Students’ Annual Community Service Teaching Project

Fang asks what it is.

Jessica and Num ask the children to reply

Over the last few weeks, 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.

Yiam and Fang listen to the answers

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

Fang and Bem help the children

The Asian University students selected the best three pupils in each class and these youngsters were then given an English assessment by Ajarn Keith to find the best English student at the Huay Yai School. The winner was Miss Kanokwan Noichim.

Kong works with some of the boys

The photos (thanks to Ajarn Robert) show some of the smiling children, including Kanokwan, and the University students.

Kanokwan (centre) listens to Bem

Visiting Artist Series: Luce Goutelle

On 14 February, Luce Goutelle, a French artist, visited Asian University to demonstrate some of her work, to meet the students and talk with them about her work, and theirs.

Luce Graduated and was awarded a Visual Art Diploma with Honours from the Ecole Superior d’art de Grenoble in 2007. She has been in Thailand for six months on an art scholarship and an internship with Tang Fu Kuen fine arts.

Multimedia lecturer, Will, introduced Luce to the audience of University and College students, and their teachers. Luce then spoke about here work, with plenty of illustrations, and was also very open when answering questions.

She explained how she collects information, in the way you would collect ingredients to prepare a meal. Then she studies and digests the information, before starting on the creation process. She gave more details about three recent projects: “Essai 1” an art performance mixing art, movement and dance, using rugby players as her models. The second project was “Dog racing”, and the final exhibition included photos and drawings of the dogs as well as the jackets worn by the dogs to identify them during the races. The last project was “Pollution Masks” which she undertook in Bangkok. This included a collection of masks, crocheted by Luce many in irregular patterns and styles. Luce explained how in each case she had started knowing nothing about the subjects (rugby, dog racing and crochet) and had learnt to crochet in Bangkok when she bought her first yarn and hook.

Luce showed examples of some of her other work before Will thanked her for sharing her work and stories with everyone. Thanks to Ajarn Robert for the photos of Luce.

The next Visiting Artist series will be later in February when a Filipino film specialist will come to Asian university. Award-Winning Festival of Filipino Films Outreach Tour Sponsored by the Cultural Center of the Philippines in cooperation with the Asian Public Intellectuals Fellowship Programme.

On Wednesday 27 and Thursday 28 February starting 7pm, there will be a mini film festival at Asian University. Both evenings are expected to last about two hours. The programmes planned are as follows:

Day 1: Wednesday 27 February: Six short films with short introductions to each. Followed by a reception to meet our guest, Edward Delos Santos Cabagnot.

Edward is an award winning lecturer from the Filipino Cultural Centre, whose expertise is in Asian Cinema.

1 Mansyon (Mansion) by Joel Ruiz

A middle aged couple, Ambo and Dolores, are hired as caretakers of a large opulent house for three months. The couple has fallen into a psychic rut, mechanically doing their housework. Until one day Dolores finds a red perfume bottle …

2 Kultado (Boiling Point) by Lawrence Fajardo

Life in a wet market in the provinces spells danger. A young vegetable vendor and his family are oppressed by the market thugs. But things always have a breaking point.

3 Gabon (Cloud) by Emmanuel Dela Cruz

The mystifying tale of a Muslim lass who is determined to attend her classes .. No matter what.

4 Durog (Smashed) by Tara Illenberger

A beautiful maid goes to work for a spaced-out, spoiled addict. But there’s more to this than meets the eye.

5 Doble Vista (Double Vision) by Nix Lanas, Nisha Alicer & Caren Crisologo

A witty and visually exciting tribute to Godard and the Nouvelle Vague centering on a lovelorn writer and his mystery lady.

6 Putot (Small Fry) by Jeck Cogama

A young boy cares for his mentally challenged father in a slum area that is about to be demolished. While trying to make a living selling shellfish, he meets Mayang, a girl slightly older than him. Soon he finds himself enamoured with the lass.

Day 2: Thursday 28 February (Two award winning full length films, with an intermission)

1 Ang Pagdadalanga Ni Maximo Oliveros (The blossoming of Maximo Oliveros) by Auraeus Solito & Michiko Yamamoto.

An international film festival favourite; about a delicate young boy who falls in love with a handsome cop. Winner 2006 Berlinale Kinder Festival.

2 Kubrador (The Bet Collector) by Jeffrey Jeturian.

Another world film festival mainstay; about a woman (played stunningly by much awarded actress Gina Pareno) from the slums, who collects illegal gambling bets for a living. Cinemalaya 2006 Opening Film.

Entry to both the evening events is free. For more information please contact Khun Yao on 038 253 700, extension 2722 or email Will at wsmith@asianust.ac.th

There is more information on the film festival on the web site at www.asianust.ac.th/bam/filmfest.htm

Asian University Vs Burapha University Sports Day

The tug of war!

The last weekend in January saw the annual ‘Human Society’ sports competition take place at Burapha University in Bangsaen, Chonburi. This competition, as the name suggests, is to promote friendship and team work between students and staff of the two institutions. The venue alternates between the two universities.

Many sports are played each year with each university entering teams from their respective universities but this year saw an added twist with teams from both sides mixing together in each other’s teams to ensure a true sense of team and inter-university spirit. As with all sports there are the winners and the losers, but everyone came away a winner on the day.

The two football teams, Asian University in blue, Burapha in purple.

Asian University would like to extend their deep appreciation to Burapha University for the wonderful day and thank them for being such gracious hosts.

Dance competition

If any sporting body in the local area would like to organize a local sports competition please contact the sports director; Mr. James Saville at jamesk@asianust.ac.th

Take a chance and make a change

Asian University students on the right, with their students

Netty teaches English

Tanes Rianglaem (Nate) is a 4^th yr BA student at Asian University. He and a few of his classmates recently joined an English teaching project at the Princess Sirindhorn vocational training center in Banglamung District. He writes about the project as follows:

Netty and her students get down to work.

Bim helps with pronounciation

“The three weeks of activity were run by the Liberal Arts students with close assistance from Ajarn Roy. It was such a great opportunity for Asian University students to contribute something back to the community by sharing their knowledge to others.

Asian University students (and Nate in the foreground) with their students

The first week of the project, the big group of interested students was divided into smaller groups. We asked them what their needs were and what they were interested to learn. Then we helped them with the basic daily conversation which they might face in their future workplace. After knowing what their needs are as well as their level of English, the Liberal Arts students prepared the teaching materials to meet students’ needs in each group. Pronunciation clinic, Conversation practice and variety of games were all implemented. On the second week, everything seems to be better. Our students felt more confident to speak English and extremely happy to learn new things.

Asian University students with their students and teacher Roy

The project has gone by so fast; we could clearly see that our students have done a great job. Every individual has gradually developed their English skills during the three weeks of activity. Regarding this project, we were not just teachers, but we are learners as well. We have learned how to teach, how to prepare class materials and how to talk to the students. We all have realized that being a teacher isn’t that easy, but it’s very challenging!

Yao (left) and First

Doing such an activity is not only benefit to those who have lack of opportunity. At the same time, we also gain something in return. Something that money can not buy, Something that we call “Happiness”. The smile of our students is a greatest gift we have ever received. It creates a great value to our hearts, challenge our ability, and build goodwill to the community.

Nate (left) and Nanny

After our graduation, we are looking forward to keep contributing these valuable things to our society, aiming to improve the quality of life of our community. Lastly, for those who are thinking about doing such activities, what are you waiting for “Take a chance and Make a Change!””First (left) and Yao help the students

Thanks to Ajarn Roy for the photos.

Sarinya changes her mind about the zoo

Tong with a snake

A group of Asian University first year students recently went to the Kao Khaew open zoo, one of the students, Sarinya, wrote about the trip.

Dorothy and Ning at the zoo

“When I first heard from the teacher that we are going on a field trip to Kao Kheaw zoo, my first thought was “my, I’m not a g.4 student anymore; I’m a freshmen in University!”. To be honest, I’ve never been to Kao Kheaw and to be even more honest, I’ve never had any desire to go there because of some previous impressions at the other zoos! I thought of it as a dirty, smelly, small place that locks the poor animals in tiny cages, only a few animals to see, bad food, unclean washrooms, basically anything negative about the place. I guess now you can imagine how horrible I felt, not to mention the fact that my mom is trying to make fun of how I’m a University student going to the zoo because it is for little kids! But all these feelings and issues were gone after I arrived and see everything myself.

Nine shows the head of the snake

We left the school about four p.m. on Friday and arrived at Kao Kheaw, the open zoo, around five o’clock in the afternoon. We had a meal with rice and three Thai courses to eat with rice and 2 seasonal Thai fruit, watermelon and pineapple as dessert. We had about thirty to forty minutes free time to walk around before the night safari tour at seven in the evening. We walked around and took pictures a bit and prepared ourselves for a night safari tour.

About seven p.m. we walked inside the actual zoo gate to wait for the hydraulic bus that would take us for the tour. The zoo sent three staff with animals to show us and for us to get a close observation of them. By close, I mean actually touch, hold and play with them! There were four kinds of animals; type of wild bear, type of porcupine, type of monkey and snake. We were able to touch or hold all of those animals for picture although I dared not to touch the porcupine. At around 7.10 p.m. we started to board the bus, ready for the night safari tour.

The tour was interesting because we got to see these animals’ activities at night time and most of them usually spent day time sleeping, in other words we got to see the animals in their usual routine. The narrator was great also; he had lots of knowledge about all the animals. It was dark of course, one of the staff is the narrator and another one is holding a spotlight to guide us in the direction that the narrator is talking about. It was a good idea also because it focused us only on that part so we were able to see more animals than randomly look around.

Nine bravely held the snake

We saw lots of animals and learnt tons of new information about them. We learnt different types of cats and how they differed, for example, the cheetah is the fastest runner and the Siberian Tiger is the biggest tiger. We saw one of the rarest animals in Thailand called “malayan Tapir” or “som-sret” in Thai it means “the right mixtures” because the animal looks like they combine four features of animals in one. It has a Javan Rhino like feet, eyes, ears and body like a pig and a nose that can stretch and contract like an elephant. We saw different types of birds and various types of monkeys and sorts of deer. The most interesting part that totally changes my attitude towards this zoo was all animals were not in any kind of cages except tigers, of course. These animals were freed to live, to walk, to play and to live their lives. Also, they are not as harmful as we think it would be.

Fang and a bear

The highlights of this zoo is not only animals are free to walk around, they have resorts as an accommodation in the zoo for people who want to stay over night and the zoo has 15 kinds of tiger for us to see even though we only have 9 types in Thailand. The zoo import Siberian Tigers or the biggest 6 tiger species from Russia. We were able to walk around cage by cage to observe the tigers closely through glass display windows.

Geng with a snake

My attitude towards the zoo was changed after we finished the night safari tour. I thought of it differently and I felt a bit of guilt that I judged thing before I see it myself. Going to the zoo is not as bad as I thought. I’ve not only learned more interesting facts about these animals, but I also learned to think positive and be open minded to other things outside my scope of mind.”

Sarinya at the right hand end, front row,with classmates .

Love at Asian University

Wow (Thitiya) and Boat (Rangsithorn) celebrate their marriage

Two Asian University BBA graduates were married on Friday 11 January and celebrated with families, friends and many others from Asian University at Dor Shada hotel in Jomtien.

Friends race to catch the bride's bouquet: who will be the next to wed?

Cutting the cake, in style

There was another wedding on 16 January when two other BBA graduates,from last year, married in the north of Thailand. Ple (Sorraya) and Jai (Danai) tied the knot with families and friends in Lampang.



All students, alumni and staff wish both couples long and happy lives together.

Thanks to Ong and Nong for the photos.

Asian U Students win award in KTB’s Business Ethics Initiative Competition.

A group of Asian University students recently participated in the Krung Thai Bank’s Business Ethics Initiative.

The KTB Business Ethics Initiative consists of various activities aimed at instilling in Thai undergraduate students the knowledge and understanding about the concepts of conducting business on the principles of moral ethics and sufficiency economy philosophy.

The Objectives of Project are to assess the undergraduate students’ knowledge and understanding of moral ethics and management of sufficiency economy philosophy; to instill in the Thai students the knowledge and understanding about the concept of sufficiency economy and business ethics and to conduct the tests of knowledge and understanding through case studies and holding competitions of projects on business operation with ethics under sufficiency economy philosophy.

The 5-student team from Asian University were looking for additional funding to progress their SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) project. The students have already reached the final round of the Thai national SIFE competition and received an award from SIFE international project directors.

Over 300 teams from Thailand entered the KTB competition, and they first had to submit details of their projects. The qualifying teams, including Asian U then attended “white camps” where they had lectures on business knowledge, ethics and how they relate to a self sufficiency economy. They had to prepare two case studies for real companies (looking at moral as well as the business applications) and they took part in role play exercises, with other contestants. After this, the top 52 teams, including Asian U, went forward to the next round. They had one month to prepare a report and a poster about their project (in this case the SIFE Char-chain project) and after submitting a report, complete with video and photographs, they had to make an 80 second presentation to sell their ideas. After this the team was awarded a 13,000Baht prize, which will be used for additional marketing of the Char-Chain scheme.

The team consisted of students from different years and faculties: Mr Kiatikun Kiatpechara (Pun Pun) BBA year3; Ms Variththa Sanphuang (Pro) BEng year 2; Mr China Tosinthiti (Ninja) BEng year2; Ms Rattiwat Loha (Fang) BBA year 1 and Ms Panchaporn Santi (Mai) BBA year 1.

The pictures show the students at the White camp, making presentations and their poster.