My impression of the Southeast
Asian Studies Program
My
name is Ngoun Kimly. I come from Cambodia. I have won the scholarship
namely “WMSEA: Weaving the Mekong into Southeast Asia”
to do an international MA in Southeast Asian Studies at Southeast
Asian Studies Center, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand.
It
is my great pleasure to be a fellowship student in the program
at Chulalongkorn University, which is one of the most prestigious
and oldest universities in Thailand. The courses in Southeast
Asian Studies Program are well-structured and organized, which
offer students the opportunity to explore and develop an insightful
knowledge and skills of research methodology, Southeast Asian
history, culture, politics, economy and many other social
issues. Several field trips to different places in Thailand
and one oversea trip, called traveling classroom, to one of
Southeast Asian countries offer us even a more practical knowledge
and experience of the region. Furthermore, we are taught by
well-known foreign and Thai professors and public figures
who have great experience and expertise in their fields.
More
interestingly, I study in small class consisting of less than
twenty students who come from diversified cultural, educational
and religious backgrounds including Cambodia, Laos, Thailand,
Vietnam, Japan, Denmark, Germany, the United States and the
United Kingdom. The small class with students from different
nationalities means that we have enough chance to discuss
and share our different opinions and perception, which greatly
help us to have a broader understanding of the world.
Other
points also worthwhile to mention are staffs, facilities and
environment in the University. The non-teaching staffs at
Chulalongkorn University are friendly and facilitative to
both Thai and international students. The University is rich
in academic recourses and modern facilities which are favorable
for learning and sporting. For example, there is one library
in every faculty in addition to the common Central Library,
a large seven-floor building. There are also a big bookstore,
a post office, ATM machines, a university stadium, a few swimming
pools, etc.
In summery, I find learning
here convenient and responsive to my needs.
Mr. Ngoun Kimly
Cambodia
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