Asian U in SIFE National Finals

The SIFE team

Over the past few months a team from Asian University has been setting up their own SIFE project. Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) is a global non-profit organisation which was established in 2000. SIFE Thailand was founded in 2004 with KPMG, the Stock Exchange of Thailand, The Nation and HSBC as the main sponsors. The students learn about business management, financial responsibility, market economics and ethics.

The SIFE group with Sambandid villagers

Asian U’s project, Char-Chain Reaction, is to establish the Sambandid District, Ayuthaya as a model of organic agriculture by spreading knowledge of organic products to interested groups y permanent exhibitions. In particular they have concentrated on improving the production, packaging, marketing and use of wood vinegar, produced as an organic by-product of charcoal burning.

Asian U SIFE members in Sambandid

From 27 to 29 June the Asian U team was in Bangkok for the Thai National SIFE final competition. After the opening round, the remaining 16 teams were divided into four groups, and Asian U came first in their group. Each round of the competition had a different set of judges, all from well-known successful international and local companies. The students gave a presentation, in English, and answered questions in a professional manner. They showed samples of their wood vinegar, brand name “Awake” which has been produced and sold in Sambandid.

On the final day Far Eastern University were declared the winners (with a project to help HIV infected women and young people in Chiang Mai market their funeral flower arrangements) and they will go to New York later this year for the international finals. Asian U had beaten both the winning team and the first runner-up on the preceding day.

Pan Pan (Left) and Job

This is the first time that Asian U has participated in this competition, and the students have gained a lot from the experience. They spent a month in Ayuthaya, working with the local people, visiting local officials, schools, farmers and then teaching people about the project and how it can be sustained.

They were able to compete in a National competition and come away with heads held high.

Collecting condensate from the charcoal kiln

A typical kiln

Thanks to Ninja for the photos show which the students working in Ayuthaya and the SIFE team.

Big, X, Wen and Pan Pan become teachers