Ambassador Pisanu Suvanajata presided over the opening ceremony of Samaggi Academic Conference on Saturday 15 February 2020 at Holiday Inn London Kensington Forum, and Careers Fair on Sunday 16 February 2020 at Imperial College London, with participations of over 200 Thai students from across the UK.

At the opening ceremony of the Abstract and Startup Competitions on the morning of 15 February 2020, Ambassador Pisanu highlighted that the student forum such as this one would serve as a platform for Thai students to learn, showcase their talents, and groom their creativity, the skills which were much needed for their future. Regardless of their fields of study, and whether they decided to work for the public or the private sectors, Thai students can contribute to national development and drive the country forward in their own unique ways. Thailand needs such diversity to drive the future, in line with the theme of Samaggi Academic Conference and Careers Fair (SACC) this year.

On the same afternoon, the Thai Ambassador delivered an opening remark after the screening of a special VDO clip by Dr. Wissanu Krea-ngam, Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, for this event whereby the importance of the Thai youth to the country’s future and diversity were specially highlighted. The Ambassador echoed the notions of the Deputy Prime Minister in his speech about various career opportunities in Thailand for the new generations of Thai students that fit in with the 20-year National Strategy with much hope that the students would learn a great deal from the guest speakers and spark new development ideas to propel the country in the disruptive world.

Dr. Somkiat Tungkitvanich, President of Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) featured how diversity was beneficial to the society as strengths in different areas could be mobilised and pooled in delivering an important task in a holistic manner. However, he also pointed out that some tasks may need specialisation in certain areas. In such cases, the key would be to understand each single context and put the right diversity in the right context.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yodchanan Wongsawat, Vice Dean for Research and International Relations, Faculty of Engineering, Mahidol University, shared his experience in his integrated research, the first ever in Thailand, which combined 3 disciplines of electroencephalogram (EEG), electrical engineering, and biomedical engineering. He was successful in designing a device to help patients suffering from severe spinal chord injuries to be able to move again and live a normal life.  His courage and determination to do something different, his team support, and his belief in the power of the brain of the disabled were his success factors.   

Ms. Prisa Jacobsen, the first female YouTuber in Thailand, stressed the importance of social acceptance and respect for people who are different, while Mr. Rawit Hanutsaha, CEO of Sri Chand Dispensary, shared his working experiences in the disruptive world in which one had to keep learning new skills and being adaptive to changes. 

The event this year was successful to a greater extent than last year as the SACC attracted more students. There were 75 submissions of abstracts in 4 areas, namely (1) pure and medical sciences, (2) engineering and technology, (3) social sciences and law, and (4) business and finance, and 20 finalists were selected for oral presentation.

Over 200 students turned up to attend the SACC on both days, reflecting the keen interests of Thai students to excel in their study, the teamwork and efforts of Samaggi Samagom, and the strong support from various agencies and companies. Indeed, the SACC 2020 was another collective Thai event we were all proud of.