15/09/2026
A small Himalayan Kingdom has much to teach us about happiness, sustainability and how we define success, as UC students on a study tour to Bhutan recently discovered.
The immersive study tour, supported by the Australian Government’s New Colombo Plan (NCP), saw the group trade in lecture theatres and tutorial rooms for the government offices, businesses, cultural institutions and mountain trails of Bhutan, a country famous for its philosophy of Gross National Happiness (GNH).
The GNH framework views development through the lens of sustainable and equitable socio-economic development, preservation and promotion of culture, environmental conservation and good governance.
Professor Riyana Miranti, who co-led the tour with Adjunct Professor Simon Hoy, said Bhutan offered students an important alternative perspective on development.
“Students experience a society that places a strong emphasis on peace, humility, simplicity, cultural identity, community connectedness and environmental stewardship,” she says.
“It encourages students to think more broadly about what constitutes a good society and how development can be understood and measured beyond economic indicators alone.”
Read more at https://www.canberra.edu.au/about-uc/media/newsroom/2026/september/uc-students-learn-the-measure-of-happiness-in-bhutan-study-tour
