The 11th edition of the World Happiness Report will be released on Monday, March 20, 2023, the International Day of Happiness. First published in 2012, the annual report reflects a growing worldwide demand for more attention to happiness and wellbeing as criteria for government policy. It reviews the state of happiness in the world today and shows how wellbeing science explains personal and national variations in happiness.
While New Zealand and Australia ranked 10th and 12th, respectively, in the 2022 Report, they were the only countries in the Asia-Pacific region to make the Top 25. However, Asia boasts a robust history of philosophy and policy that prize human wellbeing, such as Bhutan’s revolutionary Gross National Happiness Index or Bali’s Tri Hita Karana. The release of World Happiness Report 2023 presents a perfect opportunity to engage with regional players with unique perspectives on happiness and wellbeing.
To mark the occasion and celebrate the International Day of Happiness, this event will explore happiness and wellbeing from various perspectives within the Asia-Pacific, reflect on Asian countries’ 2023 rankings, and discuss the future for happiness in the region.
Speakers:
- Dr Shun Wang, Senior Associate Professor, International Business School Suzhou, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, and Associate Editor, WHR (Moderator) – Confirmed
- Dr Thakur S. Powdyel, Former Minister of Education, Royal Government of Bhutan – Confirmed
- Ms Nimas Mega Purnamasari, Director, United in Diversity Bali Campus – Confirmed
- New Zealand’s Wellbeing Budget
- Penang, Malaysia’s localized Happiness in Penang (HIP) Index
