Tshering Tobgay is the president of the People's Democratic Party in Bhutan.
Why you should listen
Tshering Tobgay served as the leader of the opposition party in the National Assembly of Bhutan from 2008 to 2013 and as prime minister from 2013 to 2018.
Tobgay was a civil servant before he joined active politics. He was the first official to resign from his work to take part in his country's transition to a parliamentary democracy. He was responsible for establishing the People's Democratic Party as the first registered political party in Bhutan, and he continues to serve as its president.
As an advocate of Gross National Happiness, Tobgay has spoken about conservation, climate change, poverty, democracy and happiness in various international conferences.
Tobgay has an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and a master's in public administration from Harvard University. He is married to Tashi Doma and has two children. He enjoys volunteering, reading, trekking, bicycling, jogging, archery, yoga, music and drama.
Tshering Tobgay’s TED Talks
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Live from TEDSummit 2019
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Session 2 of TEDSummit 2019 is all about impact: the actions we can take to solve humanity’s toughest challenges. Speakers and performers explore the perils — from melting glaciers to air pollution — along with some potential fixes — like ocean-going seaweed farms and radical proposals for how we can build the future. The event: […]
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A first glimpse at the TEDSummit 2019 speaker lineup
May 21, 2019
With TEDSummit 2019 just two months away, it’s time to unveil the first group of speakers that will take to the stage in Edinburgh, Scotland, from July 21-25. Three years ago, more than 1,000 members of the TED global community convened in Banff, Canada, for the first-ever TEDSummit. We talked about the fracturing state of […]
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