TSU and Bhutan scientists to study how to make Tomsk citizens happier

TOMSK, Mar 31 – RIA Tomsk. The delegation of the Kingdom of Bhutan during a visit to Tomsk on Friday met the management of Tomsk State University (TSU); the arrangement on joint research aimed at improvement of quality of life of society became the result of the meeting, the press service of the university reported.

Earlier it was reported that the Tomsk branch of the Russian Geographical Society in January, 2016 signed the cooperation agreement with the head of the ministry of happiness of the Asian country of Bhutan. Within the framework of the agreement it was planned that the delegation of Bhutan will arrive to Tomsk. On Friday the director of the Center for the Study of Gross National Happiness Dordzhe Pendzho, the happiness expert Tsoki Zangmo and the deputy minister on tourism Dam Che Rinzin met with the management and employees of TSU.

"The Centre for Bhutan Studies ... is interested in the joint researches directed to studying of quality of human life. In this regard (TSU),the Center for the Study of Gross National Happiness, the ministry of tourism of Bhutan and the Tomsk branch (RGS) signed a memorandum of understanding", – is said in the message.

It is specified that during the conversation of the management of TSU with representatives of the kingdom the indicator of gross national happiness applied in Bhutan was discussed. It is a measure of quality of life which includes moral and psychological values.

"We have been researching gross national happiness for about 12 years, during thid time we signed several agreements with other countries, for example, with Venezuela, Brazil, Colombia. The gross national happiness is how we live, how the country is modernizing. We are looking for ways of our own development and development of our partners", – the press service quotes Dordzhe Pendzho as saying during the meeting.

As the rector of TSU Eduard Galazhinsky in turn emphasized, for TSU the quality of life is a key reference point to which "all scientific and technological efforts are directed".

"We understand that the standard of living is a one indicator, and quality of life – is another. It confirms that fact that for the last 40 years welfare in the European countries has grown tens of times, but at the same time people didn't become happier there. I very much would like that we have a subject for joint research work", – Galazhinsky told.