Report on the Bhutan Seminar Series 2023 (Apr. & May.2023)

2024年4月22日更新

Beginning in FY2021, the Global Collaboration Center is hosting regional research-based seminars to (1) learn about the Kingdom of Bhutan, which is located in South Asia, and (2) examine development policies and the situation of the country and region in light of these issues. Each seminar includes a film screening, a brief commentary by the presenter, and a question-and-answer session. A total of 15 sessions are scheduled for FY2023.

1st Seminar in the Bhutan Seminar Series 2023 (2023.4.29)

This first session focused on nature, and explored the origins of the Himalayas and the secrets behind the birth of Bhutan’s spectacular landscapes. After viewing the vide, commentator Mr. Pema Wangchuk gave an explanation with episodes from the filming, and then shared information and exchanged opinions in response to questions from the participants.

About 55 people attended this seminar. Here are some of the participants’ comments: “It was interesting to learn about the origins of the Himalayan region and the diversity of nature”, “The seminar was very fulfilling. It is rare to have a chance to hear directly from Bhutanese tour guide, so it was great to hear Mr. Pema’s unique explanations and answers to our questions”, “I was particularly surprised to learn that the Himalayas were formed by the movement of the continents. Also, when he talked about his view of nature in the video, I was reminded of the fact that no matter where we go, we live our lives supported by the greatness of nature”.

Introduction of the featured video
Commentator Mr. Pema Wangchuk

2nd Seminar in the Bhutan Seminar Series 2023 (2023.5.27)

This time, we featured an interview with the former Prime Minister of Bhutan. In the second half of the seminar, we held a report session on the Bhutan field survey of “Convivial Global Society” (February 2023), and 6 students gave presentations on their respective research topics.

About 55 people attended this seminar. Here are some of the participants’ comments: “I participated in this seminar knowing nothing about Bhutan other than that it is known as a kingdom of happiness. There was an explanation of modern history and comments on the video, so I felt like I was able to deepen my understanding of Bhutan”, “The contents of video and student presentations were great as they contained more than just superficial content”, “It was interesting to hear about Bhutan today from the perspective of a university students”.

Each student's research topics
Field survey in Bhutan