Thakur S Powdyel

Former Minister of Education, Royal Government of Bhutan

Thakur S Powdyel is an educator by choice, conviction and passion. As the country’s first democratically elected Minister of Education, he moved Bhutan towards fulfilling the MDGs and the country’s constitutional mandate for education. His major interests include institutional integrity, national self-respect, moral literacy and gross national happiness.
Powdyel’s vision of holistic education as expressed in My Green School has been translated into several languages around the world. His other books include As I Am, So Is My Nation, Right of Vision & Occasional Views, Gyal-Khab: Reflections on State, Citizen, and Citizenship Education, and Light of My Life (principal author).
Thakur S Powdyel is a recipient of the International Gusi Peace Prize, Global Education Award, and Distinguished Service Award for his pioneering work in Education as well as the Coronation Gold Medal 2008 and the Institutional Award: The Honour of Druk Thuksey 2012.
Thakur S Powdyel invested his public office with a rare and chastening quality of integrity, service and selflessness in the evolving Bhutanese democratic landscape in honour of his country and fellow-citizens, born of his deeply-held beliefs and convictions. Professor Powdyel has often been described as the most widely foot-travelled education minister in the world.