One-year reflections

Hi all!

As this is the last week of this year, I started looking back and did look far back to my childhood days. It's amazing how I still recall some of my questions when I was quite young...several like why people had to shout and cry hysterically when they saw the Beatles (why did they have to wait patiently to greet them too:))!), why people wanted to gain power to rule the world (influence from watching lots of Japanese movies ka!), and why the fruit had clean (consumable) juice even when the water was from dirty soil. The last question was the very first I felt brave enough to ask my primary school teacher out of my curiosity.

I sure asked quite a few "why's" when I was very young.

For the passing year, I think my "why's" turns to be more "why not's." like why not try a little further, why not do/observe/think/write/share more, which simply encourage my own self not to lose hope and continue doing what I'm passionate in....and yes! education for human beings with beautiful hearts of caring and high caliber.

Two other aspects I learned are leadership and internationalization. I managed to compile a few lessons and will polish the two documents further to share with our education community. They seem to be interdependent yet for many, internationalization is still very abstract and may not have caught their close attention.

One final lesson I've learned quite a bit this year is happiness, especially from research results from over 70 years of study, shared on TedTalk (Robert Waldinger). It is clear that a good life is seen from those being more family and social connected as well as the quality of the relationships. 

In looking back, I know as each year comes and goes, I've grown more with increased understanding of my own self, my own life, and my own passion. I'm sure you all have matured to another stage of life as well.

For 2016, let us all actively do what will be for the better Thailand, the better quality of our own Thai people and education so we can share more for our communities and beyond ka! Why not, right?

A better life filled with inner happiness and passion in learning and sharing in 2016 na ka!

Leadership and strategic thinking

A very happy Monday to all ka!

Last week, I had an opportunity to observe a training on strategic planning conducted by Dr.Pisit Leeahtam, who currently serves as Dean of the Faculty of Economics, Chiang Mai University.
I learned a lot from his sharing about his leadership and thinking over the main agenda on strategic planning ka.

1. Because ranking gives more weight to IZN and research than other aspects, he decided that the two are his highest priorities.

2. I like the term 'management debate' as it shows the maximization of similar and diverse ideas to the best solution (was thinking of 'de Bono's Six Thinking Hats' too ka!) It is also one of the existing challenges in our Thai cultural traditions, especially in the public services and university administration.  

Dr. Pisit pointed out this very cultural aspect that needs to be taken into serious consideration as it is different from the West and the business sector, which allow more open and free discussions.
As interactive discussion is part of my wish for Thai people to know and act better, I wanted to learn more how he (with his high profile) handles his team. My curiosity rose further in this training. It was quite obvious that his team has shown so much grengjai'ness and respect, which could make it even more challenging for him to engage them. 

Fortunately, I had a chance to ask him in person how he could encourage people to share their ideas. He said it worked best during the retreat outside the normal environment. He separated the whole team of ajarns and staff by age groups and let them discuss key questions he raised. It turned out to be quite fruitful.

I immediately thought of 'diversity management', the term that we still don't quite understand, nor do we try to capitalize on it yet.

3. To internationalize his faculty members and staff, he stressed the importance of English proficiency. He admitted that he hasn't added other components with the learning of the language as yet. At least what he has been doing is bearing fruit.

If English language proficiency is one and only focus, I'd get so concerned ka. However, when talking with him during lunch, he has had clear and deeper thoughts that are linked with IZN at the macro picture, e.g. how he foresees the advantages of study-visits, offerings of a program in Myanmar, invited foreign speakers; and how he agrees to have lesser content for language acquisition, etc. I didn't get to chance to ask him if he actually tabled out the other 'real' benefits to his team but again, being on the EdPEx route, it depends on him to decide what's best in his particular context lae ka.....I only am eager to learn more how he increases his team's awareness of the benefits, and wish to hear more from his team on this matter as well!

4. On university administration, he expressed that Thailand is far too rule-and-regulation-based ('strict management by the written rules' from those who need to understand the rules and the overall implications in real practices lae ka!....my own words!) and it'd be better to have more flexibility and room for universities/faculties to work, which would increase efficiency and effectiveness.

5. One statement I love is don't be happy with "คำป้อยอจากข้างนอก" (compliments from outsiders). Persist in doing what we're good at and where we want to reach ka.

Having heard and talked with him in person, I know we have so much more to do strategically and more importantly, collectively. Without capable leadership, similar huge challenges stay on.
I also hope that our Thai education community goes beyond our own selves/ faculties to become very inspired and motivated with shared values for the best of our university(ies) and country so there'll be increased labor of love that drives our slow quality-move Thailand to another firmer step of development ka.

Over to you for your thoughts ka!

Trust?

Hello everyone. These days, a few asked me why I write less often! It's strange I didn't really feel so but it must be true as I've set to write once a week or when I find some events/ articles/ issues that strike me most ka.

This time because of one little incident, I'd like to share it na ka.

I was trying to reach out one person but couldn't get her current address from my friends so I googled to find several home phone numbers.

One phone number worked and I guessed I got to talk to the one I was after. She appeared to understand at first though sounded a bit confused. Thinking that she is an elderly, I slowly explained my intention to her and she seemed to get it, questioning why the association didn't contact her directly. I told her I did it on its behalf ka. All of the sudden, she changed and said I was a fraud, trying to play a trick on her. Then she hung up the phone.

I called again only to make her more upset and that is the end of my story ka! It could be a wrong number or I didn't explain it well enough or she was unable to understand!?!?!

Anyway, the incident led me to think of my sister-in-law and my niece the other day. They went to a department store and my sis-in-law was approached to ask for her phone for an emergency call. She was a bit hesitant but because she didn't have her own phone, she had to ask her daughter to lend it to the person.

This person thanked them continuously, saying that she went around asking many people without success.

A few questions popped up and that has led me to write today lae ka!

Has our world changed?

Have we all changed 'not-to-trust strangers' even more?

Has the world of media scared us to the point that we tend to say no to everything to stay safe?

Have we experienced more cheaters than before and that has developed the feelings of mistrust?

While we seem to get closer and tend to trust typing-to-chat with strangers through all types of technologies, particularly the social media; we get more scared interacting verbally and face-to-face!?! Is it so ka?

With the Thai cultural traditions on love of our own families and circles, what we've also seen as years go by is that the word 'พวกพ้อง' has already led to some sort of destructive ends of nepotism and corruption.

Would it further make us shrink our own little circles too?

Would it make us  love our people and country even less (when our social/ public responsibility isn't so high on the Thai agenda?!?)?

Many more questions and thinking on my mind ka...and with the rise of plastic surgery, botox, and other facelift methods, how do we know who is who and who to trust dee ka?

IZN through mobility and diversity at Home!

Hope your long weekend went by not far too fast ka! I’d like to share several I got from my recent reading on IZN ka.

The first is entitled, ‘Europe needs internationalisation, internationalisation needs Europe’ from neth-er.eu on December 3, 2015 by Freddy Weima, Director-General of EP-Nuffic.

The author stresses the importance of intercultural understanding especially when the world has seen ‘enormous turmoil in Europe and the world, caused by ‘the refusal to truly accept the differences between cultures and countries.’ It is one of the main reasons why Europe needs IZN.

He then mentions about the program like ‘Erasmus’, which has positively enabled Europeans to understand one another better, and such a program needs to be continued for IZN to benefit more students.

The second article is, “Defining 'internationalisation at home'” by Jos Beelen and Elspeth Jones from University World News on December 8, 2015.

Even though mobility has its substantial advantages, it is limited to only a few who can participate so recently, discussions are around ‘internationalization at home’ ka.

The new definition “proposed in a 2015 publication, The European Higher Education Area: Between critical reflections and future policies, states: “Internationalisation at Home is the purposeful integration of international and intercultural dimensions into the formal and informal curriculum for all students, within domestic learning environments.”

It stresses “inclusion of international and intercultural aspects into curricula in a purposeful way while emphasizing the role of IZN for all students in all programs and “does not simply rely on mobility to offer international and intercultural perspectives.” It also means the effort to “engage domestic with international students; or exploiting diversity within the classroom. It also includes technology-enabled or virtual mobility, such as through Collaborative Online International Learning.”

These two articles have quite a few implications and are useful for our universities to think and ACT further to promote IZN properly.

IZN in our country could be seen, more often than not, activity-based approach or lip service or for PR purposes, which won’t impact the students and the whole community much at all.

Frequently, universities tend to complain that they don’t have enough resources to get the IZN efforts moving faster. There’s so much diversity on campus, going beyond just foreign students to individual students, lecturers and others in the workforce. We also have had access to high technology (with underutilization).  

As it is the era of diversity, creativity, and innovation, aren’t universities in the best position to maximize their capabilities and rich diversity to support all to learn with favorable outcomes?

Think, ACT, learn, improve, and grow toward IZN goals set loei kaaaa!