Good questions

 Good morning ka, everyone.

It's a busy zoom week for me and I'm glad I've got these questions for you to think further for this week ka.

I came across an article about Unesco's plan to organize its World Higher Education Conference next year. I've always been interested as I attended the first two and found some thought provoking sessions. The upcoming one sure caught my eye right away ka.

This time I like the questions given a lot. Since it wants to emphasize on 'reinvention', breaking away from traditional models of higher education, here are some of the questions ka:

- If higher education and the university were to be invented today – what would they look like? Thinking of Swedish model of Quadruple Helix (university-industry-government-public-environment interactions within a knowledge economy).

- Who would participate and complete his/ her higher education? 

- How would participants learn? 

- Where would they learn? 

- What knowledge, skills, competencies, and values would they need to develop to work, become global citizens, and live with dignity? 

- Who would guide these changes: institutional leaders, policy makers, researchers, students, professors, employers, community leaders, civil society groups?

Following this set of questions, I now think of a few more ka:

- Looking at our strategic plan, is it still in our same traditional format with more or less similar projects and activities? Meaningful links with missions and vision? 

- Have we had good thoughts for full coverage of our key stakeholders? Gen Z and A included? any seamless transitions from high school to higher education possible?

- How have we reviewed the past and looked into the future? Time to change the traditional role of universities from serving traditional groups and moving on the same tracks of time and curriculums?

- How have we prepared our university community to be true learners, not by positions and titles or traditional practices of hierarchy?

- Why do we want to be in the ranking race and whether it could be meaningful to our student learning?

More questions to discuss seriously for our learners' more stable future ka

Consolidating universities is a Yes or No?

 Hello all, WFH still mai ka? I have a little long message to share as it could be quite similar to our own situations ka.

Recently, my friend sent me some news about Pennsylvania's plans to consolidate its 6 State Universities, written by Emma Whitford on April 27 and May 3. This big news came after having read that 10 smaller colleges in the US have been closed down in 2010 ka. (https://www.highereddive.com/news/how-many-colleges-and-universities-have-closed-since-2016/539379/)

 

Let me use italics to show my own thinking when reading through some of the points the author writes ka.

 

The author states that “higher education system has struggled with declining enrollments and anemic state funding for years, and the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the system to hasten its plan for financial sustainability.”

 

Sounds familiar to our situations and in fact, ours have happened for quite some time now (with hope it could get better plao ka?)

 

This plan will see each consolidated university with one president, who will report to the Board of Governors through the chancellor.

 

Seems this could work with us too as we tend to be so scared of losing senior leadership titles, right?.....but what comes next could be a much bigger issue to consider ka.

 

They all “will have a shared enrollment management strategy and student support services, such as academic advising, financial aid, health and wellness counseling, library services, and career counseling.”

 

Tough negotiation to get the most important services!?!

 

The system will reorganize nonacademic staff members into a single structure for each consolidated university by July of next year. The number of staff members employed by each consolidated university is likely to change.

Single structure is far from being simple especially in our cultural traditions and systems?

 

This plan proposes to "expand dual-enrollment opportunities for high school students, ensure a thriving and vibrant campus-life experience, and deepen our relationships by expanding our local partnerships to provide more internships and mentoring programs, volunteerism/service, and lively arts and cultural opportunities that enrich our communities."

Dual-enrollment opportunities sound good especially in today's speedy changes and Thais still value 'diploma' but the question is 'what to offer to keep up with the needs for learning approaches and for new skills mai ka?

The news has shown key issues to be considered when it comes to consolidation of universities ka. To me, we need to make sure of the following: 

- Stakeholders' voices from within the institution to alumni and communities -- definitely it wouldn't work from top-down only

- Sufficient time and communication outlets are needed to learn about the proposal and for discussions/consultations -- thick documents within a short time to digest isn't what should be done but we've seen it in our country quite a bit na ka.

- It isn't just the benefits to get out of the consolidation shared, but also other possible negative impacts like job loss and situations of the communities -- We have to weigh what's best to decide for a better and more stable future (not one's own, one's group's future).

- Seek best learning options/approaches for the sake of learners' learning in the broader definition of 'learners' to be prepared with new skills, upskilling, and reskilling that can lead them into the changing future.

- Changes are inevitable.....cherish the long history of our institution in our hearts to let go and move on to another chapter.

Wish our universities would think hard, think through, and think change before it's too late ka.

Netflix and Internationalization (IZN)

 Hello all....happy working from home to most of us na ka.

I just finished reading a book, 'No Rules Rules' by Reed Hastings (Netflix co-founder and CEO) and Erin Meyer and wish to focus more on what caught my attention most ka.

In fact, I've listened to several book summary programs and those urged me to get a copy to find that basically, the summaries captured key issues already as follows:

- Recruit talents to create talent density for best performances the company aims at.

- Offer 'rock-star pay' -- top of market pay -- to retain the best with the company

- Rid vacation and travel budget policies to enhance freedom and responsibility. Yet,  setting the contexts is key kaa!

- Give honest feedback in the presence of the team.

This last one is something I wish to focus on ka. It got my attention when it mentioned that Netflix started its internationalization process....and you sure know the term internationalization caught my eyes right away ka.

Though the book talks a lot about its candor culture to give feedback, its efforts didn't succeed as seen in their US-based offices. But then, those who are working there would have to adjust to the culture na ka.

The authors gave a few (fun/interesting) stories how finally Netflix learned to differentiate the types of feedback according to the cultures they work with....official feedback with earlier preparations for the Japanese team to offer it to their teams, choice of informal yet polite ways to Singaporeans, and right to the points for the Dutch.

This is the first time I've seen IZN being expressed clearly about intercultural sensitivity to study in further detail to understand the differences. I love how the whole Netflix workforce learns from the stories shared, captures key obstacles, makes efforts to understand, and manages in some flexible ways. I find it amusing that  Americans find the Dtuch culture too blunt ka.

You sure know which section of the book I love the most na ka. But after all, this is a good read ka.

Cheers to IZN ka!

Funny birthday wishes story

 Happy Friday ka.  Seems each week passes by far too fast unlike when working full time ka....quite a few say this is the sign of old age ka...ai+ ya+!

Amazingly, the opening paragraph links well with my story ka. 

After having retired from Fulbright, I asked myself one question, 'Would I continue sending birthday wishes to my Facebook friends?...basically most are Fulbright grantees, alums, and partners ka. My answer then was a question, 'Why have I done it in the first place?' and my answer was, 'It's my joy to see them happy to get one more wish which has sort of been personalized.'

Admittedly, sometimes, it isn't easy to really come up with specifics for that particular birthday guy/gal ka. Yet, I've managed to avoid the simple 'Happy Birthday' or 'HBD' in either English or Thai language.

Well, here it comes with one recent birthday ka. I crafted this personalized wish with my quiet pride as it would show to her that I think about her, her two little boys, plus her hubby and family....all included! Since the boys are still little, it'd be a great day for them to steal the show, feeling real eager to rush blowing candles!

I forgot about it until that birthday girl wrote to thank me and said she was single kaaa. 

Immediately, I looked at her real name to realize this is another girl with the same nickname....OMG! We both started chatting and out of my curiosity, I asked her what made her feel bold enough to let me know it wasn't about her. She said she didn't even think of not telling me but spent like 20 seconds to think of how to put it ka.

Learning behind it besides my being more careful to look at the name and check before clicking the message, here is what I think ka:

- It's so good to be direct. Unlike me and my generation, kids these days are brave to be straightforward, not to worry too much that the other end would feel real embarrassed or lose face ka! It'd help for me not to repeat the mistake ka.

- Being open helps learn about my own self and the other end. I told her I was feeling 'kern+/เขิน' to have made such a mistake but it was really good for us to chat more than usual.

- Personalized wishes are here to stay. She told me every year, she sort of looks forward to getting wishes from me ka. 

This story tells me, 'It's my joy, a good laugh, and a little stronger relationship....and a No! No! to repeat it this way' ka.

Funny dee mai ka?