Series
SMU-Ikeda Peace & Harmony Lecture
Bhutan's Pursuit of Gross National Happiness: Reflections, Challenges and its Future
Open To
SMU Community, Public
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Synopsis
The figure above demonstrates the Müller-Lyer illusion, where equal-length lines appear different due to cognitive processing, illustrating how perceptions can mislead us – a key concept in Behavioural Economics. This field explores how psychological attributes affect economic decisions. Our lecture will first examine examples of how these attributes lead to seemingly irrational decisions. Then we will discuss leveraging an understanding of behavioural biases to subtly influence decision-making contexts, nudging individuals towards more desirable choices.
Speaker
Speaker Details
Kinzang Dorji
 | Kinzang Dorji is currently the Ambassador of Bhutan to Thailand and is concurrently accredited to Singapore, Myanmar, and, most recently, Indonesia and Vietnam. He joined the Civil Service in 1993, beginning his career with the Ministry of Finance, where he was responsible for introducing Personal Income Tax in Bhutan in 2000. He served as Chief of Planning and Policy at the Ministry of Finance and later worked with the research group (People’s Project) before serving as Chief Negotiator for Bhutan’s accession to the WTO. He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a team member for the adoption of the happiness resolution at the UN General Assembly. He was appointed Governor of the western province (Haa) and served several years before his current assignment. He completed his high school education in Bhutan, obtained his undergraduate degree from Delhi University, and earned an MSc in Economics from London, UK. He has received training in India (IRS), Singapore (NUS), Columbia, and NDU in Washington, DC. He has also served as a board director for Bhutan Development Bank, State Trading Corporation, Bhutan Insurance, Bhutan Agro Industries, and several other organisations. |
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