Happy holidays

Merry Christmas na ka, everyone!

Today is the first day I can sit back and relax all day at home.....naturally with some little projects to work on!

Looking back, the passing year is quite a happy one:

- seeing OHEC's Bureau of International Cooperation Strategy (BICS) take up IZN seriously to be its policy with more plans and projects to come along in the following years.

- helping with a promising Myanmar-Thailand network of university presidents as this should lead to more meaningful cooperation being firmly committed both at the national and university levels.

- being encouraged by universities which have increased their interests in learning about and putting EdPEx in place while some have started considering cross cultural sensitivity as a crucial issue to study.

- having a modest share in several projects on leadership development for younger ones in Thailand and ASEAN.

- pursuing my passion in integrating IZN with EdPEx for BICS and universities to see a big picture with mutual understanding and focuses.

- feeling free with time to enjoy my personal life, traveling, reading, and getting together with family and friends.

I continue to write and share in 2018 and hope it will be useful and interesting for some of you na ka....and thanks to all for the acknowledgment, comments, and discussions ka.....they are source of encouragement for me to keep writing and reading ka.

May I wish you all a beautiful year in 2018, getting to do more strategic programs and projects with meaningful results for all of us to see the impacts on our higher education and the whole education community na ka.

Happy Holidays and see you next year ka!

Dr. Surin's keywords

Like many in our country and far beyond, Dr. Surin Pitsuwan's passing was shocking and saddening. Notes on Facebook have clearly shown how much love and respect people have had for him and I hope such warmest and heartfelt gestures can at least comfort Dr. Surin's family in this time of grief ka.

I myself would like to share what I learned from meeting with him quite a few times back even to my very early years at the Ministry of Education when he just graduated from Harvard.

These are some of the keywords that are still in my mind ka:

1. Back to the time when he was Minister of Foreign Affairs, he urged all ministries to care much more for 'people-to-people' contacts. I loved it because in the APEC and many platforms managed by the governments, issues raised, discussed, and agreed are mostly initiated by national authorities with very little from the voice of the mass.

2. The Ministry of University Affairs organized an APEC youth forum, the first of its kind for kids at different stages of education and employment to mingle and learn about the free trade soon to be seen in their time. Dr. Surin kindly gave a keynote.

A senior officer of the MFA was asking who was the highest rank receiving the Minister, I told him it was only me (a small C8 person!). Dr. Surin, on the other end, focused on his sharing to the youth with enthusiasm and joy, encouraging them to share and learn about one another. He talked about his start as an AFS who didn't know what 'restroom' meant and got very good laughs from the crowd.

Two good lessons I got were:

- the power of stories and 

- it could be an example for us, especially Thais, not to be shy or embarrassed making mistakes.

3. When I helped organize a small session for young Muslims about the importance of English proficiency and scholarship opportunities for them, he told me he wished our Thai Muslims would become more aware of the world and what has been readily available. So when they were exposed more, they would realize how diversity could bring harmony.

How I wish we could have many more sessions like that one!

I still feel very sad though I should think he is blissfully blessed, back to join with Allah.

RIP Dr. Surin.

What 'Miss Universe Pageant' tells us

I started my morning watching Miss Universe broadcast live ka. After so many years of totally forgetting about it, I was urged to make sure I did this year because it seemed Thailand could really go into the final round.

It's a pity ours wasn't selected as one of the three na ka. Yet, I learned quite a few things ka:

- We can't identify the 'Thai look' as precisely as before because of the more open world of mobility and marriage.

- The questions given to the contestants (from empowerment and terrorism to harassment and social media usage) showed very clearly what the world has been suffering from. We all need to be more aware and actively participating to lessen the seriousness as much as we can na ka.

- Like in all interviews, 30 seconds requires not only knowledge about the issues raised and passionate answers, but also the ability to think and link faster, and hit the point right away. 

I think of our own selves and kids ka. We need to give much more importance to learning how to respond fast and to the point....we tend to think far too slowly and have inadequate platforms and opportunities to share our thoughts and comments on key world issues both at home and in classroom settings ka.

Have to keep practicing lae ka.

simple training strategies

Swasdee ka!

Yesterday was Thanksgiving and even I'm not American, I like it a lot as a special day to feel thankful ka. I could feel so thankful to many people, for many touching moments. Yet, at the end of the day, I sure am so very grateful to Nailuang, King Rama IX for his unconditional love and selfless efforts. I also feel so blessed to be born to my family whose warmth and caring have allowed me to be me and do so many in my professional life with the least worries. You all la ka? Lots to feel thankful for too na ka.

This week, thanks to an invite of Ajarn Chaiwat, a Fulbright alum, I had an opportunity to give several sessions to train public health officers along the Thai border on partnership building, a bit about the use of English, cross culture, and self-reflection ka. So today, I'd like to share what I've learned from this training na ka.

- The use of 'bingo' to get started turned to be so influential to ignite further thinking ka. At first, I thought of an icebreaking and testing their English. Yet, after Ajarn Chaiwat and I discussed it, it showed a lot about the start of partnership from having some clear understanding, objectives, and one's own self how we behaved in a different environment ka. We saw a few who were quiet and waited to be approached while others were proactive to get to introduce themselves and get their objectives achieved.

After the activities, it was really clear that we tended to go for our goal without much thinking of how far we needed to know the other end and how each of us approached others.

- Our pre-test and post-test wasn't to assess the content learned but on the attitude and determination. It didn't go along with what the host actually wanted as they were required to report the use of funding in quantitative terms. We did try come up with some at the end of the sessions to satisfy the requirement. Yet, our qualitative measures to ask them to reflect and answer according to their specific self and office contexts would be so useful for each of them to move forward.

One thing I loved about it was a question about their happiness level from the three days ka. Most were very positive and to us both, it was the first step for them to have more favorable attitude to practice their English, to care more about their partners' needs and constraints, and to be more determined to enhance partnership with cross-cultural understanding.

We both were really happy to hear that it was the first time they didn't sit in the classroom style with more practices in most of the sessions, mine and Ajarn Chaiwat (public speaking and negotiation skills).

- I'd like to add that it was a rare picture to see the host (bureau director) sit through all the sessions....apparently with some work to do in between. Her presence and love of learning were meaningful as a great life-long learner mak mak ka.

- Besides self-reflective moments, we had one session for them to learn how to integrate what they learned so as to see that each skill isn't a stand alone one and they can't just sharpen one skill without thinking and linking with the other ka.

We hope they left the workshops with some learning and eagerness to learn and try more ka.

Miracles of Korea

It was a memorable trip to Korea as a get-together with my former Fulbright fellow directors. Two of us were graciously hosted in our Korean host's home and sure had more than enough food to eat, time to chat, and culture to learn.

Before I left, a Thai Fulbright alum sent me a book he translated on, 'Korea: The Impossible Country' or มหัศจรรย์เกาหลี จากเถ้าถ่านสู่มหาอำนาจทางเศรษฐกิจและวัฒนธรรม.

I read it on my way to Korea and finished it on my way back, making my trip even more meaningful with increased understanding about the country.

A few things I wish to highlight are:

1. The author, Daniel Tudor, may be a Brit who lives in Korea and works for The Economist. I can't help but think that after all these decades, we can still find stories about our country from foreign authors ka. Our people don't write enough or we don't know much about them or we don't like to read what Thais write....I still wonder why ka!

2. Our Fulbright translator, Mr. Thitipong Luangarunlert is an industrial design architect by educational background and he could do a great job working on this project ka, easy to read without 'smelling the butter' and I'm so proud of him ka!

3. The long history could make me bored and lose my interest but this wasn't the case ka. I think the author put it nicely with a few reminders along the way to remind us of the different dynasties. I also learn more deeply why Koreans, especially the older generation, dislike Japanese. Thanks to the current K-pop culture, two peoples get closer to feel much better about each other.

4. The culture of 'jeoung' the sense of gratitude and caring plus 'we-ness' (I don't think I can translate it nicely like how we can't really translate, 'grengjai' ka). The terms 'han' (inner grief) and 'heung' (joy) have enabled me to understand Korean lives reflected in its soap much much better. Please forgive me for the translation of the terms into my own words as I don't have the English version and gathered from my own understanding reading it na ka.

5. The collectiveness, protectionism, and propaganda which were put into use at the right time have driven the country to excel rapidly and become a developed country as an OECD member. The country still faces a lot of challenges both from its own cultural traditions, power-craze, and external factors. Yet, its efforts to build one nation to be this solid are truly admirable ka.

6. Naturally, while I was reading, I kept comparing with our own country and its culture. I thought to myself how little I know about our own country, how much more effort is needed to develop myself and our people, how much I've been shaped by the cultural traditions, how great to learn from reading, and how life-long learning and sharing need to go on ka!

My Fulbright nong wrote, 'ขอให้พี่ทิพย์อ่านอย่างเพลิดเพลินครับ'..... I sure enjoyed it thoroughly ka!

Happy Tuesday na ka.

Intercultural Communication

Hello all!

Yesterday, I gave a three-hour session on intercultural communication to a small group of graduate students and it was quite fun ka.

At the end of the class, my usual style was to ask them to reflect what they learned and what they wanted to do next and this is what I'd like to share ka.

On what they wanted to do after the class, here are some of the answers ka:

- explore the world

- see how to link what I've learned with my teaching

- think more of how to apply it

- get to know more about the ethnic cultures

- think of ways to share with my students

- practice herself to become a true global citizen

- learn more about our own culture

One started to doubt her own ability to survive in multicultural environments despite her English proficiency. Several felt they didn't know much about the Thai culture!

I also admired the professor teaching this class who turned herself into one student, following all workshops and participating without any attempt to teach...simply giving her own stories and how she learned from them.

The desire to learn and see more as well as the wish to know one's own culture and ethnic cultures far better, and the need to think of how to apply it for their students were what make me feel real happy and have the drive to share this little dimension to you this morning ka.

More often than not, quite a number overlook the importance of intercultural communication, thinking that after having mixed with people, they would get it. In a way, it could be so but learning about it more intensively will allow them to be aware of their own biases, both consciously and unconsciously. It's one good way to have a self assessment too. Once we get to be more sensitive interculturally, several feelings will arise, especially pride in our own culture, and gentler hearts with more love to give regardless differences.

Happy Loykratong Day to all ka.

My Myanmar Trip

I was lucky to be invited to be a speaker at the second Myanmar-Thailand Network in Mandalay and Taunggyi for 5 days earlier this week, learning and feeling so touched ka.

This network consists of 7 university presidents each from the two countries (*see 'NOTE' for the names of the universities below ka!), who met for the first time at Mae Fah Luang university and for the second time at University of Mandalay and Taunggyi University.

I'd like to share what I've learned from the overall mission ka:

1. The funding is from Bureau of International Cooperation Strategies, OHEC. Yet, both in cash and in kind support was obvious from the Myanmar end and what was highly felt was their warm hospitality and kind consideration for the program to be fruitful and smooth. U of Mandalay offered all other Myanmar Rectors to stay at its guest houses (very spacious and nice ka!), and hosted a dinner among many others it graciously took up! Other Rectors accompanied us all the way and when several couldn't because of their urgent mission to sit for an interview for the rotation/promotion required by the MOE at the last minute, they stretched their presence to the best they could.

2. At the opening ceremony, several key VIPs attended from Myanmar's Ministry of Education and the way they took care of the VIPs were simple. What was simpler was the humbleness of the VIPs who were far from formal, especially the quiet way of their arrival and departure after the opening.

3. Despite the fact that this was only the second meeting of this network, the Myanmar side has well-recognized it as one of the key gatherings given a high priority that its Ministry of Education will support, particularly amid its reform efforts.

4. A few challenges it has identified include internationalization (IZN), centralization vs autonomy, leadership training, and quality assurance (now that it's focusing on both QA and qualifications framework). Immediately, I see how this leaders'platform can play a vital role loei ka.

5.  Mandalay Rector managed to be with us the first 2 days and was attentive with all the sessions. As she was called by its MOE for an important meeting she couldn't miss, she requested us to stop at a tollway for her to say goodbye with us the morning she had to leave for Nay Pyi Taw and us for Taunggyi. So touched with her learning curiosity and friendship ka.

Um! with respect, I was wondering about our Thai university presidents' time, priority, and learning enthusiasm in such a setting na ka nia! (only one Thai president was present at each of the two meetings ka!)

Taunggyi Rector, the other host kindly welcomed us when it was about to have its graduation ceremony this weekend. Its meeting room was filled with most if not all, department heads who expressed their wishes to conduct joint research with the Thai partners. 

On the whole, it was amazing how friendship has been deepened only at the second meeting. I feel it must have been the combination, the chemistry, and the sincerity of all participants and the strong support from both MOE's ka. So happy to see it grow fast and quite stable at this stage even when we may see some change of the leadership of the members.

On a more personal end, I met two who attended a leadership forum I helped SEAMEO RIHED ran. Both shook hands with delight and I couldn't be happier. 

One of them is Rector of East Yangon University whose greeting made my heart flow like a balloon! While shaking hands very firmly, he said, ''New Normal, IZN!'' This was the best greeting I've ever heard in my life to mention the keywords of the sessions I had given ka!

It so happened that he was one of the invited speakers and again he mentioned about his experience at the SEAMEO RIHED forum to meet with the owner of Caffe De'Oro! I was happiest'est'est ka!

His kindness already exceeded my expectations and it wasn't ended there. On the morning we had to leave for a domestic airport, he personally took three of us there. Met us up at 6 am, he made me feel so very grengjai...and that wasn't it! He took us to his relative's house for a Myanmar breakfast, which was like a feast. His relative and family were all so generous to strangers like us. I felt real grateful and was thinking I didn't deserve such a beautiful treatment, and my grengjai'ness became endless!

There were other little or big stories that are very meaningful to my heart ka. All have made me even closer to our Myanmar friends (in fact, one of the Myanmar participants said, 'We aren't friends! We're brothers and sisters.')

This Myanmar trip makes me smile whenever I think about it ka!

Happy weekend na ka.

*NOTE: For Thailand, the universities involved are from the north basically to make it easier in terms of distance to Myanmar and cover the 4 types of institutions, from traditional like Chiang Mai, Mae Fah Luang, and Naresuan; to Rajabhat system (Rajabhat Kanchanaburi and Rajabhat Chiang Rai) and Rajamangala system (Rajamangala.....Lanna) as well as a private one (North-Chiang Mai).

On the Myanmar side, it's determined by its Ministry of Education with the combination of older and larger to younger and smaller ones (University of Yangon, University of Mandalay, Kyaing Tong University, Mawlamyine University, Myeik University, Sittway University, and Taunggyi University).

Learning from London

Soon I'll go back home and I'm glad there're always some good things to learn.

1. Direct from my family mission.... Sorry if I repeat what many of you may have known already but it's something quite new for me and this is the healthcare system here.

After my niece had her baby, two persons visited her. The first is a midwife who makes 2-4 home visits to see how the mother's health has been after giving birth plus having a blood test for the baby.

The second one is a health visitor who makes one visit to see how the overall well-being of mother and baby are. I met with both and quietly observed them in action. The health visitor was with my niece for about 45 minutes, asking her many questions from her own health, the baby and his big brother, especially the reactions of the brother with his baby brother.

After the health visitor's visit, my niece will go to see health visitor(s) at her local health visiting service center instead, for the period of 5 years, for health checks and advice plus group support.

The system led me to think that it helps strengthen mother and child health at the very beginning for any early warning signal much more easily. I also like the idea of decentralization to make it conveniently accessible.....in my niece's case, it's just like 10 minutes' walk from home.

2. Don't ever use paper map kaaa! Since I came, I saw only one middle aged couple use it.

What about me ror ka? Hae! Hae! I have necessary apps to survive, especially google map and citimapper. My big challenge is that my map reading skill is extremely low and you could guess what I had to go through when exploring new areas on my own! 

My tip is to look for younger people and ask for help ka....5555!

3. Dim sum at a one-Michelin star restaurant sounds exciting. I guess it wasn't as good as expected. The service was professional yet I couldn't help but feel it was kind of mechanical....not really touching na ka.

Its signature menu offered more than enough food to eat so what happened was we had quite a bit left but they didn't have a take-home policy. I happened to have a little clean plastic bag with me so the remaining food would be a great meal for my Fulbright alumni later ka.

I asked my niece and nephew-in-law if all the fine dining restaurants have this policy. They said it was risky to allow people to bring the leftover home because there could be a case when people got sick after having the food at their places. One of the causes could have been from leaving the food outside for far too long and the restaurant was vulnerable to be sued! 

More from Bangkok ka!

life in London

Hello from London ka.

I've been away from home for about one week already because of some wonderful family matters, being around our niece before she gave birth to her second baby boy ka.

It gave me some good lessons to be away from my usual routine and environment and let me share some ka:

- Being a mom in a foreign country has to be tougher and more efficient to manage the family life, my niece is one as well. We were with her a bit earlier before she went into labor so we got to take care of her 2-year old boy when she had to go to the hospital a very early morning to give birth. It was a big challenge because the boy is very attached to his mom and in fact was crying a lot waiting for his mommy to come back home. My niece and her husband decided to return home that very evening without staying over at the hospital at all. Admittedly, my sister--the grandma-- and I were relieved. It was a long day for my niece, her husband and definitely us two:))!

- My niece has a one-year maternity leave, which is really great. My niece can get 90% of her salary for the first month and the government will pay a sum from the second to ninth months. No government allowance is given for the third baby on as it's considered 'luxury' ka.

Her husband has a two-week paternity leave and his presence at home has been so very helpful, from bringing the oldest son to a football class and a child minder, to nappy changing and food shopping plus many other. I hope our younger Thai males will play more active paternal role.

- Traveling on our own is convenient but I had to adjust myself the first few days. Was thinking it's been a healthy challenge to be in such a situation once in a while to understand cross-cultural issues even more deeply. I expect to see many elderly but find it amazing to see lots of babies from diverse groups. Can't help thinking of the US where diversity is also high. Somehow I feel London may be far diverse!

- uber is convenient and quite popular while there're private companies too.... and the black cabs stay on! How I wish our country could solve the uber issue soon since it's really convenient to passengers. The idea of having uber car pool system sounds good but may not be that applicable to us for now?

cultures crossed!?!

Hello all! Hope you're relaxing and some may check their inboxes Monday na ka.

I was thinking what struck me most the passing week and this is it ka.

I was invited to give 2 talks at an international college, one to Thai ajarns and staff, and the other to foreign staff.

For the Thai ajarns, it was more about readiness for change and teamwork, and about cross-culture for the international team. 

As always, I love to have participants rate their own feelings on several things.

This time I asked 3 questions:

1. ความรัก&ผูกพันกับ......(คณะ)

2. ความรัก&ผูกพันกับประเทศไทย

3. การเป็นทีมเวิร์ค

It happened on the morning that the two groups would have to meet first before breaking out to 2 sessions. I decided to use the rating spectrum for both. The easiest was to translate the three statements.....the third was straightforward but the first two was a bit tricky ka.

In order not to get any question what I wrote in Thai, I translated the statement literally as 'love and bonds with ...../ Thailand'

We, Thais,  use 'heart' to symbolize passion, commitment, and caring so when it comes to one love's for one's institution, it sounded weird to foreigners' ears......good thing they rated them anyway ka.

This had turned into a great intercultural learning ka! I told the international group that, 'had I known they would also have had this opportunity, I'd have used different wordings.' like commitment and dedication (and in fact passion in teaching and teaching at that particular institution) na ka.

One westerner told me, 'It's your country so it's for you to make changes (meaning don't expect foreigners to make changes but another westerner said that they could at least spark some ideas and actions for change! Whew!).

The former westerner shared with me how much experience he has had staying and teaching in a few countries. He also said in a foreign country when one has no family nor connections unlike when he/she is in own home country, his advice was to  keep one's head low to be out of trouble and do the work. It made some sense thinking about it na ka! It was worth some good discussion and yes, I discussed several situations and issues with him ka....not easy to do so but it was very fun kaaa!

Many in this international group had sincere intention to be contributive as a faculty members while some have found the system to be too 'Thai/ bureaucratic/ rigid' and several seemed not to be so positive ka.

As internationalization (IZN) is high on our radar both at the international cooperation and networking, and quality-related matters, one more skill our leaders need is cross-cultural management to bear favorable results while retaining quality foreign faculty with our institutions.

EU-ASEAN forum on Consequences of Regional QA and QF

Happy Monday ka.

Late last week, I was very lucky to be invited to attend an EU-ASEAN forum on Consequences of Regional QA and QF for two days.

After some experiences to both QA and QF plus some reading on the 2 topics, I somehow   have several questions especially the relationships of the two. This symposium gave me a clearer (not clear cut) answers as well as some more updates about them to learn ka.

Almost two decade ago, I heard western representatives discuss QF and 'learning outcomes'. A decade later, we've taken both up seriously with some impressive progress.

EU has its  ESG-- EU Standards and Quality Guidelines for IQA/EQA and EQAA (EQA agencies) to have some broad framework to follow. They also have EU Qualifications Framework (several call it their 'bible') with 8 levels of descriptors for basic to higher education.

With long years of experiences and continuous improvement, EU has been quite strong in its implementation while in ASEAN, we do have AQAF (ASEAN Quality Assurance Framework) and AQRF (ASEAN Qualifications Reference Framework) as reference point/ benchmarking for member countries.

Let me share some keywords  when choosing to do QA and QF ka:

- Globalization, mobility of students and labor, mutual recognition

- Life-long learning

- Harmonization not standardization

- Confidence and trust of the society and countries within and beyond the region

- Sense of ownership of faculty, staff, and students

- Collectiveness with Key stakeholders to be engaged in the processes

- Role of institutional leaders

- NOT TO CHANGE OUR OWN QA/QF TO FIT WITH THE REGION'S FRAMEWORK AS WE ALL HAVE OUR OWN CONTEXTS AND NATIONAL AGENDA TO HEED TO.....well! not to take it literally to be far too rigid lae ka!

Looking at the keywords, some may say 'nothing new' but when we think further, we seem to know them, but we may not 'act' or not 'act in an integrated way'!?!?

Hong Kong had a comprehensive study to compare its QF with that of EU, reasoning that 'it's a HEALTH-CHECK OF OUR FRAMEWORK'. It has developed specific guidelines with outcome-focused approach, diversity, and benchmarking against international community in mind.

This is another report that generates many lessons learned for us to study and adjust to our own context dai loei ka.

I like what DSG Bundit said about outcome-based learning......focus on transferrable skills.

The symposium shed more lights to me with a few challenging questions about the Thai QA and QF as well as our use of AQAF and AQRF. The latter two should generate more contribution for Thailand if the big picture becomes clear.  Fortunately, our leading universities continue to be committed and move ahead quite progressively in this intellectual and cooperative journey within their respective institutions.

Hopeful me ka!

sustainable workplace into the future

I read a summary of a book entitled, "The future-proof workplace: Six Strategies to Accelerate Talent Development, Reshape Your Culture and Succeed with Purpose" by Linda Sharkey and Morag Barrett, 2017 and have an urge to share what I like ka.

Again the first point can't be anything but leadership ka. In addition, the more I read, the more I think people discuss much further about culture and value...yet, the purpose in life has stood out! I also found the repeated keywords of cross-cultural competence, diversity and inclusion ka.

The importance of relationship building has popped up, not as a crucial way to be happy and live longer. This time as a key to do business. I think of our own strengths to get connected and retain healthy relationship loei ka. We should be serious to become the ones thinking and probing much more deeply how we've nurtured and sustained our relationships. Otherwise, foreigners would again maximize what has been in existence in our own cultures!?!

Let me quote right from the summary what I like na ka:

·       …….shift in leadership to be one of engagement, collaboration and adaptability

·       The future will be built by leaders who build up others and have a heart to serve others

·       …….solid personal values give you the platform and the confidence to translate those convictions into authentic company values

·       culture that truly empowers people-- they can’t unleash the creativity of their employees with slow, bureaucratic cultures

·       ……compelling and impactful purpose-- great leaders regularly reflect on how well they are aligned with, and living, their purpose and make changes accordingly. Purpose is a leadership journey, not a destination

·       ……role of relationships……… the secret glue that keeps people engaged and emotionally connected to the work

·       Success is about the horizontal opportunities that provide new experiences and expand skills. -- Who you know and what you know is much more important than the formal role you play…..MY ONLY CONCERN IS HOW BEST TO MAXIMIZE IT WITHOUT CROSSING THE LINES TO NEPOTISM AND CORRUPTION LAE KA!

·       ……..role of unconscious bias and the role the brain plays in our ability to connect with people who are different from us-- We have set patterns, images and context for what we believe people should be like, and often, these are so subtle we don’t even realize it.

·       Parents unwittingly pass on their bias and stereotypes to their children, causing an unconscious reaction in their children that can either help them or hinder them as they move into society. Good news is that we can rewire our thinking ka.

·       To thrive in the midst of rapid technological change, we’ve got to make work simpler, not continue to add complexity

·       the skill of unlearning and relearning becomes even more paramount

·       ……allow learners to pick a more a la carte approach to the content of their degree….learning agility and a healthy curiosity

·       Everyone needs to be a coach and mentor. Knowledge management matters …..because of the new flexible, tour-of-duty mindset of the millennials

·       Treat your employees (students and younger staff and faculty.....as they are millennials na ka) for who they are — adults. Provide them with challenging goals and the resources to achieve them. Then, set them free to deliver the results.

Any comments or observations mai ka?

Knowing my neighborhood?

I was invited to go on a guided tour of Talad Noi (ตลาดน้อย), Sampantawong District yesterday. Though I was sort of hesitant at first out of my laziness, I decided to take up this rare opportunity. I was embarrassed to admit that even when I grew up not far from that area, I had no idea what it had to offer.

Starting from Wat Yuan (วัดญวน/วัดอุภัยราชบำรุง), I wasn't sure where it was located and was thinking that it must be the temple I walked past hundreds of times when I was young.

That was our first stop for me and the group, comprising mainly Vietnamese students from the south of VN, led by the Thai Consulate in cooperation with the Office of Higher Education Commission.

It was amazing to learn the long history of the temple dated back to the reign of King Taksin when a number of Vietnamese fled the civil war in Vietnam to settle in Thailand on both sides along the Chaopraya River. The Chinese style of architecture has told us how VN had been influenced by the Chinese rule while the existence shows how we have been more diverse than we realized.

Then, with the explanation of พี่แอ้ด, our honorary guide, we walked into the Talad Noi area to see the lives there. It could seem quite familiar to me since I was born and grown up not far from there but I couldn't help feeling amazed again by the sights I saw. There're still many shops selling old spare parts being the place commonly known as เซียงกง. We then stopped at a pastry shop where two seniors baked traditional Chinese pastries and cookies. I felt so nostalgic talking in my little Chinese language with the 'grandma' and bought some kanoms just to enjoy having them with my family later! The price of kanoms was what I don't think we could find if they became commercialized like other in the capitalist world. More importantly, I couldn't help feeling sad that after this senior generation, we won't have the original tastes of pastries anymore.

We walked to several shrines, listening to the stories about lives and people, some doing the same things, others moving out . We saw old houses that would be turned into a museum or serve as a tourist stop to learn how people there have lived for long decades. It was the first time I visited the first branch of the สยามกัมมาจล (Siam Commercial Bank), went to a co-ed school-- กุหลาบวิทยา and its church.

It was a long walk but the amazement drove me to be focused to absorb the stories I heard, to remember the sights I saw, and to recall the past as far as I could.

I was embarrassed not to know much about it but now I'm proud I've learned much more and hope to be back with a longer time to walk and chat with people in Talad Noi. I also feel very grateful to those who have been working with the community to preserve the traditions in every possible way.

Things change, life goes on, and I'm so glad I can see Talad Noi before it changes much further ka.

Enjoy your weekend na ka.

3 girls 3 lives

I'd like to share stories of the 3 young girls I met in Chiang Mai who helped take care of an American Fulbright teacher who came down with a dengue fever ka.

The first is on her senior year at CMU. Her life is filled with studies and extra-curricular activities. Her concern is the time management since she enjoys doing activities especially with the newcomers while she has to make sure she maintains her high GPA (and possibly tries to get better grades to reach the first class honors)

The second is a 'practical nurse' who had no funding to go for her higher education. She lived with her grandma after her parents died. I felt so sad to hear that her father and mother passed away when she was 2 and 6 respectively! After finishing her high school, he decided to have one year of training on fund supported by a leading private hospital in Bangkok. After a few years, it's time for her to move back to Chiang Mai to take care of her aging grandma. She's still looking for a job.

The third one is a Karen girl who takes care of her three brothers since she was 12 when their mother died. Their father lost his mind and went back up hill for 2 years. This girl said she took up every possible odd jobs she could to survive. She quit school after finishing grade 9 and got a 3-month training on elderly care. At the age of about 20, she got married and now has one boy. I asked her why she decided to have a family (when I myself would have thought otherwise!) She said she thought she couldn't manage it on her own any longer and needs some help. Luckily her husband is a good guy so life seems to be a bit easier.

In a rented room, 6 lives stay together and they limit themselves to use electricity for a fan and a rice cooker.

I talked with the three whose nickname initial is the same (น) and learned more about lives and survival. I told the first girl that she needed to feel really blessed about her life while to the second girl, she realized that amid life challenges, she was much luckier than the third.  I told the third girl that she should be very proud of herself and keep staying strong ka.

The Karen girl also shared with me how she was discriminated too....so sad in our society ka.

As it's close to the Mother's Day, the definition of 'mother' can move from the traditional sense too to cover grandma and older sister na ka.

My time around the hospital made me feel heartbroken but hopeful to see tough girls stand up for their better living na ka.

Happy Mother's Day ka.

leader's long experiences

Hope you all are enjoying your long weekend ka.

I'm leaving for the north to help Fulbright with a group of American teachers visiting Thailand to learn more about our country so they can teach their students back home ka. I'll sure learn more from them too.

Several days ago, I was given a book, 'พลิกมุมมอง', which I finished within several hours. Even so, I reread it to read between the lines with more thinking ka.

Ajarn Prasit Tunsuwan is the author who shared his experiences working in large companies and then Thailand Productivity Institute. The stories told me what have been valid till today ka. It also revealed who Ajarn Prasit has been.....a life-long learner and thinker ka.

What I've learned from the book are:

- Vision and threat seem to go along with each other well especially in time of speedy changes when vision needs to be realistic to aim for the better of the overall organization.

- While servant leaders help guide their team to grow further like coaches, they need to balance well to be bosses to take lead and offer orders at the right time too.

- Good leaders have to be role models as enthusiastic learners for their staff to see and imitate.

- Being morally sound in business when survival is the key issue is the hardest for leaders to stand firm. I like it most when Ajarn Prasit tried it on himself to place a grey piece of paper on a bigger black paper to see that the grey one seemed to shine out in white! It ignited so much thinking ka.

- How I wish our thousands of study visits organized could have given/could generate benefits like what Ajarn Prasit got even after decades have passed, he still can share them. I wonder how many have maximized the learning for use in their organizations. Had we managed well with the great sense of learning and responsibility, our country could have achieved much higher level of development ka.

After all, leadership is a forever classic issue that requires us to have more learning and thinking with right actions at the right times ka!

Leadership with vision and positive thinking

I just had a quick read of several books summarized by summary.com ka.

What I like is about leadership again.

The first is, 'Leading with Vision' by Bonnie Hagemann, John Maketa and Simon Vetter.

This was about most-needed competencies from the next gen leaders, drawn from a survey of over 400 companies by Oklahoma City-based Executive Development Associates. They are "the ability to attract, develop and retain talent; the ability to inspire; the ability to deliver results; and the ability to manage the stress and demands of leadership."

The first on the list is the ability to create a vision and inspire others to follow that vision ka.

The author identified 4 leadership issues: courage, clarity, connectedness and culture for one to become visionary. It seems that nothing much is new but I guess because of the VUCA world, these 4 "C's" are even more needed. Clear communication is again emphasized and no matter what, the ability to create a favorable culture  for the younger generations to stay on with the organizations has to be taken into more serious consideration.

The second summary is on, 'The Power of Positive Leadership' by Jon Gordon.

The author pointed out from his own experience that the vision is powerful "when you see it and act on it.”

The other are:

"Positive leaders drive positive cultures; lead with optimism, positivity and belief; confront, transform and  remove negativity;  create united and connected teams; build great relationships and teams; pursue excellence; lead with purpose; and have grit."

These are great reminders for us to stay sane and positive especially in stressful situations na ka.....yet, the key word is still 'act on them' ka.

Global TC Day 2017

Post-Fulbright life has been busy especially these several months kaaaa!

One of the activities I did the past week was to help coordinate for alumni of Teachers College, Columbia University (TC-CU) together to signify a Global TC Day.

Ajarn Chaiwat from Silpakorn University and I agreed that we should do something more than just a fun gathering so we thought of a meeting with the Minister of Education since we all graduated from what's known as one of the very best schools of education. But more importantly, we all are passionate in education and wish we could play a little part to develop it further in every possible way we can.

Finally, we had an-hour meeting with Minister Teerakiat with 10 of us in attendance.

My lessons learned from this activity ka:

1. I was happy to signify the Global TC Day doing something more academic than just 'meet and greet'. It was really meaningful for the alumni to learn and share more when we had some sort of formal forum ka.

2. Each of us graduated from different departments and work in both public and private sectors so if there was more time, the discussion could have been even richer and more lively. I enjoyed it a lot simply listening to the interactions.

3. The minister was generous with his time and he told us what he has been doing and what has yet to be done. Two key issues I drew from the conversation were:

- The culture of the MOE is difficult to change so do what we can do.

Personally, I was glad he seems to know the culture quite well. It'd be nice to try to change some of the 'traditions' by exercising senior leadership from him and other senior leaders too. For example, the ways officials have to take care of their bosses and show their 'admiration' especially when assuming a new position or moving to another office (to literally go send them off!)....many more examples too ka.

I was saying to the minister that we didn't bring any nicely wrapped gift or flowers but several brought our books for him to read and it was great to learn what he's been reading too ka....one is, 'How to run a country' ka!

- Stay idealistic to have hope and keep going.

I like it a lot ka. We need to keep our ideals alive with more hope to go forward. It's hard to be mentally strong as wherever we visit, we may find many situations that make us feel they're far too complicated and too big for us to help tackle. Passion, hope, and continuous efforts from our ideals will be the great drive ka.

4. Homework from the minister is for us to help think of 'teacher recruitment'.....and yes, it's a complicated issue. We plan to get started from a small discussion group and see how best to have a modest share ka.

From last week till mid next month, I'll help Fulbright Thailand with its program for 16 American teachers' visits in all the regions of Thailand. Will learn a lot again for sure ka!

''tripwork'' from Japan

Dear all, I just got back from Hokkaido which has got impacts from climate change too ka. It was hotter than usual and it was like being in a huge oven especially on the first day when the sun shone unkindly ka. 

During the trip, Ajarn Chaiyod lined me with several questions so I think this would be a great reflections of myself to share ka. 

The first question is, 'what did I like most about the trip?'

I'm still very impressed with the Japanese traditions of teaching kids to be tidy, punctual, and polite. 

Then on how Japanese do it, I think it all starts at home. My Japanese friend said she had her responsibility to teach manners and proper behaviors to her kids. Good thing many Japanese mothers don't work. They have more time to care for many more from big to little stuff. Though in many cultures, it could be a challenge in terms of family finance. When compared with the desirable behaviors, we may need to balance it well ka!

Ajarn Chaiyod asked if I would go back to revisit  the place, my answer is 'to Hokkaido again? Absolutely ka!'. Each season has its own beauty and charms. We can appreciate the nature even better. My sense of appreciation has grown after I went through the extensive private tea ceremony lesson my friend taught me last year. Now I feel more connected to the Japanese philosophy and how they respect nature and art! Need to learn with the Japanese more ka!

The last question is tough to answer....what and  how we can apply to Thailand. History has influenced our ways of life and Thais equal sabai-ness to the point that we tend to be far too complacent and compromising. The Japanese retain their politeness and seniority, yet they allow room for collective thinking. They seem to compromise yet when it comes to legal issues and proper public behaviors, they are not hesitant to report to the police to make sure people respect law, consideration for others, and privacy. 

Quite a few things I saw made me think of a good small (yet crucial) start to enhance quality of the less complicated end. For example, the way they asked us to bring food trays back to the stand they provided and the way kids are required to bring their trash home show that once each of us is fully responsible for what we do and create, it is much easier to manage the following steps. 

This also brought me back to over 30 years ago when my Japanese friend stayed over at my house and wanted to discard her batteries. She was asking for a special place to throw it away. I was puzzled!?! Now it's become clear how successful the waste management of Japan can be and how great my friend has been taught to be responsible wherever she is!

Should we stress the importance of our own selves and homes as the starting point to nurture good citizenship who care more for the public? Should we individually manage ourselves responsibly to be a good example? 

My 'tripwork' is done but my thoughts keep flowing ka. 

self awareness and sense of purpose

It's me again to share what I've learned throughout this week ka....lots but let me offer several that are still hanging in my mind na ka. 

1. After all the sessions, two keywords popped up all the time, i.e. Self awareness/ self assessment, and sense of purpose. 

On self awareness/ self assessment, coaching skills and action learning all ignited my 'sa-ti' back. I gradually started to reflect on my post-Fulbright life. I've been far from being mindful. I don't sit still with my own self but tend to be too fast to go beyond self to unnecessarily look at others or issues.

Regarding the sense of purpose, when it's repeated by three speakers, it urges me to be more aware of what my life is for and how my careful and consistent self assessment should lead me to move more meaningfully.

Along with the two keywords, coaching and action learning also stress 'the presence', 'listening', and 'asking good questions'. 

2. I saw the alignment and integration of the national directions well demonstrated at CMU strategic plan and at its research center on energy. I have high hope CMU will speed its development successfully soon.

I also like what Assoc. Prof. Nuthapong from CMU medical school said, encouraging us to think more about our students and graduates (customer focus). Students should choose our universities because we can offer competitive advantages and for them to have future careers. We tend to think less mai ka?

A Myanmar representative said serious thinking of vision, mission, and organization culture is important. The Myanmar universities all have vision and mission because they are told by their ministry to do so but he doesn't think it works. Sounds familiar mai ka? Really happy to know he said it would be the very first thing to do when going back, focusing on the university culture ka. 

3. I love advice given by the director of CMU's Energy Research Development Institute.

To big bosses when selecting a director for this institute: 'Don't pick people by academic background but by character/personality with a service mind.'

To his successor: 'Bow to everyone!'

On how to motivate researchers for more papers, he said, 'once we get to know more people, we get more papers!' 

When asked for his view if faculties came to his institute to get  help/cooperation, he said, 'A big hug!' (And two kisses!) for more cooperation. 

I left this leadership and networking forum inspired again ka!

Porntip

Visionary leaders from role models

I've been involved with a Leadership forum for Myanmar and Thai university presidents in the north of Thailand, initiated by Mae Fah Luang university and funded by OHEC ka. 

Ajarn Yongyuth Yuthavong was very kind to accept to be our keynote speaker. 

Here're the highlights:

• He told us his three role models in his life and why so. 
• Prof. Satang for being humble, proactive, and inspiring to convince him and family to see the necessity for him to be on the science, not medical school track. 
• Paul D. Boyer who is the longest Nobel awardee alive, has shone with his persistence to prove his hypothesis and been able to stand firm to have a beautiful success. He isn't afraid to make and admit mistakes. His 'Open door policy' with his attentive listening and readiness to help was already raised. 
• Prof. Puey who was Ajarn Yongyuth's uncle showed him how honesty and ethics with good relations with people are the real assets. 

From these three people, I got some further thoughts about Thai leaders loei ka. 

Thinking of our culture and ask myself who we respect.

In our society where money and power blanket recognition, intelligence and good aim tend to be diluted, not even mentioning about moral principles.

With the culture of having to/ feeling the need to show that leaders 'know' what they have to do, many senior leaders could find it hard to listen, learn, mentor, and the harder one -- to admit mistakes!

In any case, Ajarn Yongyuth stressed that whatever visionary leaders want to do, they have to ensure that it is impactful, inspirational, and sustainable. The purpose must be bigger than self and that will eventually create true happiness. 

Once again, I left the session feeling so inspired! 

delight or pain or both

Dear all, for another Friday, I think of several little stories to share ka.

These days, it seems I've been externally assessed quite a bit ka.

Last month, my junior friend and I went to see a musical, so at the parking I was helping her look for one and a guy there noticed we were trying to spot one. He gestured that it was full and then told us he called his colleague on the next floor to lead us to a vacant slot.

My friend and I were surprised to get such a great service. We were more surprised to get a slot by the entrance of the place....so very convenient for us to park and leave.

Feeling curious whether any of the privileged cards she had made it possible, my friend asked the guy who assigned the space why.

The answer was, 'For the elderly!'.......my friend laughed a lot as it was me to be given such great service! I was laughing too but not wholeheartedly! Um! Um!

Then at the Chiang Mai airport ka.....

While I was waiting for economy class passengers to board, the manager there told me to enter. He then told his colleague, 'elderly'! Um! Um!

It was a delight to be given privileges and a pain to be under 'elderly' category nidnueng na ka..... what could I call it dee ka? Delightful pain or painful delight ka?

Have a very fun weekend ka.

Life-long love

TGIF ka, everyone!

Once upon a time (over 43 years ago), 15 friends of mine and I went together to Rayong and stayed with a friend's family for 3 days. 'Those were the days' when we didn't think much but have fun together, eat most delicious food offered to us, and visit new places, including Koh Samed, when it was almost deserted!

Rayong has been in our hearts as our happy beginning!

The deep love nurtured from the trip has stayed on as a key factor to bond our group. Some of us visited this family basically in time of sorrow!

In time of happiness and when all of us are quite mobile, 14 of us were able to join the trip...either as a one-day or 3 -day trip as seen convenient.

Looking back, each of us has had lots to recall and share so with my friends' wonderful cooperation, each came up with a paragraph or a poem about their time 4 decades ago. We managed to produce the first part of our electronic booklet, integrating the paragraphs  into a storytelling piece of our Rayong memorable moments.

We performed a little รดน้ำขอพร, feeling so loved by the blessings of Jaejae (all the elder sisters.....my friend is the youngest and is about 24 years younger than her eldest sister!) Jaejae repeatedly asked us to visit more often (Isn't it so nice to hear the invitations ka?)

Then, each read out loud a page of the booklet we've prepared. It was another special time as we all cherished our fond memories, sharing what we could recall about Jaejae (and about the late Mom and brother) food, fun, and friendship.

We learned later from our friend that the two activities touched them a whole lot (we were thrilled too!) and that this was a special occasion for them to feel so loved.

So many new happy and touching moments followed throughout....and yes, we were so very pampered and spoiled!

Like my friends and our Rayong family, I couldn't feel happier. It was meaningful and memorable. Whatever we've done (and those who couldn't join in) is the work of hearts ....the little project we created, driven by longstanding genuine love from both ends.

Our Rayong family said their invitation is a lifetime one! Now you know where I can always visit to be spoiled!

Our Rayong family has always offered a touch of heart and will continue to hand us many more happy beginnings ka!

Cheers!

monitor tour to Kagoshima

I didn't write last week because I was on a 'monitor tour' to Kagoshima, Japan ka.

The first time I heard about it, I was wondering what it was and was in fact so excited to learn. Besides, the price was really inexpensive for a 4 days and 3 nights' stay ka.

This was a trip to promote a new route for tourists/ travelers. We were the first tour group to be there and so it was even more special.

How special chai mai ka?

• Greeted at the airport with some little souvenirs.
• Briefed by key people at each of the places we visited.
• Got special offers like having sashimi right from the cutting board plus super special price for fresh tuna sashimi ka.....the huge portion made me able to eat a bit more of my breakfast (and admittedly, despite the delicious taste, I don't think I'd have sashimi for several months from now ka 5555!)
• Accessed some places tour agencies don't normally take us to, like tram control station, fish market to see how auctions were handles and wholesalers prepared their fresh products ka.
• Had on-hands experiences learning how to make sushi from the restaurant's chefs and enjoyed eating our own food!

What I've learned ka:

• Across-sector cooperation was outstanding and will make this new route work smoothly and sustainably.
• Welcoming tourists Japanese style is as always, so touching.
• Little cultural things mean so much to my heart ka....at a shabu restaurant, most of us enjoyed its special sauce so some decided to take the leftover back home. The chef came back with a bottle for each of us, saying that the Japanese tradition wants to offer only the best/the new stuff to their guests ka! So we weren't allowed to bring the leftover ones na ka.
• Monitor tour was inexpensive because it was also a trial for the tour agency to see which places/activities would be most attractive. We had to upload at least one of our pictures on social media every day, permit them to record our views on vdo, and answer their questionnaire daily....something I could really follow very easily ka.

What I was most impressed:

• Loved all the hands-on experiences especially making sushi ka....tea ceremony was great for beginners but I had an exclusive one from my Japanese friend before, so this one was very basic with only a little touch of the philosophy behind the overall ceremony.
• Learned more about the Japanese culture, especially people from the countryside and in another prefecture where not many have visited yet.

Would definitely look for more monitor tours to go in the future ka!

grant/essay writing

Hello everyone ka!

Another activity I did last week was to moderate a session for Fulbright Thailand on 'grant/essay writing', in which about 50 International Relations Officers (IROs)/Ajarns attended.

I had two guests with me, one from OHEC, and the other is Former Senior Education Specialist from the World Bank ka. Both have had extensive direct experiences in reviewing grants and personally having been through essay writing for scholarships.

I've drawn the following from the sessions ka:

Grant proposals

1. Have passion to start with so we can work on it attentively.

2. Know what the funding agencies look for and what our own universities need so both have the common focuses to match.

3. Write in simple and concise/to-the-point language.

4. Since  IROs aren't able to know the technical issues as much as ajarns/faculties, a working group is useful for IROs to help coordinate and gain valuable inputs to complete a good grant proposal. Peer review can also be useful as outsiders' perspectives to improve the proposals.

At the World Bank, she led by having a working group to make sure all relevant issues from different departments (procurement, finance, etc.) were discussed and well-thought out to the extent that she herself would be able to defend the proposal for funding from her bosses.

At the OHEC level when it had cooperation with the EU, OHEC representatives sat down to discuss with the EU side to ensure that the project reflected what OHEC wanted to stress and what mutual benefits would be seen.

I liked it when our WB guest emphasized that IROs must take pride in their proposals, knowing that their work would be contributive to their universities.

Essay Writing for Scholarship

In fact, the basic principles about passion and use of concise language are the same.

It is important that the substance must stand out to reflect one's intention to get a scholarship. Even so, he/she should review carefully not to make many grammatical errors or typos.

The participants were able to have some hands-on experiences discussing proposals Fulbright wrote and received.

It sounded that what was shared was quite simple but many said they weren't that aware and a few said they wished to change the university culture on grant writing and to share these principles with their faculty and students.

Two observations ka:

1. IROs could tend to get stuck with formats  and timeline over the objectives and creativity of the project so this could be another dimension Fulbright may think of future activities to help lessen such a practice.

2. IROs have more important roles than they themselves and their universities realize....if efficient, they are the best bridge for the universities to gain more and stronger partnerships as well as networking to be responsive to the university missions and visions. They also have loads of tacit knowledge to offer, when managed properly and systematically!

Continuous training and capacity building for this group can't be overlooked, nor should they be treated like general facilities 'running errands' like passport and visa or general correspondence.

I didn't stay on for the last workshop but heard that it went well when all got to actually learn to write and get more aware of etiquette and discuss among themselves how to improve it.

Have a nice week ka.