Report on the Bhutan Seminar Series 2023 (Dec.2023 & Jan.2024)

2024年7月1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.

11th Seminar in the Bhutan Seminar Series 2023 (2023.12.8)

This 11th seminar focused on the relationship between the UK (British India) and Bhutan, taking up a BBC program broadcast in 1997 in which British actress Mrs. Joanna Lumley retraced the footsteps of her grandfather Lt.-Col. Leslie Weir, who was a political officer in Sikkim, British India. In the second half of the seminar, Mr. Hirayama provided commentary on Lt.-Col. Leslie Weir’s Bhutan visit report and annual reports on the political and social situation in Bhutan in the 1930s, and exchanged opinions with the participants, including on the relationship between Bhutan and the Kingdom of Sikkim, which existed until 1975.

About 40 people attended this seminar. Here are some of the participants’ comments: “The inclusion of old footage made it very realistic”, “The content delving into the relationship between UK and Bhutan was very interesting”, “Lecturer Mr. Hirayama’s explanations and comments, in which he analyzed an actual report written by political officer in the 1930s, were very insightful”.

Introduction of the featured video
Commentary based on related documents

12th Seminar in the Bhutan Seminar Series 2023 (2023.12.23)

In this 12th seminar, we were focusing the video broadcast in the United States in 1982. Lecturer Mr. Hirayama provided commentary on the filming locations, the history of the kingdom and kings discussed in the video, researchers who supervised the video, and then exchanged opinions with the participants on Bhutan’s national development policies and ethnic diversity. At the beginning of the seminar, a live broadcasting of National Day ceremony on December 17th was shown, in which participants had asked questions in advance.

About 40 people attended this seminar. Here are some of the participants’ comments: “It was interesting because it was a program from the 1980s that covered Bhutan before the advancement of information technology”, “It was very interesting to see what Thimphu was like around 1980. I was able to see with my own eyes the young fourth king, still in his twenties, leading the country with great vigor. I was a little surprised to learn that Mrs. Aung San Suu Kyi, who looked like a schoolgirl, had such deep ties to Bhutan”.

Introduction of the featured video
Lecturer Mr. Hirayama making a comment

13th Seminar in the Bhutan Seminar Series 2023 (2024.1.13)

In this seminar, we looked into the achievements of Father Mackey, a Canadian priest who contributed to the expansion of modern school education in Bhutan. After watching the video, Mr. Suto, researcher of Japan Institute for Bhutan Studies (JIBS), gave an explanation and commentary, and then he answered questions about the content of modern school education in Bhutan, the differences between education in Japan, and stories about Father Mackey.

About 40 people attended this seminar. Here are some of the participants’ comments: “I’ve been studying Bhutanese Buddhism, so I’m glad that I was able to learn about the history and current situation of education in Bhutan”, “I was impressed by the fact that Father Mackey, a Christian priest, said that he came into contact with Buddhism while involved in education in Bhutan, and that this deepened his own religious understanding of Christianity”.

Introducing Father Mackey
Commentary by Mr. Shin Suto