The workshop "Interdisciplinary Studies on Happiness", jointly organized by the Faculty of Economics, Chulalongkorn University and the Centre for Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS), NTU, was held during 14 �?15 February 2008 at the Faculty of Economics, Chulalongkorn University. Our Dean, Professor Lawrence Wong, led a delegation of researchers from the Division of Economics, Division of English, Division of Psychology, and the Public Administration Program in this visit to Chulalongkorn University.

Six papers on various aspects of happiness were presented, ranging from Shakespeare to State Intervention Versus Individual Freedom, from Asian Wellbeing to Economic Openness, and from Life Aspirations of Youth to the Concerns of the Elderly. Researchers from Chulalongkorn University were led by Associate Professor Sothitorn Mallikamas, Dean of the Faculty of Economics, and their papers included topics such as Giving, Choice, Lifestyles and Environmental Footprints, and Bangkokians�?Happiness.

Assistant Professor Ho Kong Weng presenting his paper at Chulalongkorn University. Looking on is Associate Professor Suthiphand from Chulalongkorn University

This workshop on Happiness was novel in its interdisciplinary approach and facilitated an exchange of ideas among researchers from different specializations. A follow-up workshop on Happiness will be held in NTU, during 20 - 21 November 2008, bringing in more overseas researchers (from Canada, Australia, Switzerland, UK, and Denmark) to speak about Happiness and the papers presented will be refereed and considered for publication by the World Scientific Publishers.

Chulalongkorn-NTU Workshop in Bangkok, Thailand.

The Centre for Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) will present a Symposium on Interdisciplinary Studies on Happiness on 20 and 21 November 2008 at the Orchard Parade Hotel, Singapore.

This symposium is the sequel to the first Happiness workshop held in February in Bangkok with the Faculty of Economics at Chulalongkorn University.

International speakers, academics and scholars from various disciplines (Economics, Psychology, Sociology, Law and Social Studies) will be invited to discuss and share on their research findings at the symposium which the Centre hopes will further encourage new ideas and discourse that might be useful to policy and decision makers.

Some of the interesting topics to be discussed at the symposium include Giving and Happiness; Happiness and Innocence; Asian Subjective Wellbeing; Happiness of the Healthy Elderly: Determinants and Relationship with the Past and Future; Legal Empowerment and Happiness; Policy Implications of Imperfectly Rational Behaviour and Happiness Studies; Leaping from Quantity to Quality: The Connection Between Ecological and Societal Well-Being; Some Possible Connections Between Fairness and Other Findings from Behavioural Economics and People's Reports of Well-Being (or Happiness); The Relationship Between Human Lifestyle and Happiness: The Bigger Your Footprint Is; The Happier You Are?; Determinants of Bangkokians�?Happiness; Happiness as a Driver for Creativity and Growth: The Example of Denmark; Life Aspiration; Love and Happiness of Undergraduate: An Exploratory Study; Personality Work and Satisfaction: Evidence from the German-Socio Economic Panel; and On Income, Personality and Happiness: An Investigation of Subjective Well-being using Australian Household Panel Data.

Collected papers after proper referring will be published by World Scientific. The designated editors are Assistant Professor Ho Kong Weng (NTU Economics) and Associate Professor Suthiphand (Chulalongkorn Economics).