Evaluating a new approach to happiness The values-based, counter-conventional concept of gross national happiness (GNH) was the topic expounded upon by Chewang Rinzin, honourable vice-chancellor at the Royal University of Bhutan. He explained that it is “not a rejection of GDP”, but rather a “multi- dimensional development approach that seeks to achieve a harmonious balance between material wellbeing and the spiritual, emotional and cultural needs of our society”. The GNH framework spans nine equally weighted domains, with 33 indicators, ie between two and four per domain. These include psychological wellbeing, health, use of time, education, cultural diversity & resilience, good governance, community vitality, ecological diversity and living standards. There are two thresholds: the sufficiency threshold shows how much is enough to create a happiness condition, while the happiness threshold deems that a person who enjoys sufficiency across 66 per cent of the weighted domains is relatively happy. The three bands are “deeply happy” (77-100 per cent sufficiency); “extensively happy” (66-76 per cent sufficiency) and “narrowly happy” (50-65 per cent sufficiency). Between 2015 and 2022, the combined share of people classified in the top two tiers grew by 4.7 percentage points, so nearly five per cent of the population migrated out of the “narrowly happy” and “unhappy” tiers into higher levels of sufficiency. The Royal University vice-chancellor elaborated on the practical applications of GNH and its various indicators. They are used as baseline and target indicators for five-year plans; as the basis of budget allocation for national development; to assess the performance of business enterprises; to develop the GNH policy screening tool; and as a framework for project impact studies. The concept is additionally embedded in education curricula. Turning his attention to the Gedu College of Business Studies, one of the 11 colleges that form the country’s Royal University, Rinzin outlined various collaboration opportunities for international partner institutions. These include mindfulness and personal transformation programmes; executive education; summer schools; immersion courses; study abroad initiatives; collaborative research; joint degrees; and articulation pathways. How innovation & purpose guide performance A panel representing schools in South Africa, Mexico, Spain and Egypt shared their tips for high performance with AMBA & BGA’s director
of business school engagement, Debbie Kemp in an invigorating first session on day two of the conference. Samer Atallah, associate dean for graduate studies at The American University in Cairo’s Onsi Sawiris School of Business and University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business dean Catherine Duggan both emphasised the importance of innovation. “A high-performing team is one that is willing to adapt constantly to this changing environment and that understands the need to be agile and innovative,” Atallah reasoned. “I’m always looking for innovation,” revealed Duggan. “I say to my staff, ‘we don’t follow policies, we work within policies’. Rather than doing something the same way repeatedly, we should innovate at every stage and then we ask if we’re on the correct side of the policy. If the answer is ‘yes’, then we keep innovating.” Esade Business School dean Lisa Hehenberger and Horacio Arredondo, dean at EGADE Business School, meanwhile, highlighted their focus on impact. Hehenberger spoke of “meaningful impact” as one of the school’s three key objectives and something that guides all its activities. In practice, she shared, this entails continually questioning whether outputs are relevant for companies and policymakers, as well as whether students are “becoming better people through the courses and the programmes they take.” “In Mexico, almost 40 per cent of the population is below the poverty line,” noted Arredondo. “So of course, we need to teach but it’s more than that – it’s how our research and activities translate into sustainable development. For us, therefore, a high performance is about transforming our institution and institutional culture to have that impact on society.” AI as a convergent science Imperial Business School dean Peter Todd offered his take on the world’s evolving AI landscape in conversation with AMBA & BGA CEO Andrew Main Wilson. Noting that China and the US are currently leading the way, Todd outlined where he believes Europe can stand out. “I think the US still has the innovation advantage and China has the implementation advantage,” Todd mused. “What we have to do is figure out how to play to our strengths in Europe.” For the Imperial dean, this means building on the idea that Europe is human-centred and values-based in its development of AI capability. At Imperial, Todd revealed, the current emphasis is on bringing together the breadth of the university’s expertise across business,
Andrea Montoliu, head of Spanish- speaking markets at Wooclap, talked about the science of learning
Université Côte d’Azur associate professor Olivier Malafronte and Cesim CEO Veijo Kyosti discussed the latest developments in AI usage
Chewang Rinzin, honourable vice-chancellor at the Royal University of Bhutan, outlined the country’s method of measuring gross national happiness
20 Ambition • ISSUE 4 • 2026
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