SIFE: Students in Free Enterprise

A team of students at Asian University have just returned from a training session with SIFE in Bangkok. Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) is a global non-profit organization active in more than 40 countries. It is funded by financial contributions from corporations, entrepreneurs, foundations, government agencies and individuals. Working in partnership with business and higher education, SIFE establishes student teams on university campuses. The team members use their skills and knowledge, and that of their faculty advisors and local businesses, to implement programmes of real benefit to their local communities.

Each year, national and international competitions are held between SIFE participants.

There are several other Thai Universities taking part in SIFE projects, including the larger Chulalongkorn, Thammasat and Mahidol Universities.

This weekend a group of Asian University students visited a local village where charcoal is produced, to find if there are ways that they could help improve the production or the conditions for the workers. Most of the charcoal is produced from waste from furniture makers, and after 7 – 10 days in the “ovens” the charcoal is sifted and bagged. The familiar blue bags of charcoal are sold locally to restaurants and shops, and transported as far away as Chachoengsao and Bangna. The area where the charcoal is burnt used to be forest, and the industry grew when the saw-mills were first established about forty years ago. Now the villages have grown and surround the charcoal burning. The students are now considering if there are any ways that they can help the villagers using their contacts and resources.

Photos show the Asian U students meeting the local government administrator and at the village meeting, gathering information about charcoal production.

Zai's story

Zai works as Interpreter at Education Fair in Bangkok.

Lucksavee (Zai) one of Asian University’s fourth year BA students, has recently been working as an interpreter at the Inter-Continental Hotel in Bangkok. The work was part of her Persuasive Oral Discourse course and afterwards she prepared a report on some of her experiences.

Zai was working for the British Council during their recent International Education Fair in Bangkok. She was assigned to assist on the stand of Abertay University (Dundee, Scotland).

“I was offered a part time contract as an interpreter at the education fair. In order to prepare myself for the job, I studied the prospectus of Abertay University like a text book. The University is famous in biotechnology, computer games and MBA in economics. My main duties were interpreting from Thai to English and English to Thai. Interpreting is not difficult, but the most difficult thing is to be an active listener, I had to pretend to listen actively for what they want; for instance one visitor would like to study further in biotechnology, he talked so far about his background and work experience. During the exhibition I found out that most visitors were teenagers and students and they are able to speak English well, but for those who want to study for Doctoral degree, they are older so their English is not that good as the younger. Sometimes they speak like they speak in Thai, and it was difficult for the exhibitor to get the message so I could help a lot.

My second duty was explaining the university to the visitors. The most typical question was “is this university the same as the University of Dundee?” At this point I had to say ‘no’, but I had to use my persuasive skills to convince them the Abertay University is also an excellent place to study.

Being an interpreter, I have practiced people skills including always smiling, talking when necessary, dressing well and properly, having a good personality, being sincere, polite, respectful, punctual, responsible, cheerful, active, extrovert, open mind, friendly, and the most important thing seeking first to understand then be understood. I have learnt the way the international and professional organization like the British Council works. I found out that the British Council is very organized and its working system is excellent. I believe that it is because of good communication and leader.

I have lots of new friends from various faculties and universities and I found out that our University is perceived in very different ways. Some know Asian University from Dr Vip, some know about our English Summer Camp. Some think that our university is an excellent international university. However, some think that it is so far away. I took this chance to build a positive image of our university. I used my experience as a Bangkokian to tell our unique benefits which firstly are international standard taken from Imperial College. Our university also has a warm and friendly culture, and we can find fresh air and beautiful view where we couldn’t find anywhere else. "

Zai is due to graduate this year and then hopes to go on to either study Master degree abroad in the United Kingdom or work in an international organization.

Students’ Community Service Teaching Project.

During the first six weeks of term, a group of students and staff from Asian University have been visiting a local primary school to help the pupils and teachers with their English lessons. This is an annual community service project and benefits everyone. The Asian U Students have a chance to try their hands at teaching, the children have a different group of teachers and everyone has a chance to get to know one another and have some fun.

The children at the Huay Yai primary School enjoyed their classes with their visiting teachers. The university students learnt a little about teaching.

The photos show some of the smiling children with the students.

Engineering students visit Srinakarin Dam

On the morning of Saturday 27 January, a group of students and engineering faculty lecturer, Ajarn Rajesh, visited the famous hydro power scheme in Kanchanaburi.

Virak Bol is a fourth year mechanical engineering student, and he writes:

“We were a mix of engineers and our friends from other faculties, and the visit provided the opportunity to see a real hydro plant, gain physical knowledge of the system and its operation. We were also interested in seeing first hand the impact of the scheme on the environment; the knowledge that can not be learnt in the classroom.

On the way we stopped at Thailand-Burma Railway to have a look at this historic site. At the end of the afternoon, we reached the Srinakarin Dam and Hydropower plant. We went around the dam structure and saw how the plant was built. The atmosphere there is very nice and the air is very fresh. Early next morning we went on a boat to see the water reservoir and then went to the power plant.

Srinakarin dam is the first and biggest multipurpose dam developed under the Mae Klong River Basin Development project. This rockfill dam and the associated power plant of 720 MW power capacity has hugely contributed numerous benefits to the country’s rapid development, including irrigation, flood control, fishery, navigation, recreation and electricity.

The studies started in 1965 and the dam construction started in 1973, and was finished in 1980. In the hydropower plant there are four turbines. The power production rate depends on the power demand in various areas, such as Bangkok. Controlling the power production rate is controlling the volume of water passing the turbines. For 3.7 cubic metres of water, 1 MW of electricity can be produced.

Besides the impact on the local inhabitants, the dam and power plant project affects several aspects of the environment: water quality; killing animals, including fish; deforestation; archaeology and changing life cycles.

Srinakarin dam and hydropower plant has contributed enormously to Thailand’s development: providing sufficient water to irrigate 4,118 million rai; average annual energy production 1,250 million kWh; better flood control; salinity control; potential for fish breeding and one of the most famous tourist attractions in Kanchanaburi province.”

The students were especially grateful to staff of EGAT for permitting and assisting on the visit.