Upcoming Events
The Bhutan Society organises several events each year, in London and elsewhere, for Society members.
The next events will be:
2026
Continuing our special interest discussion series on-line…
Cultural perspectives of Bhutan: Murals, introduced by Zara Fleming
4th March 6:30pm online
Zara Fleming will continue her exploration of symbolism in Bhutan by leading a discussion on murals.
Bhutan is home to an astonishing array of symbols, many of which have been borrowed from Buddhist India and subsequently Tibet.
The Eight Auspicious Emblems, the Seven Precious Gems, the Five Sense Offerings and the Four Guardian animals (dragon, tiger, garuda and snow lion) plus the Wind Horse found on prayer flags.
But one also finds murals such as the Four Friends, the Old Man of Long Life and Training the Mind. We will explore this infinite variety of symbolic subject matter and their many layers of meaning.
Click on the zoom link here to join the discussion (6:30pm)
22nd April at 6:30pm, online: Special Interest Group - Education
Continuing the special interest discussion series on-line, we are pleased to announce the first Education Professional Network discussion group. Two Bhutanese students Dawa and Yoesel Choden will talk on topics relating to their professional experience and research studies to stimulate an interesting exchange of ideas with members.
Education beyond tyhe Factory Model, led by Dawa
Modern factory schooling prioritizes material consumption, trapping students in a ‘comparison trap’ of algorithms, TikTok brain, and digital addiction. Dawa will discuss Lhomon Education (LME) in Bhutan, which offers a transformative alternative by treating wisdom traditions as a scientific framework for human flourishing. By using nature as a laboratory and the mind as an all-pervasive asset, LME moves beyond narrow academic metrics to cultivate resilient, selfless individuals who embody a heart of genuine service.
Where Does Early Childhood Education Fit in Bhutan? - led by Yoesel S Choden
Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) in Bhutan is still finding its place. For generations, young children were nurtured mainly within families and communities, shaped by strong cultural traditions. Formal attention to ECCD began relatively recently, around 2002, and the sector continues to find its place within the broader education landscape. Yoesel will share reflections on how ECCD is currently viewed and practiced in Bhutan, highlighting everyday realities, ongoing challenges, and questions worth thinking about together.
Dawa is an MSc Educational Leadership student at the University of Portsmouth. He is an educator at Lhomon Education, Chokyi Gyatso Institute, dedicated to fostering holistic growth through Buddhist-inspired curricula.
Yoesel is a Chevening Scholar studying a Master’s degree in Early Years Education at UCL. She works as an Assistant Lecturer in Early childhood Education Studies at Paro College of Education, a constituent college of the Royal University of Bhutan, and brings both professional experience and ongoing learning to this conversation.
26th March 6:30pm in person: Summits, Science and Survival
Venue: Royal Geographical Society (RGS), 1 Kensington Gore, London, SW7 2AR
This is talk organised by the Mount Everest Foundation and tickets are available from RGS: https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/mount-everest-foundation-summits-science-survival
This is a two-part event: Professor Rachel Carr and Sonam Rinzin will present their groundbreaking research on glacial lake outburst floods and the growing risks they pose to communities and mountaineers, and James Price and George Ponsonby will recount their audacious ascent of 6,673m Aikache Chhock in Pakistan.
Sonam Rinzin is currently pursuing a PhD at Newcastle University in the field of Physical Geography. His thesis focuses on understanding how glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) hazard interacts with downstream exposure and vulnerability in order to shape understanding of GLOF risk in Bhutan.
For this talk, Sonam will take us into the heart of GLOF risk in Bhutan highlighting how the remote community of Lunana is living on the frontline of risk driven by glacier retreat and GLOF hazards. Over the past seven years including his ongoing PhD studies, Sonam has developed extensive expertise in GLOF hazard and risk assessment in the Himalayas, with particular focus on Bhutan.
13th May in person and on-line: Annual General Meeting, and talks by Dr Charles Coughlan and Scott Steedman on the work of the Trust Fund covering some of the exciting projects being funded.
Venue: Salonik Room, Polish Hearth Club, 55 Princes Gate, London SW7 2PN
6.00pm Bhutan Society of the UK AGM, members only
6.45pm The AGM will be followed by a talk open to members and guests followed by an opportunity to catch-up over a drink.
There will be a £10 collection for the event from paying members and guests staying for drinks.
Please inform Scott Steedman secretary@bhutansociety.org if you are planning to attend in person.
Dr Charles Coughlan is a Trustee of the Bhutan Society Trust Fund and a hospital doctor specialising in Infectious Diseases and Internal Medicine. He is based in London and from September to December 2024 worked in the Internal Medicine department at Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital in Thimphu.
Charlie maintains strong clinical and research links with Bhutanese colleagues. He will provide an overview of Bhutanese health services, the health needs of the population, and his own experiences of volunteering in Bhutan, before outlining an exciting fungal diagnostics project being supported by the Trust Fund.
Scott Steedman is the Secretary of the Bhutan Society and also a Trustee. He will talk about the Mountain Dentist project, founded by Dr Tenzin Dorji, which was funded last year. Dr Tenzin was a Chevening Scholars at King’s College, London where he took a Master’s Degree in Dental Public Health. His aim is to bring improved oral health practices and dental services to communities in remote mountainous areas of Bhutan, where dentistry is largely unknown. The Fund supported Dr Tenzin to purchase a portable dental X ray machine and to carry out camps in Lingzhi, Merak and Sakteng to demonstrate the value of the work. Scott will talk about the success of the project and Dr Tenzin’s plans for the future.
