![]() Professor Thakur S Powdyel Bhutan Minister of Education (2008-2013), President of the Royal Thimphu College from February 2015 to August 2018 | Keynote:The Moment of Truth: Why I Am In A Mission Called Education? Biography: Thakur S Powdyel is an educator by choice, conviction and passion. He has taught in schools, colleges and universities and writes regularly on development issues, education and democracy, and meditates on educational integrity, institutional honour, national self-respect and moral literacy. Powdyel has travelled extensively across the length and breadth of his country and developed a deep understanding of the aspirations of his fellow-citizens and the needs of the country. Powdyel has often been referred to as the most widely foot-travelled education minister in the world. He has led many delegations and represented Bhutan in important conferences and meeting in different parts of the world. As the Minister of Education (2008-2013), Powdyel, worked hard to move Bhutan towards fulfilling the Constitutional mandate of ensuring basic education for all Bhutanese children as well achieving the Millennium Development Goals, particularly universal primary enrolment and gender parity, enhance non-formal and continuing education, and restore Education to its core function as the Noble Sector by initiating the Green Schools programme under the auspices of the Educating for Gross National Happiness initiative. As a Member of Parliament, Powdyel introduced some important bills particularly those affecting the welfare of women and children. His published works include "As I Am, So Is My Nation", Right of Vision & Occasional Views", and "My Green School: An Outline", now available in Spanish, Catalan, Vietnamese, and Japanese, with other translations underway. He is the principal author of "The Light of My Life". Thakur S Powdyel was awarded the prestigious International Gusi Peace Prize in 2011 for Life-time Contribution to Education, the Global Education Award in 2012 for Outstanding Contribution to Education, and the Distinguished Service Award in 2016. Powdyel received the sacred Dakyen from His Majesty the King on April 11, 2008, and became Bhutan's Minister of Education in the country's first democratically elected government. He is a recipient of the Coronation Gold Medal 2008 and 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. The 1984 RCSC examination topper, TS Powdyel served as the Vice Principal of Sherubtse College for 15 years, as the Director of the Centre for Educational Research and Development for seven years and joined the country's new political process in response to the initiation of the historic democratic system by His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck in 2008. TS Powdyel served as the President of the Royal Thimphu College from February 2015 to August 2018 in honour of the Noble Sector as a vital instrument of nation-building and human flourishing. He has been a visiting professor to and delivered talks at several university and college campuses. Though not in civil service or in the government at present, Thakur S Powdyel remains deeply engaged in public service, trying to make a positive difference in the life of the nation, having declined several lucrative offers to work abroad. |
![]() Professor Dr Susan J. Deeley Professor of Learning and Teaching and the Director of Undergraduate Studies in the School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Glasgow, UK. | Keynote: Engaging Students in Partnership: 'Revising' and Navigating the Map of Assessment Biography: Susan J. Deeley Ph.D., M.Ed., M.Phil., B.A. (Hons) is Professor of Learning and Teaching at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK and is the Director of Undergraduate Studies in the School of Social and Political Sciences. Susan is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, holds a University Teaching Excellence Award and a Students' Representative Council Teaching Award for 'Most Innovative Teaching'. Her publications include Critical Perspectives on Service-Learning in Higher Education published by Palgrave Macmillan, which has been translated into Spanish. Her other research interests are in staff-student partnership, assessment and feedback, and technology enhanced active learning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbF7pMVIcsU |