDonald, Family Professor of Evangelical Theological Studies, John Lord O’Brian Professor of Divinity
Her Excellency Doma Tshering Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Bhutan to the United Nations
Professor Wolfgang Dreschler Professor of Governance, Tallinn University of Technology’s Ragnar Nurkse Department
Professor John Helliwell Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), Professor Emeritus, University of British Columbia
Professor Sophus Reinert Associate Professor, Harvard Business School
Dasho Karma Tshiteem Chairman, Bhutan Royal Civil Service Commission
Professor Neil Gershenfeld Director of MIT’s Center for Bits and Atoms
John C. Havens Executive Director, The IEEE Global Initiative on Ethics of Autonomous and Intelligent Systems
Kasisomayajula “Vish” Viswanath Lee Kum Kee Professor of Health Communication Co-Director, Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness P A G E 1 0 COLLABORATORS
* IOH has also made a full report on the conference proceedings. * P A G E 1 1 GNH CONFERENCE, PISMO BEACH CALIFORNIA MAY 25, 2019
The Institute of Happiness was given the honour of presenting at the first annual West Coast Gross National Happiness Conference at Pismo Beach, California which was attended by 70 other people.
GNH AT A COMMUNITY LEVEL: WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM BHUTAN?
Thanks to the collaboration with the California Bhutanese Association, IOH was able to give the audience an introduction to Bhutanese culture through food, art and traditional dances.
As the keynote speaker, Mr. Kinga Tshering gave a presentation on Gross National Happiness (GNH) at a Community Level: What We Can Learn From Bhutan.
Source: ecologistics.org/gnc-at-community- level-conference/ P A G E 1 2 JAPAN: JICA, JIIA, TOKYO UNIVERSITY JUNE - JULY, 2019
During the month of June, co- documentation of key experiences founder of IOH Mr. Kinga Tshering during his tenure in Bhutan. The traveled across Japan to meet with book also noted the often- influential figures to discuss high- disjointed results of the JICA efforts level policies, events and current in Bhutan, especially when it comes challenges in their societies and why to training over 1700 Bhutanese in they are interested in the concept of Japan over the last three decades Bhutan's GNH. The following are the but not being able to tap into this findings under the four broad huge human resources who are categories: Policy Research, Social either lost in the system or have Enterprises and Spiritual studies. been transferred elsewhere.
1. Policy Research 2. Social Enterprises
Meeting with Ms. Ohno Izumi, the Meeting with Professor Kudo Shogo Director of the JICA Research from the Tokyo University’s Institute and Mr. Yamada Koji, the Graduate School of Frontier Senior Assistant Chief of JICA Sciences, Graduate Program in Research Institute: Sustainability Sciences, and Graduate Leadership Initiative: Mr. Yamada presented his book “Speaking Up" which includes a Professor Kudo is engaged in the P A G E 1 3 JAPAN: SOPHIA LAW SCHOOL
study of the aging population and impacting labour market in also the rural-urban migration of the future. Japanese youth. Applying research studies in his hometown, he uses the schools there as startup centers 3. Spiritual Studies for entrepreneurs by setting up workshops, offices and shops and Meeting with Buddhist monk creating an ecosystem where the Shoukei Matsumoto, MBA in government also provides subsidies Innovation of Buddhist temples, for the youth to locate to these Indian School of Business, India: centers.
Meeting with Ms. Teruya Tomoko, Mr. Matsumoto has worked on a graduate of Sophia Law School: variety of missions like Temple cafe "Kamiyacyo Open Terrace" and Chosen as one of 30 Global Buddhist portal website "Higanji." Shapers, young leaders selected by He has launched a Buddhist temple the World Economic Forum (Davos management school for Buddhist Meeting) in 2011, she also gives priests and monks and explores advice on social welfare policies new relationships between to President Elbegdorj of Mongolia. Buddhist monks and individuals. Her dissertation is on AI and robots P A G E 1 4 JAPAN: RYUKOKU UNIVERSITY
Meeting with Professor Naoki Therefore, they can provide not Nabeshima (Dean of Graduate Shin only the interdisciplinary reach but Buddhist Practical Studies) Ryukoku also the extensive networks in University, Kyoto: Japan for any followup studies and research to be carried out in Mr. Nabeshima is a leading Japan and also possibly send some Buddhist studies scholar with focus students from Bhutan. on palliative care. Ryukoku * University is one of the oldest Buddhist universities with currently over 40,000 students enrolled across various disciplines including not just Buddhist studies but also engineering, science and medicine. P A G E 1 5 HAPPINESS SCHOOLS IN DELHI JULY 31, 2019
The Government of Delhi launched students shared their experiences. the Happiness Curriculum in all its Fueled by this success, the Delhi 1,033 public schools for 800,000 Government now desires to develop students from kindergarten to high tools and indices to measure, school in July 2018 in a landmark monitor and analyze factors that initiative to reform the education contribute to the success and system and provide more value hence adopt an evidence-based based, compassionate and self- policy interventions for further efficacy holistic education. improvements and scaling up.
The schools have achieved The Institute of Happiness (IOH), remarkable transformation in just a Bhutan was invited and represented year as evident during the in the Conference held on 31st Happiness Curriculum Anniversary July, 2019 by Kinga Tshering and event held in New Delhi on July 31, Andrew Eleridge from Marina 2019 where teachers, School from Northern California. administrators, experts, and 800,000 1,033 STUDENTS SCHOOLS P A G E 1 6 COLLEGE VISITS OCTOBER, 2019
For an institution that focuses on Some of the topics covered during studying and advancing the well- the talks included an introduction being of Bhutanese individuals, it is to GNH and IOH's background, the fundamental to reach out to the importance of STEM subjects in this youth whose relationship with the technologically driven age, the GNH philosophy continues to grow dangers of drug and alcohol and who will undeniably shape the consumption, advice on college future societal harmony of the application planning and the country. Thus, throughout October, difference between Royal Civil the IOH ventured across Bhutan to Service Commission (RCSC) jobs engage with students as well as and entrepreneurship. teachers from different schools and colleges.
S P O K E T O 15,000 S T U D E N T S
COLLEGES OF ROYAL SCHOOLS DZONGKHAGS UNIVERSITY 6 OF BHUTAN 20 14 P A G E 1 7
Sherubtse College Bumtha School
Gelephu High School Jigme Namgyal Engineering College Faculty
COMMENTS FROM STUDENTS AND FACULTY:
Enjoyed the talk...eagerly waiting for another opportunity to take part in the programme
Give every students to attend this programme
I would comment or suggested that we will be benefit if the office of IOH could held this events in near future. It is the appreciated and inspire to be the part of IOH.
I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Dasho Kinga Tshering and his team for giving a talk to the students and faculties of Sherubtse College. Will be grateful if Dasho could plan such program in the future . Thank you
TALK RATING:
0 1 2 3 Number of students P A G E 1 8 SANTA MONICA WELLBEING SUMMIT NOVEMBER 16, 2019
The City of Santa Monica, The Institute of Happiness, California, USA hosted its first represented by Mr. Kinga Tshering, Wellbeing Summit at Santa Monica was given the opportunity to College Center for Media & Design. present "Global Wellbeing from the According to the city's official United Kingdom to Bhutan to Latin website, about 900 people America" along side esteemed participated in the one day free and speakers Dr. Alejandro Adler, interactive event. Mexico and U.S, Benilda Batzin, Guatemala and moderator Juliana Essen. 900 PARTICIPANTS
Source: wellbeing.smgov.net/summit santamonica.gov/ P A G E 1 9 HARVARD STUDENT TREK DECEMBER 28, 2019 - JANUARY 3, 2020
As part of the annual program since 2017, students and alumni, including some family and friends from across Harvard University graduate schools embarked on the exciting Harvard Bhutan New Year Trek.
2ALUM0NI H0AVE VISITED BHUTAN
Many of them learned about Bhutan Harvard group at the Parliament in discussions and case studies at Harvard Business School, Harvard Kennedy School, and Harvard T Chan School of Public Health. The week-long trek was a combination of rich, educational sessions with experiential learning focused on the groundbreaking concept of Gross National Happiness, which is at the heart of the Bhutanese government.
Harvard Panel on National TV
C o u n t r i e s R e p r e s e n t e d : P A G E 2 0
Professional Organizational Backgrounds Experiences Data Scientists Apple Doctors Tesla & Googles Self Driving Car Bio Medical Engineering Gene Tech IT Consulting, M&A Boston Consulting Group University Professors Alibaba Diplomats Country Embassies Entrepreneurs ASEAN & UN, ILO, UNESCO Writers and Authors Fairfax County Police Department Scuba Diver PWC, UK Health Department Journalists, Pod Cast Blue Cross Shield & USAID P A G E 2 1
COMMENTS FROM PARTICIPANTS
WHAT WAS YOUR BEST TAKEAWAY FROM THE TREK EXPERIENCE?
I learned a lot about Bhutan's history and how the country is governed. While it is a young democracy, it has a bright future. The leaders of the country are very involved and thoughtful in their governance.
We really enjoyed the time we spent with the Buhtanese people. The best experiences came through meeting the officials, talking with the guides, and meeting the town members during the archery.
I loved getting to know the fellow treckers, and my favorite part of the trip was the health focus day. I think learning more about the health system was a great way to see happiness and the government policies applied, and I really loved talking to the faculty and seeing the hospital. Tigers Nest was also beautiful!
The way I think about happiness
How kind and hospitable the bhutanese are
SPEAKER OF THE PARLIAMENT SESSION RATING: { } འ ག་བདེ་ིད་ོབ་ཁང
BHUTAN
Contact: Phone: +975 2 330025 P.O Box 194, Thimphu, Bhutan Email: [email protected] www.iohbhutan.org
Written and edited by: Finso Choden | Kuenzang Selden