It’s not every day that a Dr Graham’s Homes student becomes Prime Minister of a sovereign nation. But that’s exactly what has happened in Bhutan, where DGH alumnus Tshering Tobgay has just taken office as the country’s new Prime Minister. Tshering – who attended the Homes in the 1970s – was elected after his party won nearly two-thirds of the seats in January’s polls. It’s his second time in office, having first led the Himalayan country from 2013 to 2018.

Tshering spent a decade at Dr Graham’s Homes, joining the school in 1971 and graduating in 1981. He subsequently went on to study mechanical engineering in the US, before taking a master’s in public administration at the prestigious Harvard Kennedy School in the early 2000s. By 2008, he was Leader of the Opposition in the inaugural elections for Bhutan’s National Assembly. Judging by his past comments to the media, Tshering has fond memories of his time at Dr Graham’s Homes. “We didn’t have enough schools in Bhutan, so some of us were sent out [for schooling abroad],” he recalled in 2015, speaking to the Times of India newspaper. “I was sent before I turned five. It was a huge emotional wrench for my mother – some of my earliest memories are of my mother wailing, refusing to let me go. “I studied at Dr Graham’s Homes for 11 years, did my ICSE. I joined the NCC [National Cadet Corps] and have great memories of marching to the mela ground for the August 15 celebrations.” Dr Graham’s Homes also has a prominent place in the Education section of his LinkedIn page.

Tshering officially took up his prime ministerial duties on Sunday 28 January. We wish him all the very best for his time in office and look forward to hearing more about his work there.