The Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan is famous for its socioeconomic principle of Gross National Happiness (GNH), putting the happiness of its citizens above material growth, a concept conceived in the 1970s by its fourth king. It has since then become the country’s strongest branding and an inspiration to similar initiatives on regional and country levels, and for the United Nations. How was Bhutan able to accomplish such a feat? How much of GNH is real and how much is branding? Have there been significant shifts over time? What is the difference between the domestic and the international perspective? This lecture will answer these questions and take a closer look at the most recent Bhutanese post-pandemic reforms, which are seemingly more in line with mainstream international practice, to see where GNH might be heading.

This lecture will be delivered in English.