Active8-Planet Workshop in Bhutan: Empowering Stakeholder Projects
After more than a decade dedicated to designing interdisciplinary, people-centred projects that bridge the gap between academia and society, I’m thrilled to share one of the most significant milestones of my professional journey. I had the privilege of collaborating with four Bhutanese colleges (Royal Thimphu College, Sherubtse College , College of Language and Culture Studies, and Norbuling Rigter College) in the picturesque setting of Bhutan. Together with my esteemed colleague and dear friend Ellen Bal we facilitated a dynamic 5-day hands-on workshop titled “How to Design and Implement People-Centered Stakeholder Projects” on the campus of Royal Thimphu College. We transferred the methodology, tools and experiences from the Active8 Planet project and customized them to the requirements of the Bhutanese higher education context.
What truly left me inspired was the enthusiasm and engagement displayed by the workshop participants. Their dedication was so profound that they voluntarily extended their working hours to craft compelling project proposals for three diverse Bhutanese non-academic organizations.
During our journey together, we collectively embraced these fundamental principles:
- Placing People at the Heart: We firmly believe that our research and development activities should revolve around people, making their needs and aspirations our guiding stars.
- Shifting from Experts to Collaborators: It is vital to shed our “expert hats” and immerse ourselves in the perspectives of the people. By doing so, we can truly understand their challenges, needs and aspirations.
- Co-Creation for a Better Tomorrow: We are moving from the conventional approach of developing “for the people” to a more inclusive model of developing “with the people.” Together, we become co-creators of meaningful, relevant, and sustainable products, services, and solutions that can transform our futures.
Kadrinchey / Thank you, #Bhutan and #HAPPYproject for this enriching experience.
