サシン経営大学院（タイ）への交換留学参加レポート　William Antony ROEBUCKさん

2016/04/26 Tue #MBA #留学 #交換留学 #タイ

タイにある提携校、サシン経営大学院で２月〜３月の２ヶ月間交換留学に参加されましたGlobal MBAの学生William Antony ROEBUCKさんより留学レポートが届きました。

2016年2月-3月参加レポート

MY THAI LIFE

The first mention I would like to do about my experience is my appreciation to both NUCB Business school and Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration of Chulalongkorn University. The experience has been most enriching and I am very grateful to my host as well as my sponsor.
Even though I am already quite an international man; English father, Spanish mother, born in Saudi Arabia, lived and schooled in Saudi, Spain, UK and now Japan, I believe one can never have too much international exposure, you will always gain something from the experience and this trip undoubtedly has contributed for my quest to be a global citizen.
Life in Bangkok, just like any capital, is stressful, but the locals keep calm and relaxed as much as they can. Maybe this is due to the Buddhist culture, that even requires men to take a mandatory 1-year training as a Buddhist monk.
With so many things different to what I am accustomed to, this has been truly eye-opening and magical journey.
Let me start with the first thing we talk about when we go somewhere new…the food.

THAI FOOD

It is absolutely delicious.
I already had tried it abroad, but this was the real thing. I remember I was so mesmerized with Pad-Thai that I managed to live exclusively off it for a whole day; breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Like I mentioned before, spice is a big part of their food. Even after asking for no spice, the food would take me to my tolerance limit (I don’t deal well with spice).
My remedy? I always had a yogurt or milk based beverage to sooth my tongue.

I rarely ventured into eating street food, as I was recommended not to do so from so many different sources.
You can find the same food just a little more expensive in food malls, with the added assurance of its quality.
The noodles and meat is just exquisite; I don’t have the lexis to describe them how they deserve.

LEISURE

From their bright orange-robed monks to their turquoise sea, Thailand is a truly beautiful place.
Even though I was a full time student, and was taking 50% more course that I was recommended to, I always thought to explore and immerse myself in Thailand as much as I could will my limited time and travel budget.
I wanted to try for myself the real local life, not just go to where all the tourist hang out.
My new made Thai friends helped me out with that and assured me a real Thai experience.

SASIN AND SCHOOLMATES

After my initial 2 weeks of leisure, it was time to get serious again.
Sasin’s main building lays in the center of Chulalongkorn University campus, and thought the building isn’t as flashy as our NUCB Marunouchi tower here in Nagoya, it is still a sight to see.
As I entered the class I was greeted by the class vice president that was already expecting me. We had a nice chat and introduced we to a few new peers.
Facilities were modern, with lots of meeting rooms and study areas, the staff is very helpful and everyone speaks English.
Classes had a similar layout to ours, regarding structure and utilities, but had one particular thing that I absolutely loved: each 2 students share a microphone on the desk.
At first glance this may seem like overkill but it made speaking and listening a lot easier, no more shouting across the room, or trying to figure out what the quite student was talking about.
Thai professors and student make the ambient more casual and relaxed, maybe it's the tropical heat, or maybe its just their nature, but do not mistake this with lack of professionalism. Class discussion were always of the highest caliber.
Take home assignments were lighter than at NUCB Business school, but with more focus on class discussion, you could not get distracted.
Discussions were vivid, people are not afraid to speak their mind, even if their opinion challenges the previous persons thought, and they were always eager to hear what the “Farang” (gaikokujin) student had to say.
Regarding my class-mates I have nothing but kind words. They made me feel welcome from day 1 and carried on caring for me until the day 1 left, even throwing me a goodbye dinner.
I really enjoyed the classes and my new classmates, and we often met up before class to have lunch, mostly at Japanese restaurants. In fact, they LOVE Japanese food. They love Japanese culture and cuisine and many do frequent visits to the Japan.
As you can see in one of the photos below, I did the effort on a special occasion (presentation) to put on one of my long missed suits.

FINAL THOUGHTS

All things taken into account, I would recommend this exchange to everyone.
Overall I can say this tip has enriched my sense of the world, I have broadened my cultural horizons even more, and opened my mind to differed ways of thinking and living life.

Only 3 recommendations
• Dress appropriate for the weather
• Always be watchful (scams)
• Enjoy the land of Buddha