The fascinating and inaugural ISBS launch conference took place on Jan 8-10 2019 at Magdalen College, Oxford. The conference had a plethora of hidden jewels in its papers and presentations – from buddhism to linguistics, anthropology to democracy to Gross National Happiness.

During the Conference on 9 January 2019, there were Distinguished Lectures by the Former Prime Minister of Bhutan, His Excellency Dasho Tshering Tobgay, and the President of the Center for Bhutan Studies and Gross National Happiness, Dasho Karma Ura, with the Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, OECD’s Martine Durand, and Economists’ Prof. James Foster.

The ISBS launch conference reflect the ISBS aims in microcosm:

1. As the ISBS is multidisciplinary, the conference will feature papers on topics from linguistics to history to natural science to Buddhism to economics and business and so on.
2. As the ISBS promotes research excellence, papers will reflect the cutting edge research internationally on Bhutan.
3. As the ISBS seeks to support Bhutanese scholars, both junior and established, this conference will feature their voices alongside international scholars.
4. As the ISBS seeks to create intellectual community and academic exchange so the conference will provide spaces for mentoring, networking, and sharing.
5. As the ISBS seeks to contribute to the happiness of future generations, so the ethos of our exchange will be to engage both the guardians of culture and tradition and those able to use the research to enact positive change.
6. As the ISBS seeks to be inclusive, we welcome gifts that support the participation of all scholars.

The conference programme, biographies and abstracts (PDF)

Conference lectures

Conference Powerpoints

Conference videos

Conference photos (Album 1)

Conference photos (Album 2)

The 2nd conference of the International Society for Bhutan Studies, February 4–6, 2025 Kyoto, Japan

This conference will continue the ISBS philosophy and provide an opportunity to think together about global happiness and well-being based on the latest research findings on Bhutan.

1. As the ISBS is multidisciplinary, the conference will feature papers on topics from linguistics to history to natural science to Buddhism to economics and business and so on.
2. As the ISBS promotes research excellence, papers will reflect the cutting edge research internationally on Bhutan.
3. As the ISBS seeks to support Bhutanese scholars, both junior and established, this conference will feature their voices alongside international scholars.
4. As the ISBS seeks to create intellectual community and academic exchange so the conference will provide spaces for mentoring, networking, and sharing.
5. As the ISBS seeks to contribute to the happiness of future generations, so the ethos of our exchange will be to engage both the guardians of culture and tradition and those able to use the research to enact positive change.
6. As the ISBS seeks to be inclusive, we welcome gifts that support the participation of all scholars.

More information is available on ISBS 2025 Kyoto website.

Author	Title	View
Fergus Lyon	Decision Making under Uncertainty: The Case of Building Earthquake Resilience in Bhutan
Azade Toygar	Funeral Rites and Post-Mortem Practices of the Lhokpu
Francoise Pommaret	People on the Move: In-country Migrations in Bhutan
Ven Lopen Gembo Dorji	Garcham – the Masked Dances of Bhutan
Ven Lam Lotay Singay	Religious Music and Chants from Bhutan
Rev. Prof. Martin Laird	Contemplation and Meditation
His Eminence Dralop Rinpoche Sangay Dorji	Mandala and Arts
Dorine Eva van Norren	SDGs versus cosmovisions of the Global South: GNH, Ubuntu and Buen Vivir
Dr Matthew Schuelka	Education in Bhutan: Culture, Schooling, and GNH
Karma Gyeltshen	Sacred Geography – Footprints of Padmasambhava in Bhutan
Seiji Kumagai	The Education of Tsangpa Gyare as the Basis of Pedagogic System of Drukpa Kagyu School
Michael Rutland	The Search for Harmony in the 21st Century
Chelsea Ferrell	Importance of Religious Forests for the Rural Himalayan Communities of Bhutan
Kuenga Wangmo	Archeology in Bhutan: Understanding Ancient Mortuary Practices
Interactive session	Plenary  Session on Identity & Purposes: Roger Goodman, David Gellner, Dasho Dr Karma Ura, Lopen Gembo Dorji, Prof Seiji Kumagai, Francoise Pommeret, and Dr Kuenga Wangmo, moderated by Sabina Alkire

NAME	TOPIC	DOWNLOAD
Anden Drolet	Good Governance, Gross National Happiness, and the Care of the Other
Azade Toygar	Lhokpu Mortuary Rites
David Hecht	Home Ranges for Birds, Home Ranges for Deities: Citadels of Conservation in Bhutan
Deki Yangzom	Food and Culture: Changes, Continuities and Changing Continuities in Bhutan
Dorine van Norren	SDGs versus cosmovisions of the Global South: GNH, Ubuntu and Buen Vivir
François Pommeret	People on the move: In-country migrations in Bhutan
Karma Gyeltshen	Sacred Geography – Footprints of Padmasambhava in Bhutan
Matthew Schuelka	Education in Bhutan: Culture, Schooling, and Gross National Happiness
Michael Givel	Gross National Happiness Policy Outputs in Bhutan from 1972 to 2014
Michaela Windischgrätz	Dispute Settlement in a Changing Society
Pascal Gerber	Agreement Morphology in Gongduk: Synchronic and Diachronic Perspectives
Richard Whitecross	New Horizons? : The right to environmental protection and the Supreme Court of Bhutan
Seiji Kumagai	The Education of Tsangpa Gyare (1161-1211) as the Basis of Pedagogic System of the Drukpa Kagyu School
Selin Grollmann	The Internal Diversity of the Tshangla Languages: Insights from Bjokapakha
Steven Newman	Practical Ideas for Facilitating Bhutan to Become a Global Exemplar of Resilience in the Face of the ‘Perfect Storm’
Tashi Namgay	The careful Science of Astrology
Yoshiro Imaeda	Bhutaneity in the Tibetan Cultural Context

Two Distinguished Lectures on Bhutan: The Land of the Thunder Dragon and Gross National Happiness

An afternoon of two Distinguished Public Lectures on Bhutan, by the Former Prime Minister of Bhutan, His Excellency Dasho Tshering Tobgay, and the President of the Center for Bhutan Studies and Gross National Happiness, Dasho Karma Ura.

The lectures took place at the Sheldonian Theatre.

3:00-4:30pm His Excellency Dasho Tshering Tobgay spoke on Bhutan Matters: Building Happiness with Small Promises, chaired by the former Chairman of the General Board, University of Oxford, Dr Ralph Walker.

5:00-6:30pm Dasho Dr Karma Ura gave a lecture on Development with Integrity: Bhutan’s Development and its Gross National Happiness Index, chaired by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford, Professor Louise Richardson. Discussants included Martine Durand (Chief Statistician, OECD) and James Foster (Professor of Economics and International Affairs at George Washington University).

This event was part of a larger conference (ISBS Conference) taking place in Oxford, 8-10 January 2019. The International Society of Bhutan Studies (ISBS) launch conference took place at Magdalen College, seeking to develop the study of Bhutanese culture, life and nature in all aspects and encourage, inspire and motivate interest in lesser known aspects and promote and strengthen the areas of existing concentration. ISBS exists primarily to encourage academic exchange, among both Bhutanese and foreign scholars, and secondarily to contribute to the happiness of future generations.