Lecture by John Ardussi, Patterns from the Past in Modern Bhutan
Patterns from the Past in Modern Bhutan:
Bhutan’s Evolving Presence in the Himalayan Community
By John Ardussi, UVa Senior Research Fellow, and Researcher and Associate member of CNRS (Centre Nationale de Recherche Scientifique – Paris)
John Ardussi in Bhutan
While Western tourists focus on Bhutan’s natural environment, Buddhist temples and monastic dance festivals, the country is moving rapidly in a new political direction.
In 2008, Bhutan adopted a modern constitution and held its first national elections, the culmination of a transformation project from kingship to parliamentary democracy. In this talk I will discuss the roots of this change of governance by considering earlier periods of socio-political transformation and the role of Buddhist institutions in Bhutan.
Please visit John Ardussi’s Profile to learn more.
Sponsored by the Tibet Center and the Center for South Asian Studies