Mr. Thakur Powdyel
Preface Author
President of Royal Thimphu College, Educator, and Creator of the Green Schools for a Green Bhutan Program, as well as former Minister of Education of Bhutan.
Thakur Singh Powdyel is an educator and former Minister of Education of Bhutan, recognized worldwide for integrating Gross National Happiness (GNH) into the educational system.
Creator of the Green Schools for a Green Bhutan program, he is dedicated to holistic, sustainable education and the promotion of integral human development.
We believe that when a nation adopts a grand purpose such as Gross National Happiness, its subsystems—especially education and work—must reflect and sustain this vision. That is why Bhutan implemented the Educating for Gross National Happiness initiative through the Green Schools for a Green Bhutan program, promoting holistic education that considers the mind, body, emotions, values, and awareness.
Just as GNH is supported by foundational pillars and domains, the holistic educational model seeks to awaken multiple levels of human consciousness, fostering the integral development of both the individual and society.
In this context, three visionary women leaders—Claudia Cardillo, Luciana Tierno, and Chirles de Oliveira—joined forces to address a central question of contemporary life: work as a space for human expression, identity, mental health, and quality of life.
Happiness and Mental Health at Work is a sensitive and necessary invitation to reflect on the vital relationship between life and work. Work should not be merely a means of production, but a space for fulfillment, belonging, creativity, purpose, and human dignity.
Published under the curation of the Carreira e Suas Vozes project, this book brings together around 35 contributions from specialists, researchers, and real-life accounts, exploring in depth the interface between happiness, mental health, organizational culture, psychologically safe environments, and practices that foster human flourishing in professional contexts.
Thakur Powdyel
About Thakur Powdyel
Thakur Singh Powdyel is a renowned Bhutanese educator and leader, widely respected for his role in integrating the philosophy of Gross National Happiness (GNH) into Bhutan’s educational system. Of Nepalese descent, he has built a career marked by integrity, innovation, and a commitment to holistic human development.
He served as Bhutan’s Minister of Education from 2008 to 2013, during the country’s first democratically elected government. During his tenure, he played a central role in embedding GNH principles into education, structuring the Green Schools for a Green Bhutan program. The initiative establishes eight fundamental dimensions—environmental, intellectual, academic, social, cultural, spiritual, aesthetic, and moral—with the goal of forming conscious, ethical citizens committed to the common good.
Under his leadership, schools nationwide adopted guidelines, modules, and clubs dedicated to GNH, as well as workshops and training programs focused on holistic education, ecological literacy, and the appreciation of traditional knowledge. Powdyel advocates that youth should be educated based on GNH values, strengthening care for nature, cultural identity, and good governance as foundations for sustainable development.
His public service also played a strategic role in promoting inclusion and representation of Nepalese ethnic groups in Bhutanese politics.
Outside government, Powdyel continued contributing to education as a visiting professor at Kyoto University and the Maharishi Institute. He is the author of reference works such as As I Am, So is My Nation, Right of Vision and Occasional Views, and My Green School: An Outline, in which he presents the conceptual pillars of Green Schools.
He has received numerous international awards, including the Coronation Gold Medal, the Gusi Peace Prize for Lifetime Contribution to Education, the Global Education Prize, the International Award for Outstanding Contribution to Education, and the institutional honor Druk Thuksey.
He currently serves as President of Royal Thimphu College, continuing his commitment to human-centered, sustainable education aligned with the purpose of creating more balanced and prosperous societies.
Preface Theme
Happiness and Mental Health at Work
In the preface, Thakur Powdyel presents happiness as a foundation for human development and sustainable societies. Inspired by Gross National Happiness, he broadens the perspective beyond economic indicators and emphasizes that well-being, balance, and dignity should guide collective decision-making.
His message connects purpose, ethics, and social responsibility, inviting leaders and organizations to cultivate environments where mental health and happiness are structural priorities, not exceptions.