Congratulations to the Happiness Research Institute (HRI) for being the coolest think tank of the month. HRI, a think tank based in Copenhagen, Denmark dedicated to exploring why some societies are happier than others, also acts as a consultancy to various businesses and foreign governments.
HRI's clients include Random House, United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of State for Happiness Office, Carlsberg Group, City of Aarhus, University of Copenhagen, City of Copenhagen, Nordic Council of Ministers, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, Danica Pension, and LEO Innovation Lab.
HRI also says that it has advised the state of Jalisco in Mexico, the Royal couple of the Netherlands, and the city of Goyang in South Korea.
Some of its major publications include the Job Satisfaction Index (2016 version here) and Sustainable Happiness (here).
In 2015 HRI released a study that said staying off a Facebook can actually make you happier. Interestingly, HRI CEO Meik Wiking notes enthusiastically that he is now on Facebook.
Here is Mr. Wiking's 2016 TEDx talk on the dark side of happiness. His new book, The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living, can be found here. Does Mr. Wiking have the coolest job in the world (i.e., getting paid to study happiness)?
Interestingly, the UAE now says that it is setting up its own Happiness Research Institute, aided by Mr. Wiking in Denmark. It will be a collaborative effort by the UAE University and the National Programme for Happiness and Positivity.
