Associate professor of political science Michael Givel will be the first Fulbright Scholar to research and teach in the Kingdom of Bhutan.

Bordered by India and China, the nation of fewer than 1 million people has been historically closed to outside influence, Givel said.

“The Kingdom of Bhutan at the turn of the 20th century was an isolated Buddhist monarchy,” Givel said. “It has strong religious and cultural ties to Tibet and China. But it is slowly, surely and carefully moving in a direction that’s more open.”

Givel, who will move to Bhutan at the end of June, said having a Fulbright Scholar admitted into the kingdom for research and teaching is a great accomplishment.

“I think it’s important because beyond the research, one of my roles as a Fulbright is to be an unofficial cultural ambassador to promote mutual understanding,” Givel said. “I find it a great honor that the government of Bhutan has chosen me to be first Fulbright to come there.”

While in Bhutan, Givel will be researching and teaching at The Royal Institute of Management, located in the capital of Thimphu.

Givel, who has researched international viewpoints on tobacco use, will study Bhutan’s tobacco control policy. The kingdom passed a law in 2004 which prohibited tobacco from being sold and smoked in public areas. Givel said will be specifically researching how this ban affects the country’s “Gross National Happiness.”

“‘Gross National Happiness’ is a national policy issued by the king of Bhutan in 1972,” he said. “Basically, it replaced the traditional indicator of GDP (Gross Domestic Product).”

Givel said, however, that going to Bhutan isn’t going to be all work and no play. He plans to enjoy sight-seeing with his wife, Rebecca Sherry, a botany and microbiology research assistant, and their 10-year-old son, Noah.

“I want to visit monasteries and the ancient forts of Bhutan. One of them sits above the university I’ll be at,” Givel said.

Givel said he was excited to fly into Paro International Airport, one of the most dangerous airports in the world, where planes must first circle around a mountain before they land. Despite the danger, Givel said he was not nervous about it.

“This is going to be an adventure,” he said. “I like adventure.”