Medieval philosopher, theologian, and mystical writer, Hugh of St Victor, once stated that only a raw beginner, the man for whom each country is as his own is already strong; but only the man for whom the whole is like a foreign country is perfect”.

It is truly great that an educator could teach his/her students to have the curiosity and courage to learn from everything everywhere.  During the last week of 2006, I witnessed the global immersion programme organized by the centre for international business management, which emphasized the above as its theme, It was the end-of-the-year expedition tour in Ho Chi Minh City, a lively metropolis comprised of seven million people.

There, I observed and participated in the immersion programme along with 19 students in a master of business administration (MBA) programme from Assumption University (Abac).  There were also three participating students from Mae Fah Luang University.

It was one of many extraordinary programmes in which I participated during last year that contributed to my educational experiences and broadened my perspectives.  The programme aims to provide opportunities for MBA students to explore, learn, exchange, and experience Vietnamese culture, and international business investment policies and theories that focus on Thai investment in Vietnam.

Good morning, Vietnam.

Those 22 students left Bangkok with an abundance of enthusiasm and numerous question marks in their eyes, that would they think about Vietnam, a recent member of the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (Asean)? How would this visit enlighten and contribute to their existing body of knowledge?  What would the students think about the current Vietnamese economy? Will they see opportunities for their future?

The programme allowed them to visit Charoen Pokphan (CP) Vietnam Livestock Co, SriThai (Vietnam) Co, and Bikes Care Co. During the trip, we also had a day for exploring the scenery around the Mekong Delta as well where we could see people everywhere moving and working. Looking into the field, we also see farmers working in the field.

Looking in many shops, people are working as well. It gave students a good impression of the working spirit of the people who could be seen throughout Vietnam.  Although was a short visit, the programme provided a good impression of the recent Aseanmember country, and students felt they could learn More if they had more time and opportunities to explore their neighhbouring country.

They showed respect to their Vietnamese peers by giving them opportunities to exchange and share their points of view and opinions in various matters. They also gained an appreciation of the high potential of the Vietnamese people and their country.

Learning challenges

It was the remarkable idea of Dr Jakarin Srimoon, the director of the centre for international business management at Abac. That allowed me to participate in the programmer.  This allowed me to have the many opportunities to observe, learn, discuss, and share with him, his colleagues and the students from Abac and Mae Fah Luang University; I also interacted closely with the Vietnamese professors at Ho Chi Minh City University of Foreign Languages-Information Technology (HUFLIT) and many Thai investors in Vietnam.
My participation in this project taught me that we could learn much from our neighboring counters if we collaborate in the knowledge economy. Not only should we truly understand what we want for our society, but we can also learn from our neighbors.

Many would argue that the case I present here is not very relevant to Thai education.  Nevertheless.  Meeting a few Thai investors in Vietnam from big, medium, and small companies challenges my belief that our education system will gradually be impacted by the need for trained personnel at the management levels.

The Royal Thai Consulate-General in Ho Chi Minh City also made an interesting presentation.

It is an obvious challenge and it will grow much stronger if we are not aware of the affects of globalization on our neighboring counters which, in turn, definitely influence our philosophy of education, and visions and commitments for educational development.

Instead of being a raw beginner that can only  perceive opportunities at home, we should also embrace the motto from Srithai (Vietnamese) that, “We love, we care. We share, and we grow together”. To contact Dr Jakarin Srimoon, send and email to jakarinsrm@yahoo.com