Future in the Fragmented Globalization

Hello all! Here comes the second event I attended online the past weekend, which was called, 'THE STANDARD ECONOMIC FORUM 2022' from November 25-27. I couldn't follow all the sessions but will do after they have uploaded them for us from Dec, 1 on (last for 3 months with key messages included ka).

The sessions caught my attention beyond what I had expected.......sanuk maaaak ka. It was also one best deal to pay only 2,500 baht to watch it online.

What I got from the sessions I followed na ka:

1. Globalization is fragmented and one important issue is for us not to 'miss the supply chain wagon' for our economy and competitiveness. 

2. The world is more fragile and Thailand can't operate on the auto pilot mode any longer. Our justice system has to be fair and free. Taxation coverage has to be managed.

3.Thailand must be more visible in the global scene. More importantly, it must be careful to decide what and when to go along with which superpower. Geopolitics has become more crucial and Thailand is lucky to be distant from Russia-Ukraine conflicts though we've definitely got some impacts.

4.Thailand has to reposition in many areas. On foreign policy, we need to manage both 'quiet diplomacy' and 'megaphone diplomacy' better, knowing when to manage quietly behind closed doors with key partners on some sensitive issues, and when to publicize what the public should know.

5. We lack visionary leadership and can't keep up in proper speed to see and grab some good opportunities during the past years so we've lost them to other countries like Vietnam. Leaders must not lean toward big businesses, know their scopes of authority and use them properly while taking care of the SMEs and the disadvantaged.

6. Climate change is on the top of all agenda in most of the sessions. It's necessary to unify all sectors to tackle 'nature deficits'. Thailand has to transition its processes carefully  in every sector for its international trade to retain its competitiveness as there'll be new related rules to be imposed, especially by the EU, all attempts to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

There's room to be hopeful but the public must have more knowledge and join hands while many more opportunities are available for startups to use technology to help ka. 

7. Inequality is one serious issue Thailand has to tackle. On the finance side, SMEs need much more help to get access to resources. Even BOT, it has been more aware and taken actions to help businesses become 'less brown'.

8. Every sector and organization has to internalize climate change issues as part of their every day work to manage risk assessments better. Some issues are 'wicked problems' so don't wait for regulators!

9. Web 3.0 is still under discussion for increased mutual understanding and don't wait for regulators. Arguments are on several issues like, 'is it necessary to have a centralized body (like a government unit) or is it good without?' , 'How could we trust the regulators?', etc.

10. Intergenerational literacy is essential.

Let me end it now before it gets too long ka.

Leadership in action

 Hope you all enjoyed your weekend ka.

I kind of had a full schedule last week and there were several to share as always ka.

In fact, I attended 2 main events and wish to share both ka. Let me start from the first which was a forum for senior leaders of university and faculties to share how they could move their university/faculties forward na ka.

These are what I could draw and what impressed me from the four presentations at “EdPEx National Forum for Excellence: Ten Years and Counting” ka:

1. Passion and purpose of the senior leaders must be obvious to communicate to their teams and beyond so they all know and move forward toward one same goal.

2. We must go 'beyond standards' as it only means 'minimum standard'. Yet, if it's an international standard, what leaders could tell their communities was that, 'they are bringing the international standard to benefit the locals'....in this latter case, the speaker referred to health ka. This also means, the leaders had to go 'beyond university and national borders' (and care for SDG too!).

3. All the leaders went 'beyond dream'....all showed their personal actions to learn with and from their teams and offer support while considering  their teams' specific contexts like young families with time needed so the teams should have their weekends for the purpose. 

4. Think of people from students, faculty and staff to stakeholders in the communities. I was happy to see that the leaders collaborated better across disciplines in their own universities.....hopefully they can do it more with other Thai universities, not just foreign ones ka.

5. Leaders means being a role model to engage with teams to build trust while keeping oneself up with current and future trends to be visionary

6. Development needs time and data-driven is a must. Once the foundation is solid, it could leap forward to real improvement and innovation..

All the four leaders showed their deep passion to drive their organizations to excellence with quality culture, value for people, and a sense of collaboration. It was one sanuk event I was glad to attend ka.

Cheers.

Hopeful education?

 Hello Monday kaa!

Some may know I'm a big fan of Khun Tonson, Santitarn Sathirathai and so today I'd like to share with you what he talked about at the Secret Sauce EE#3943 about how to revitalize our economy in 2023 amid major changes regionally and internationally.

Khun Tonson talked about '3 shifts' in the global economy in 2023. The shifts are: 

1. from inflation fears to growth fears as inflation is on its way to the peak...this will make people scared of much slower growth.

2. from the US to Asia/China which sees the US in possible recession, US dollars stay strong, and China has its growth stimulus. 

3. from goods to services economy.....tourism seems to be more positive than exports.

Three main things to be stressed further are:

1. When mentioning about ESG, S has to be emphasized even more especially in terms of equality

2. Digital use must widen the coverage in all sectors and those underserved.

3. Asia to refer to China has to be shifted to include ASEAN, which will play a heightened role with the slower growth of China.

Creating relationships is more important than before ka.

He said if Thailand were a football player, this player was aging and much less attractive (for FDI, for example). He mentioned Singapore, which has seen itself clearly and positioned it strategically as a new engine of growth to stress startup promotion, fintech hub and now green finance center. Thailand has to admit that we aren't as attractive, study from countries around, and assess what we want to excel and seek partners.

Instead of trying to play as a striker which could be hard to know the changing direction, Thailand should look at itself as a midfielder, doing what we can complement strikers, meaning that we  gear our own focus to form stronger foundation on three industries, namely, Digital industry, Education/EdTech (talents/upskilling), and Finance (Healthcare could also be included.)....quality of humans, digital capabilities, and access needed to support these industry growth.

If successful, we can attract talents to nurture and enhance more talents in our country too.

When asked about the role of leaders, my ears were even wider open ka.

He pointed out our leaders should be able to have the following:

1) Global mindset with fine networks near and far

2) Understanding the local needs and

3) More listening to the younger gens

For me, several examples in this talk about Singapore offer strategic thinking for us to learn. I also think that despite some severe weakness in our higher education, I see quite a few opportunities from the regional front. We should sharpen our own core competence and strengthen digital infrastructure. I believe we still are able to continue to take advantage of our warm hospitable culture plus geographical location ka. Of more importance is our own people's strengthened capabilities and team attitudes to become more synergistically strategic for future-ready Thailand ka.

What do you think ka? 

Beautiful Sunday

 5555! I'm still ok and know well that today is Tuesday ka. I was thinking of sharing what happened to me Sunday but yesterday, life was sort of hectic ka.

It happened when I decided to visit the Fulbright Thailand booth at Siam Paragon ka.

That day was beautiful because:

1. Prompt and inexpensive Muvmi (smart electric tuk tuk) picked me up from in front of my little soi to the BTS. It cost me 12 baht and since there was none sharing this 6-seat car with me, I occupied the whole car all by myself ka.

2. Got a seat on the BTS given by a young guy ka. It wasn't so much about the seat (thinking about my age that was that obvious for others to give me a seat kraa:))!5555!) I couldn't be happier because it was a young person who made me feel hopeful that our kids have namjai (caring heart) ka. Thank goodness he only gestured without calling me a 'ป้า/ยาย'.

3. Getting together with my successor and former team plus alumni was so delightful. Several alumni came to help answer and I too jumped in when there was a crowd.

4. Wonderful little things made my heart warmer and warmer ka. One alum said she decided to apply for a Fulbright grant after listening to my talk (a little while before I retired ka). A current grantee said he knows me from YouTube vdo clips and my podcast as he watched and listened to many sources to learn more about Fulbright.  One senior alum went with his kid to see me there, knowing I'd stop by early afternoon.

5. A strong desire to become a Fulbright grantee brought me more energy to advise young visitors at the booth. Several I talked with had some key questions about how best to prepare themselves so I shared my views on essay writing ka.

I came back home feeling a bit tired because I had my mask on almost all the time there. Still I had an urge to post my feelings about the afternoon on Facebook.

Happy me kaaa!

Enjoy your Tuesday na ka.

Final call for Thailand?

 It's Monday again na ka. For a retiree like me, I only have to remind myself what day it is ka! For those who're working full time, don't be jealous ka. I think this year is only a bit more kind to me these two weeks lae ka.

Have some thoughts to share from watching 'The Great Remake' organized by Prachachart Turakit, which made me sigh out loud out of worries ka.

1. Dr. Somkiat Tangkitvanich, TDRI,  identified four areas to be focused for Thailand's increased productivity, namely, capital (business monopolies), labor (education relevance), innovation (climate change responses), and public service reform (bureaucracy). As these four are extremely difficult and calls for enormous strength, he offered the following ka:

- Capital -- strengthening SMEs

- Labor -- focusing market needed skills

- Innovation -- stressing innovation to rid poverty

- Public service reform -- easing rules and regulations for livelihood

I was somehow struck by his repeatedly mentioning that they could be simpler ways for politicians to take up and win the upcoming election. Definitely, it could be one of the strategies that leads to a win-win situation. Unfortunately, I guess I've been far too skeptical about politicians mung ka....with respect to some fine politicians ka.

These questions  popped up on my mind right away ka. 

- Are politicians capable of contributing to the country or of gaining votes?

- Could we still have some hope with our politicians? 

- Anything we (individually and collectively, and higher education institutions) can do on our own without depending much on politicians? 

2. I really like sharing by Khun Surasak Suthongwan, Executive Vice President, Toyota Motor Thailand because of the simple presentation and the content ka. He touched on the value chain with new ways of looking at business like Toyota to see itself as a mobility company with new partners to have solutions for customers (expanding from previously a production company). His company has to understand the world changes, especially brand consideration, types of cars for work and the future, and changing consumer behavior to use fanclubs as one important element to promote new cars.

He too confirmed what most speakers said, 'Look into the future, don't look back!'

Questions came to my mind ka:

- How far ahead our higher education is on the understanding of the world trends and value chains?

- How could we look into the future, rethink, and know that collaboration is a must?

3. Khun Aswin Techajareonvikul, CEO and President of Berli Jucker Public Company Limited and Big C said (in Thai and I translated from my understanding na ka) that we got more threatened by people inside  than outside the country. He wished Thai people could feel less intimidated and have more internal collaboration as Thailand would have no space to stand internationally.  

He also said it was the final call to have the great remake.

Even in the private sector where profits are the aims, they're calling for internal collaboration. 

My repeated question came up kaa!

What about our higher education institutions ka? Why do we continue to race against each other?

We've lost our fights over and over to other countries like Korea and Malaysia and now have got Vietnam as our competitor. Yet, within our country, I still don't get it why we compete against one other so much that we lack the synergy to go global. 

Can't help but thinking of the ranking race (for some Thai institutions) and some questions ka:

- Does ranking somehow speed us up to race against our own Thai institutions to the constructive earnings of the ranking companies? 

- Could we rethink to remake higher education for the heightened quality of our people from senior leaders and faculty to support staff and students? 

- Could we collaborate for our future-ready Thailand?

The final call from Khun Aswin is much louder in our higher education community mai ka?

In any case, being an optimistic person, I do have hope to witness dedication and synergy of some leaders and individuals who have been our driving forces for better higher education ka.