A total of 78 students of BA Environmental Studies of semester IV took part in the Scientific Poster Exhibition on ‘Climate Change’ which was held on 10^th June, 2013 under the supervision of Ms. Kencho Wangmo (Senior Lecturer in EVS) at Royal Thimphu College. According to Ms. Kencho, the main objective of this initiative was to challenge and encourage students studying ES 241 (Air and Water Pollution) to find various scientific evidences related to climate change and to develop their interest, attention and understanding on this very important topic. The other objective was to expose students to the use of this visual communication tool to capture the interest of the RTC family in educating and creating awareness on some of the threats and vulnerabilities of climate change to Bhutan.

Both faculties and students from other Programmes were seen going through the exhibition work and interacting with different authors of the poster. The poster topics varied from the threats of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) and outbreak of pests like Army Worm, Giant African land Snails (GALS) etc in the Agriculture and forest sector in Bhutan to various suggestions in reducing the GHGs at global level. It definitely provided a good platform to create awareness on the issue of global warming and climate change. 

19 Economics & Environmental Science students (2^nd year) and their faculty for Bhutanese Economy-I (ECO 242), Tanveer Reza Rouf, visited the Gross National Happiness Commission (GNHC) on 8^th June 2013 (Saturday). The session lasted from 11 till 12 pm and it focused on the theme: “Five Year Planning Process in Bhutan”. Ms. Kunzang Wangmo was the focal person at GNHC for organizing the session. Mr. Chencho was the main resource person and one of his areas of expertise was Results Based Management (RBM) in relation to FYPs in Bhutan. The talk also covered topics such as the Resource Allocation Formula (RAF) for FYP, IT support systems and major challenges to reviewing FYPs. Tshering Wangdi, Karma Yoezer, Rinchen Tshering, Dorji Peljor, Kunzang Pasa Tenzin and Tshogyel Sherab (students) asked questions on relevant topics, which were answered by both Mr. Chencho and Ms. Kunzang. Students thought that the session complemented their course topics very well and they were inspired by the expertise of the resource person. There was also some discussion on cementing a relationship between RTC and GNHC by continuing such visits in the future and possible internship opportunities for RTC students. 

On the 4^th and 5^th of June, Royal Thimphu College was honored to host the International Conference on Leveraging Cultural Diversity in collaboration with Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation and with support from the European Union.

The Director of RTC, Dasho Tenzing Yonten, welcomed a packed auditorium of students, faculty, observers, conference participants, and honored guests. Following the welcome address, Dasho Karma Ura of the Center for Bhutan Studies gave the keynote address in which he focused on the theme of culture in economy, history, politics, and education. Besides the addresses, the highlight of the inaugural session was the cultural performances of the ethnic groups in focus for the conference: the Lhops from Lotokuchu Village and the Rais of Lumbay Village in Samste, and a group from Nganglatrong Village in Zhemgang.  

The technical sessions of the first day ranged in scope from the development of Zorig Chhusum in Bhutan to studies of the various ethnic groups by anthropologists, ethnomusicologists, sociologists, and other disciplines. In the last session of the day, various musical performances brought some variety to the academic presentations and was well-received by the audience.

The second day’s focus was more on applying cultural leverage for socio-economic development and multicultural awareness. Sessions during this day included several case studies from similar development projects in India and Nepal. In the afternoon, roundtable discussions provided an opportunity for more interaction amongst the audience and presenters alike. The last session was especially enriching as it was an opportunity for community members from Lumbay, Lotokuchu, Khengkhar, and Nganglatrong to share their stories and experience. Many in the audience – including the Bhutanese – were unfamiliar with these groups, languages, and cultural traditions and were more enlightened after the session.

The end of the second day offered a plethora of cultural experiences that many in the conference expressed was their favorite part of the two days. There was an indigenous foods demonstration which included many exotic foods not found in most of Bhutan, a handicrafts demonstration by members of the Khengkhar community, an offering of products by Tarayana, and musical performances from the communities of Lotokuchu, Nganglatrong, Lumbay, and two groups from the Kirat culture of Dagana. Dr. Karma Phuntsho gave the closing address in which he focused on the intangibles of culture and the promotion of community participation in cultural preservation. He also echoed many discussions within the academic portions of the conference when he argued that culture is a fluid and dynamic process. The cultural events and closing dinner was also honored by the presence of the Secretary of Education Aum Sangay Zam and Vice Chancellor of the Royal University of Bhutan, Dasho Pema Thinley.

- Matthew Schuelka, Lead Rapporteur