A Royal Visit

The month of September began with a visit from Bhutan's Royal family. We got word on the weekend that the King would arrive on Monday. The Princess, his sister, who is the founding President of the JSW School of Law, would come earlier that day. Not much time for the campus to get ready. Students, staff, faculty, and administrators came together to make things happen. I offered to help, but they were not that desperate. 

Princess Sonam Dechan Wangchuck, Honorable President of Jigme Singye Wangchuck School of Law, arrived for lunch Monday. She picked me out of the cafeteria crowd (not hard to do here) and asked me to join her (with other administrators) for lunch. We had a nice conversation. Her Royal Highness was asked by the King, her brother, to establish Bhutan's first and only law school as it moved into democratic rule. For more on the origin story check out Centuries of Buddhist Tradition Make Room for Bhutan’s First Law School, The New York Times, October 8, 2016. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/09/world/asia/centuries-of-buddhist-tradition-make-room-for-bhutans-first-law-school.html

The King gave an informal talk with students, faculty, and staff in this hall. Everyone was wearing traditional Ghos and Kiras. Pictures and cell phones were forbidden, so you have to imagine how that looked. As the King started to leave he picked me out of the back of the hall. The students parted to give us a clear path while we spoke. It was an unexpected honor.