“Demands of this century are qualitatively and quantitatively different.”

On January 20, 2025, during the 2025 World Economic Forum, Singularity Academy formalized a strategic partnership with the Kingdom of Bhutan by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). On this occasion, Prof. Dr. Ying Zhang of the Singularity Academy had the privilege of interviewing Tshering Tobgay, the Prime Minister of Bhutan.

Question: What types of investors and talents does Bhutan seek to attract, and how does the government envision aligning their contributions with the country’s economic and social priorities?
Answer: Bhutan seeks to work with purpose-driven investors and talent who share our Gross National Happiness (GNH) values and commitment to sustainability.

GNH has been Bhutan’s overarching guiding development philosophy. Through this approach, we have achieved much success and increased per capita income, life expectancy, and literacy rates while protecting the country’s natural environment and biodiversity.

Bhutan’s success in health and education has also created what has emerged as a key modern-day challenge. Public sector investments have primarily driven Bhutan’s economy, and it has not been able to develop adequate, high-quality, and well-paying jobs. In the years following the pandemic, educated Bhutanese youth and professionals are leaving the country in large numbers to seek better economic opportunities abroad. As a small country with an even smaller population, this is a matter of concern, and addressing it has become a national priority. Accelerated economic growth has become critical to creating meaningful opportunities, and this has to be done in a manner that is in keeping with the timeless values of GNH.

To do this, Bhutan is embarking on an ambitious first-of-its-kind project to build Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC), the world’s first mindfulness city to serve as an economic hub in the fastest-growing region. The city will be one-of-a-kind, anchored on the vision and values of GNH, encompassing conscious and sustainable businesses inspired by Buddhist spiritual heritage and distinguished by the uniqueness of the Bhutanese identity. The GMC will become a gateway connecting Bhutan to the world and capitalize on the rise of the Asian century.

An undertaking of this scale opens up many opportunities for investors and global and national talent, with many best-in-class companies and global talent already on board. Building the world’s first mindfulness city will entail substantial expansion of Bhutan’s energy sector, creating efficient and reliable connectivity and digital infrastructure, and developing the necessary skills to ensure that Bhutanese are well placed to benefit from the resulting opportunities.

The GMC will provide world-class infrastructure, including airports, residential homes, offices, recreational facilities, educational institutions, healthcare services, and hospitality services. However, the true focus will be on the “software”—the essential, often more difficult, but critical components that will set the GMC apart. This includes a robust governance framework with business-friendly laws, enabling regulations, and supportive institutions. Bhutan offers investors and global talent a unique opportunity to be part of this project and essentially build and shape these critical components from the ground up.

Question: In the global landscape, where education and sustainability are gaining immense importance, how does Bhutan plan to position itself as a leading role in these areas?

Answer: Education remains a key strategic sector for Bhutan for several reasons. We must compensate for our lack of numbers by providing every Bhutanese with world-class education and relevant skills. The country’s constitution enshrined the right to free basic education. Bhutan’s holistic education system, both modern and monastic, has been a success story. Our national literacy rate today stands at 70.6%, and the youth literacy rate is over 97%.

However, the demands of this century are both qualitatively and quantitatively different. Digital learning platforms and artificial intelligence (AI)-powered tools are transforming traditional education models and leading to significant global shifts in education systems and practices. The future is digital, and our education system needs to continuously evolve to keep pace and ensure that our children’s education is relevant and creates conscientious citizens. Incorporating modern technologies and fostering international collaboration will be essential for preparing our children for an increasingly interconnected and rapidly evolving world.

For Bhutan, our challenge is adapting our education system to align with these global trends while preserving our unique cultural values. We are revisiting our curriculum, pedagogy, learning process, and assessments in view of the challenges and opportunities of the twenty-first century. While doing so, we are prioritising holistic development so that they become dependable and honest human beings. Bhutan looks forward to learning from its successes and international best practices in this area and continuously seeks meaningful collaboration with educators and institutions.

Bhutan has initiated collaboration with Cambridge International to refine key aspects of our overall educational framework. We will comprehensively enhance our curriculum to foster critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills. This shift will encourage students to engage more deeply with the material and develop the analytical thinking essential for success in today’s globalized world.