Report on the Bhutan Seminar Series 2025 (Aug. & Sep.2025)

2025年9月30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 FY2025.

6th Seminar in the Bhutan Seminar Series 2025 (2025.8.8)

The 6th Bhutan Seminar of the 2025 academic year took place online on Friday, Aug 8, 2025. The sixth session (66th overall) featured the‘CNA Correspondent’ program produced by Singapore's CNA (Channel NewsAsia), addressing Bhutan's unemployment issues, brain drain to foreign countries, and the special zone concept of the “Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC)”. Following the video viewing, commentator Lecturer Hirayama provided commentary on the footage, after which a lively Q&A session took place.

About 45 people attended this seminar. Here are some of the participants’ comments: “It was fascinating to learn about Bhutan's reality, such as the challenges of people leaving the country.” “Following the previous session, this delved deeper into Gelephu Mindfulness City, providing insight into Bhutan's latest developments.” “I enjoyed learning about Bhutan's new Mega City concept. Although conditions differ significantly from those in Japan, I thought there might be something useful to reference. I was also surprised to learn that this is the king's initiative and not a government project.”

Introduction of the featured video
Regarding the content of the video

7th Seminar in the Bhutan Seminar Series 2025 (2025.9.5)

The 7th seminar of FY2025 took place on Friday 5th September. The seventh session (67th overall) featured the southern region of Bhutan and its people through the ‘DW Documentary’ produced by Deutsche Welle (DW), Germany's international broadcaster. After viewing the footage, Lecturer Hirayama, serving as commentator, provided brief explanations about the organizations featured and the southern region's landscapes. Information sharing then continued in the form of answering questions from participants.

About 50 people attended this seminar. Here are some of the participants’ comments: “Learning about the sincere way of life of Bhutanese people through a German program provided a peaceful moment. Everything was new to me, making it a valuable learning experience. While I couldn't grasp everything at once, I believe attending multiple times will gradually deepen my understanding and spark further questions.” “Focusing on the southern region, rarely covered in media, allowed me to discover things I didn't know.” “About 20 years ago, I believe the main approach to providing electricity to mountainous areas was to generate solar power. Since then, however, efforts have shifted to hydropower, with strategies to sell it to India. I could also sense that the supply within the country is progressing.”

Regarding the content of the video
Introduction to Southern Bhutan