During May 26 - 31, 2013 over 8,000 international educators from all over the world flocked to the America’s convention center in St. Louis, Missouri to share thoughts on ideals and impact in international education, which is this year’s conference theme. Also, it is considered a crucial platform for expanding and sustaining exchange collaborations across frontiers. It is well-aligned with what the BBA Thammasat committee envisions and aims to bring vision to life.
Dr. Arunee Tanvisuth and Asst. Prof. Dr. Somboon Kulvisaechana were the BBA representatives to attend the 2013 annual conference & expo of the National Association of Foreign Student Advisors (NAFSA). NAFSA is an association of individuals worldwide advancing international education and exchange, annually hosting a preeminent gathering of experts, professionals and educators from all over the world. The conference also provides an unparalleled marketplace for BBA Thammasat delegation to explore a possibility to establish an institutional relationship as well as to improve exchange arrangements, not just for students but also faculty members. For instance, BBA Thammasat and Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration plan to launch a co-designed summer program at Thammasat in 2014 which essentially marks a higher level of collaborations between the EQUIS-accredited institutions.
Moreover, a series of short-term study abroad programs, such as summer schools, becomes increasingly popular among students from leading universities as it allows much flexibility for the students with study time constraints to gain some international exposure prior to their graduation. And such an initiative can be possibly developed as part of the exchange frame in the future if there is a reciprocal demand from the students.
In sum, the 2013 NAFSA conference serves as another important stage for BBA Thammasat to bolster its quality of internationalization which, subsequently, opens up a window of opportunities for the students to prepare themselves for advancement of global education.