Her Royal Highness Princess Sonam Dechan Wangchuck graced the launch of the Australian National University’s Hub for Bhutan Studies in the capital yesterday. The Hub will promote research on Bhutan, support evidence-based policymaking, and strengthen the skills of Bhutanese civil servants and researchers.
The Hub for Bhutan Studies is based at the Crawford School of Public Policy in Canberra. It will focus on areas such as Gross National Happiness, environmental sustainability, governance, and public administration. The Hub will connect international researchers with Bhutan’s development priorities. It will also strengthen cooperation between Bhutanese and international institutions.
The Royal Civil Service Commission is already working with the Hub on research and capacity-building programmes.
“With the collaboration with Crawford, we are bringing in experts from the Crawford School of Public Policy. They will train the specialists on conducting research, and after building their capacity, the specialists will help inform policy decisions through providing inputs based on data and facts,” said Jigme Norbu, HRO, RCSC.
The Commission is also conducting a civil service census to understand the concerns and experiences of civil servants. The findings will help agencies identify areas for improvement and build more inclusive workplaces.
The Hub also plans to offer executive education programmes and research exchanges.
“It is an expression of our deep existing relationship but also what we’d like to partner together to do in the future. Research, also working together, government to government and people to people to really work together in partnership to assist and support our colleagues in Bhutan,” said Janine O’Flynn, Director, Crawford School of Public Policy, ANU.
The Hub also plans to host a Buddhist Governance Conference in Bhutan in August next year.
“One of the major initiatives is trying to highlight some of the strengths of the features of governance in Bhutan, largely based around traditional institutions, for instance, the one that was set up by Zhabdrung in the 1600s and how that continues to play a key role. Now, what that is, it is a testament to the fact that institutions are relevant and how Buddhist values can still play a role in governance,” said Lhawang Ugyel (PhD), Founding Director, Crawford School of Public Policy, ANU.
Through research and international cooperation, the Hub aims to share Bhutan’s experience in governance and sustainable development with the world.
Sherub Dadron Palzom
Edited by Passang
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