JSU News
May 31, 2009 at 5:00 am | In Thailand | 1 CommentHere is a recent feature story about my work here in Thailand that appeared in the JSU News.
JSU Faculty Members Travel to Thailand to Discuss Partnerships2009-05-28Drs. Ciganek and Francia meet with Dr. Srisakdi
MCIS department faculty members Drs. Andrew P. Ciganek and Guillermo A Francia, III recently met in Bangkok, Thailand to discuss international partnership opportunities with Dr. Srisakdi Charmonman, the CEO of the College of Internet Distance Education at Assumption University. Dr.. Suprasith Jarupathirun, a visiting professor in the MCIS department from Thailand during the spring semester, accompanied the JSU faculty members. Potential collaborations on information security and assurance was a point of emphasis during the meeting given the MCIS department’s expertise in the area and recently having been designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Dr. Charmonman, who has been recognized as the “Father of the Internet in Thailand” and the “Father of Thai e-Learning”, has held dozens of high-ranking administrative, governmental, and international positions and has played a key role in shaping information security and assurance policies in Thailand. These positions include the Chairman of the Computer Working Group at the Office of the Prime Minister, an IT expert in the Committee to Integrate and Revolutionize the National Records chaired by the Prime Minister, Deputy Chairman of the Extraordinary Committee on Copyrights of the House of Representatives, Chairman of five Subcommittees on National Professional Standards at the Ministry of Labor, an expert member of the National Copyright Committee, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Software Copyright in the National Copyright Committee, and President of the Club of the Associate Judges of the Central Intellectual Properties and International Trade Court, among other high ranking positions held.
SAIS Presentation
February 20, 2009 at 11:34 am | In Thailand | Leave a CommentTags: international partnerships, research, SAIS
I wrote a paper about my experiences establishing international partnerships in Thailand that was just accepted at the Southern Association for Information Systems (SAIS) Conference, which will be held in Charleston, South Carolina from March 12th-14th, 2009. The title and abstract for this research are:
Addressing Enrollment Declines Through International Partnerships
The enrollment declines in information systems (IS) related fields over the past several years has led to research that has examined the causes of it and a variety of possible approaches to reverse this trend. With the recent economic downturn resulting in cuts in education budgets, the need to increase enrollments in IS has become critical for many departments in this field. The objective of this research is to discuss how international partnerships can be utilized as an additional means to improve enrollments, which is an approach that has not been addressed before in the literature. The author illustrates the opportunities possible with international partnerships through a case involving an IS department located in the Southeastern United States and multiple universities in Asia. This research then highlights strategies to establish a successful international partnership followed by some concluding remarks.
Going Back
January 20, 2009 at 3:34 pm | In Uncategorized | Leave a CommentTags: MBA MIS, summer 2009, teaching
Near the end of December, I was contacted by ABAC again about returning again to Thailand to teach in the summer of 2009. I was not willing to spend the entire summer again in Thailand as I needed time in the US to work on research and projects over here. ABAC was willing to accomodate as they have invited me to teach two accelerated, one month long MBA MIS courses during the month of June. In addition, they also offered my wife the chance to teach a MBA Brand Management course during the month of June. We accepted the offer on January 20. The classes will be taught at ABAC City Campus, which is located in the central business district in Bangkok. This offer is similar to the offer I had last year in that ABAC will reimburse my airfare, will provide accomodations nearby the campus, and will pay a stipend for each class I teach. I have not been to the City Campus before, so there should be a lot of discovery again this summer. I will provide more updates about my return and possibilities for advancing international partnership and my research as the summer approaches.
An Invitation
January 20, 2009 at 1:51 pm | In Thailand | Leave a CommentTags: exam, international partnership
I was recently contacted by Assumption University (ABAC) to “act as a coordinator and develop the written comprehensive examination on the General Management- Management Information System (MIS) course”. Students in the MBA program at ABAC have the option of completing a thesis project or taking a comprehensive exam. I was being asked to write the MIS portion of the comprehensive exam, which would be derived from the MBA-MIS courses I taught last summer in Thailand.
At first I was confused why ABAC wanted me to complete this role as (per the invitation letter) I needed to be physically present to administer and grade the exam. After a few e-mail exchanges, however, it was clear that I could fill this role at a distance. I was welcome to this opportunity as I viewed this as another means to strengthen the international partnership ties between JSU and ABAC.
So what did I need to do? The first items that ABAC needed was a 100 point exam in a format of my choosing, an exam review to be sent to the students to help them prepare (course text I used was Laudon, Kenneth C. and Laudon, Jane P. (2007) Management Information Systems: Managing the Digital Firm, 10th edition, Upper Saddle River, NJ, Prentice Hall), and an answer key (for myself). The exam is scheduled for February 22 in Thailand, which ABAC will then express mail the exam results to my house in Alabama. I will then grade the exams as “pass/fail”, with a score of 50 points as the threshold. Finally, I will e-mail the results to ABAC and express mail the exams back to them. I will be paid 50 baht per exam I grade, which comes to about $1.40 each exam (currently 36 baht = 1 dollar). The money that ABAC offered or time I will need to put in was not a concern since this is really about continuing the partnerships that I established last summer in Thailand.
NSF Planning Visit Grant to Thailand
October 28, 2008 at 3:56 pm | In Thailand | Leave a CommentTags: international partnership, NSF, research
I sought out for ways to continue to develop the international partnerships that I was able to initiate once I returned from Thailand as well as enhance those relationships. I continued working with the contacts I made in Thailand to identify such possibilities in my first month back, and by the end of October, I finished writing and submitted a proposal for a National Science Foundation (NSF) Planning Visit. The purpose of this grant will be to continue the research stream that I initiated over the summer in Thailand and provide an avenue to continue advancing international partnerships. We expect to find out if this proposal was successful sometime in March 2009. Below is the summary of the proposal that I submitted to the NSF.
U.S.-Thailand Planning Visit: Collaborative Research in Information Security and Assurance
This award supports a proposed planning visit to enable Dr. Andrew P. Ciganek and Dr. Guillermo A Francia, III of Jacksonville State University to meet with Dr. Srisakdi Charmonman of Assumption University in Bangkok, Thailand. Dr. Srisakdi is regarded as the “Father of the Thai Internet” and has held dozens of high-ranking administrative, governmental, and international positions that would offer unique insight into this research project. The visit in May 2009 will also permit the U.S. collaborators to meet with several key individuals from academia, industry and government agencies through colloquiums to discuss information security and assurance (ISA) polices in Thailand in depth. The U.S. collaborators will be responsible for conducting the colloquiums while the foreign collaborator from Thailand will be responsible for organizing the colloquiums and for all necessary language translations.
The collaboration among the U.S. and Thai participants will integrate the facilities and expertise of the investigators and strengthen their ability to submit a competitive proposal to NSF following the proposed planning visit. The establishment of a relationship and the fostering of a partnership with the Thai counterpart is a key success factor for this research that could not be performed nor sustained at a distance. There is sufficient overlap of interests between both the U.S. and Thai collaborators to indicate that they can successfully pursue the activities proposed, that this project will provide a unique research opportunity for a junior faculty member, and that the collaborations will benefit the participating institutions in both countries.
Intellectual Merit: The U.S. and Thai collaborators have a strong background in information assurance and security. The U.S. collaborators research expertise is in ISA-related research, have recently had their department’s curriculum certified by the National Information Assurance Education and Training Program (NIETP) and are in the second phase of having their academic department designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education (CAEIAE) by the National Security Agency (NSA), and have conducted several research projects examining Thai policies and practices. The Thai collaborator has had a leading role in shaping the current ISA policy framework in Thailand. The project participants will seek to develop U.S. – Thai collaborations in areas of vital importance in the U.S. where there is a critical need, namely in ISA policies, regulations, and compliance. Consequently, a significant contribution of this proposed planning visit will be in the development and advancing of knowledge and expertise in the area of ISA through the dissemination of findings in research publications as well as in classroom materials (e.g., course modules, case-studies, lecture slides, etc.), of which there is a scarcity of ISA educational materials.
Broader Impact: The U.S. PI is a junior faculty member who will benefit considerably from the international collaborations to be made. The U.S. collaborators will impart their experience to their students, to others around their university, and to the broader academic community through research publications and educational materials. An objective of this proposed planning visit is the establishment of a sustained collaborative network of researchers and students between academic institutions in the U.S. and Thailand. This network will facilitate and stimulate the exchange of personnel, research, as well as educational content and will be an exemplar for future global partnerships. The work performed and new knowledge generated and disseminated during this proposed planning visit can have significant impacts for most industries that are impacted by ISA policies and for ISA curriculum materials. Further, the results of this collaborative research would provide a foundation for future research investigations examining security and regulations.
Jacksonville News
October 6, 2008 at 1:32 pm | In Thailand | Leave a CommentTags: Asia, China, JSU, partnerships, Thailand
The following is a story that I wrote that appeared in the October 1 edition of the Jacksonville News, the local newspaper:
Dr. William A. Meehan: Jax State reaches out to Asia
Over the past 20 years, Asia has been growing substantially in importance throughout the world with respect to their economies, population, and political influence.
This was illustrated in spectacular fashion at the Olympics that recently concluded in China and is a reason why Asia has been an important target of recent international partnerships efforts at JSU.
These opportunities for the JSU community include student and faculty exchanges, joint degree programs, as well as other research and project collaboration possibilities.
Dr. Guillermo Francia, III of the Department of Mathematical, Computing, and Information Sciences (MCIS), who was part of a delegation that traveled to China this summer to promote JSU and initiate collaborative academic programs, feels that developing educational partnerships with Asian institutions will bring JSU “to the forefront of an active movement that provides educational initiatives to the service of a ‘flatter world.’ These academic partnerships are a step towards JSU’s goal of meeting the educational needs of students in a rapidly advancing global society.”
Dr. Andrew Ciganek, also from the MCIS department, sees an opportunity for JSU in Asia after recently returning from teaching MBA classes, conducting research, and initiating partnership discussions in Thailand.
“I have heard from several Thai administrators that felt that American universities, unlike others throughout the world, have not pursued productive relationships with them,” he said. “Consequently, JSU can distinguish itself though lasting partnerships that will enhance our international reputation, which began in 1946 with the founding of the International House.”
Dr. Ciganek reflected on a few of the experiences he had over the summer in Thailand, which is commemorating 175 years of diplomatic relations with the United States this year. “Learning and teaching in a foreign country was the quickest way for me to both understand and appreciate cultural differences,” he said. “For example, Thai students typically do not like to challenge authority, which is considered disrespectful.
“This caused problems as students were unwilling to let me know if I was speaking too quickly or if they were unclear about content that I covered in class.
“So instead of enforcing the same expectations I have for my students in the US or teaching the same content that I teach American students, I adapted my style and my comfort zone to match the needs of the Thai students.”
For a JSU student, many of which rarely leave Calhoun County, living and learning in a different country brings new abilities and experiences in assimilating to a culture very different from their own.
These skills are essential for our students as our local economy becomes increasingly global and shaped by Asian influences, as evidenced by the recent influx of major manufacturers such as Honda and Hyundai.
Such skills cannot be imparted from a textbook or by “Googling” them online.
If we want our students to be successful in business with other countries, they need to understand those cultures. International partnerships are just one way that JSU is providing that crucial experience that will serve them well long into their professional lives.
Dr. Andrew P. Ciganek, Assistant Professor of Computer Information Systems, contributed to this article.
Exchange Benefits: Summary
August 19, 2008 at 5:48 am | In Uncategorized | Leave a CommentTags: ABAC, benefits, mflu, partnership
One week from now I will be back at JSU. Four months have gone by so fast, but at least I was able to accomplish a few things while over here in Thailand.
There were a few reasons why I chose to spend my summer over here in Thailand that I have spoke about at length (e.g., teaching, partnerships, research), but to this point I have neglected to state one selfish reason: to allow my wife (Jet), son (Ben), and I to spend time with her family in Thailand. Little did I know that there were a whole host of other benefits that I got from this “faculty exchange”.
There are several reasons why Asia (e.g., China, Thailand, etc.) should be an important target of international partnership efforts for JSU. Asia’s importance (in terms of population, political influence, and economy) has increased substantially in the past few years and will likely only continue to grow. For a JSU student, many of which rarely leave Calhoun county, living and learning in a different country brings new abilities and experiences in assimilating to a culture very different from their own. These skills are essential for our students as our local economy becomes increasingly global and shaped by Asian influences which cannot be imparted from a textbook or by “Googling” it online. If we want our students to be successful in business with other countries, they need to understand those cultures.
Interestingly enough, I have heard from Thai administrators that felt that American universities (unlike others throughout the world) have not pursued productive relationships with them. As a result, this creates an opportunity for JSU to distinguish itself though lasting partnerships that will enhance its international reputation, which began in 1946 with the founding of the International House. Whether this materializes as joint partnerships, student exchanges, and/or something entirely different, this can be an opportunity to grow our university population with a diverse set of students that appear to be underserved. In fact, international partnerships are in-line with both JSU’s Strategic Plan (“identify off-campus opportunities for student participation to support global leadership and citizenship”) and Diversity Strategic Plan (“establish an environment that values diversity”), so there is a good reason why JSU should be motiviated to pursue and develop these Asian partnerships. A challenge that JSU faces is selling our program to international students, where costs are relatively much more expensive in the US, but with our terrific ELI program and distance education office, these can be tremendous assets as these partnerships move forward.
There are also many additional experiences afforded to JSU students and faculty through these partnerships with Asian universities, particularly those in Thailand. Among these include the opportunity to teach abroad. With the lack of teaching opportunities at JSU over the summer, this gave me a chance to both be productive and earn some extra money. In fact, with the way gas prices has soared in the US since I left (was $2.79 a gallon when I left) and the very low cost of living here in Thailand (I eat three meals a day of some of the most delicious foods for under $30 a week), I have actually saved quite a bit of money by spending the summer here. For our students, this also includes work-study possibilities while enrolled in classes overseas in addition to job opportunities once they graduate from JSU.
By teaching in a different part of the world, I have come to appreciate cultural variations which has resulted in me attempting new teaching methods. These experiences have imparted much new knowledge that I can apply in my classrooms at JSU. To speak of some of the cultural variations, Thai students are always late to class and back from breaks, something I was really not accustomed to. As a result, my allocated time for class was truncated by at least 30 minutes and even up to one hour at some points, which forced me to focus my discussions so that I could give students “the most bang for the buck”. Another thing interesting is that most Thai students would like to start their own business in the future, unlike American students that typically look for an interesting or “fun” career that will give them independence. With this knowledge, I always tried to relate the concepts I taught and the assignments I gave in ways that they could apply if they started their own business – something I felt was very important because all of my students were admittedly not “IT people”. So instead of enforcing the same expectations I have for students in the US or teaching the same content that I teach American students, I adapted my style (and comfort zone) to match needs of the Thai students.
I have also had to be creative in getting students to participate in class discussions as Asian cultures typically don’t like to challenge authority (considered disrespectful), which is something that we take for granted (at times) in the US. Such unwillingness to challenge authority presents problems when I would find myself speaking too quickly or discussing content in which students still had doubts, but did not want to offend by speaking up, which made efforts to improve participation anything but trivial. In fact, there are just so many examples of how Thai people in general show their respect. Things like always giving me a “Wai“, even when I hand out exams and when they turn them back to me, and always addressing me as either “Adjarn” (means “teacher” in Thai) Andrew or “Dr. Andrew” (Thai people always address you by your first name, never your last name … I am not quite sure why). One thing that did help to “break down” this cultural barrier was that faculty were encouraged to mingle with students during breaks in class in coffee shops (all faculty are given “coffee cards” to use for free drinks and snacks on campus) and in restaurants, which is something that I have never done in the US, but allowed students to approach me informally and openly. In general, although there are a variety of other positive developments I have had while participating in a faculty exchange (e.g., new research opportunities, research partners, etc.), I feel that the “cultural transitions” that I made and experienced while teaching could have the greatest impact as I feel that I have improved myself as a teacher and have broadened my cultural horizons.
Another benefit of partnerships, at least for me here in Thailand, is that you have an opportunity to experience some of the most beautiful lands and unique places in the world. Everyone will have their own preferences for how they would like to spend their free time, but there are just so many options available in Thailand. If you love nature, Thailand is home to some of the world’s most beautiful beaches to absolutely stunning views from the mountains in the north. The two universities that I have been working to establish a partnership with (pictures of ABAC, MFLU) have some of the most elaborate and amazing campuses that are unrivaled to anything available in the US. There is any number of activities to do as well, from hiking to mountain biking to white-water rafting. Even with my busy schedule, these are all things that I have found time to do while in Thailand. As an aside, although I have connections with several additional universities in Thailand, my partnership efforts have only focused on ABAC and MFLU as they are both “International” universities, that is, all instruction is taught in English.
Thailand also has a very rich history with many different cities, ruins, and temples to visit that make tourism its top industry. If you are into shopping, there are hundreds of bazaars to choose from around Bangkok and throughout the country where you can get just about anything to bring back home with you. I heard a funny story while here that some of the “fake” Louis Vuitton purses that you can get from just about everywhere in Thailand were of such good quality, that Louis Vuitton simply bought the operations that made them in China. I don’t know if this story is true, however. As a country that “never sleeps”, it is just fascinating to me that no matter where you go in Thailand, there are always places to stop and see and grab a bite to eat, no matter what time of day it is. Some of the most exciting and hectic scenes are at the early morning markets where individuals and street vendors mingle and haggle in cramped quarters for fresh goods (e.g., meats, fish, vegetables, fruits, etc.). From the effluence of odors emanating from open sewers to the waffing waves of smoke billowing out from burning charcoal in the makeshift grills of dozens of street vendors, just spending a moment walking down the streets carry with it countless vivid experiences. And you never know when an elephant will pass by you on the street as you are relaxing eating dinner. These are just some of the amazing sights to take in which is so much different from the laid-back style of living that I am so fond of back in Alabama.
If you are interested in humanitarian causes, you have the opportunity to do volunteer work in orphanages and at local impoverished elementary schools. I have had the chance to visit a few English classes throughout Thailand to give brief presentations about myself and have fun answering students’ questions, which has just fueled my interest to become more involved in these types of activities in the future. Those are some of the other “cultural” experiences that I will take back with me as it has allowed me to realize how much we take for granted.
So what benefits can you get from international partnerships? Well, whatever limits you set for yourself and the opportunity that you have available to you. What type of experience could you have? Well, whatever goals you set for yourself and however adventurous you want to be. The reason why I have been maintaining this and my other blog (where I discuss everyday happenings) during my time here in Thailand was to give both students and faculty an idea of what could be expected and what could be done if he or she decided to follow in my footsteps. I just hope that you enjoyed the journey along with me!
Partnership Possibilities: Summary
August 18, 2008 at 5:10 am | In Thailand | Leave a CommentTags: ABAC, mflu, partnership
The following is a summary of the possible partnership opportunities that I had discussed with the administration from Assumption University (ABAC) and Mae Fah Luang University(MFLU) in Thailand. This should in no way be seen as an exhaustive list as the Thai universities appear willing to discuss any possible partnership that offers mutual benefit.
Both universities are “International” in that all classes are taught in English. ABAC is located in Bangkok (pictures of undergraduate campus, virtual tour of graduate campus) while MFLU is located in northern Thailand (pictures of campus). The graduate program at ABAC is on a trimester schedule that matches closely with JSU’s schedule; Semester 1: Start of May – End of August, Semester 2: Start of September – End of December, Semester 3: Start of January – End of April. The undergraduate programs for both ABAC and MFLU have a typical two-semester + summer session schedule, but does not match up with JSU’s schedule; Semester 1: Start of June – End of September, Semester 2: End of October – Start of March, Summer Session: End of March – Start of May.
Both ABAC and MFLU have welcomed any possible delegation from JSU to visit in the future. Formalization of any possible partnership with JSU with Thai universities must be agreed to in a memorandum of understanding (MOU) by the JSU administration, so there was a limit to what my negotiations were able to accomplish. As an aside, though the best time of year (weather wise) to visit Thailand is from December to February, both universities were willing to accommodate JSU’s schedule for a delegation to visit.
Key Individuals
This is a list of some of the key administrators and individuals that I have had nearly two dozen face-to-face meetings with over the past four months to talk about possible partnerships between their respective university and JSU:
- Brother Bancha Saenghiran: President, ABAC
- Dr. Soonthorn Pibulcharoensit: Director, ABAC Office of Graduate Studies
- Dr. Kitti Phothikitti: Dean, ABAC Graduate School of Business
- Dr. Srisakdi Charmonman: Dean, ABAC Graduate School of Information Technology
- Dr. Chamnong Jungthirapanich, Chair, ABAC Graduate School of Information Technology Committee
- Mr. Glen Chatelier: Director of International Affairs, ABAC
- Dr. Vanchai Sirichana: President, MFLU
- Dr. Thongchai Yooyativong: Dean, MFLU School of Information Technology
Faculty Opportunities
Faculty Exchange. Each key administrator that I spoke to from both ABAC and MFLU had stated that they would be willing to host faculty willing to teach from JSU. My discussions were specifically for MCIS and Business faculty, but could likely include faculty from other departments as well. Both universities would also be willing to host individuals interested in teaching English. Though each contract would likely be different, the contract I was under at ABAC this summer was that I would be paid $2000 cash for each MBA class I teach, that my airfare be reimbursed (also in cash), and that I receive a faculty dorm accommodation.
Research. In my discussions with the ABAC Graduate School of Information Technology, the faculty expressed an interest in possibly collaborating with JSU faculty as ABAC is putting a greater emphasis on research. This would require some work to identify a “match” in research backgrounds, but this could be a great opportunity for JSU faculty that is interested in international or culture-based research as well as providing access to data. Although I spoke specifically with ABAC about this opportunity, MFLU might be interested in this as well. In longer-term prospects, in our discussions it was mentioned that this could be the beginnings of a multi-disciplinary research corporation whose primary members are ABAC and JSU. ABAC also encouraged JSU faculty to submit their manuscripts to their journals as they always are looking for research from all different areas.
Co-Advisor. There was a focused discussion that I had with the ABAC Graduate School of Information Technology where I could play a role as a “co-adviser” for an incoming Ph.D. student of theirs whose topic of interest was similar to research I had previously carried out. I do not think that there would be any compensation involved, but it was suggested that this could be part of a partnership between JSU and ABAC and might lead to future research opportunities.
Joint Program. Each key administrator that I spoke to from both ABAC and MFLU had stated interest in forming a joint program between JSU and their respective university. Both ABAC and MFLU are currently involved in joint or “offshore” programs with universities from several countries across the world, but I don’t think that they do have much of a presence in the US or at least there is an opportunity that JSU could have. A key issue here would be establishing an agreement on how each respective partnership (JSU-ABAC, JSU-MFLU) would recognize degree credits. In my discussions with the Director of Graduate Studies at ABAC, he mentioned that there are two approaches to follow. The first is the approach ABAC uses with universities in the UK and in Australia where students spend time studying in their home country and also in Thailand. He mentioned that this model is more challenging to implement for US universities as the US has much stricter visa requirements relative to the UK and Australia. The other model is a “double degree” model where students take classes and get degrees from both universities. The biggest challenge with these partnerships is being able to identify/correlate degrees from each university. In my discussion, however, we both recognized that the bulk of this work could be done electronically so that if a delegation from JSU does visit ABAC (or MFLU), that it would just be a matter of formalizing this agreement.
International Projects. There were a variety of different short-term projects that I discussed with individuals from MFLU. These partnerships focused on ways in which my students could work with their students. I have worked with MFLU and JSU’s distance education office over the past few weeks so that for the fall semester, my graduate students will act as a project manager for MFLU undergraduate student projects. In addition, MFLU undergraduate students will participate jointly in my undergraduate student team projects. This has involved getting approval from MFLU administrators for these partnerships and also allowing JSU to provide access to the Blackboard system for MFLU students. The biggest hurdle for these projects, however, is that the JSU semesters do not match up well with MFLU semesters. As a result, these partnerships have required both my counterparts at MFLU and me to be creative and flexible in setting these up, however, we feel that the benefits outweigh any challenges that we may encounter.
Faculty Expertise. The way that many US universities offer innovative curriculum is by offering new, elective courses. In Thailand, they offer entirely new degrees and are quite liberal in the amount of new degrees and courses that are offered. As such, there are numerous courses and degrees that are taught at ABAC and MFLU that JSU just could not have the resources to provide. This provides opportunities where a joint partnership makes sense, but this could also be a means by which JSU faculty has access to faculty experts if they choose to offer innovative curriculum content. An example of this for MCIS faculty is having access to CGI, graphics, and multimedia expertise from MFLU that are able to put together professional products.
Student Opportunities
Short-Term Student Exchange. One short-term student exchange possibility that I discussed would be a “student exchange with industry exposure” partnership with the Thai universities. This would consist of a group of students from Thailand (around 30 or so) traveling to JSU for a two-week stay that would involve visiting/touring local businesses as well as companies like Coke and CNN in Atlanta and sitting in on classes at JSU. This would be a great way to sell JSU and the ELI program to these students so that they could actually experience (and envision) what life would be like for them if they attended JSU. The Thai universities were very interested in discussing this possibility as the alternative partnerships that they had with other international universities were much longer and much more expensive that what this partnership promises to be. Some issues involve whether there would be support from the JSU community to host these students. To me, it makes most sense to host this type of exchange during our summer as the students could get access to cheap housing ($15/night student dorm room), but I am not sure how willing (year after year) people are at JSU to help carry this out (e.g., allow students to sit in their lecture, take students on business tours, etc.). Another hurdle is finding out whether these Thai students would be able to “get by” on a tourist visa or would need to get a student visa, which may require some guarantee of financial expenses. I have not discussed with the Thai universities a corresponding “group visit” by JSU students.
Individual Student Exchange. There was some discussion that JSU would be willing to offer a seat in the International House if a Thai university was willing to offer something similar to a JSU student. I have only mentioned this as a possibility in my discussions with administrators from ABAC as I feel that Bangkok might be more a more attractive alternative to a JSU student than northern Thailand.
Long-Term Student Exchanges. Loyola College (Maryland) has had a partnership with ABAC for over 20 years that involves their students spending one semester taking classes at ABAC (June – September) with the opportunity to do volunteer work in orphanages, at local impoverished elementary schools, at academic departments or offices at ABAC, and also internships (work-study) with Thai companies during their stay. Of course it will depend on what type of partnership JSU is willing to set up, but the way Loyola’s partnership with ABAC works is that their students pay regular tuition to Loyola (relatively expensive compared to JSU – almost five times as expensive per credit hour) which Loyola uses to pay for ABAC tuition, room, most meals during the semester, round trip airfare, six days in Chiang Mai which includes a four day trek to visit hill tribes, five days in Koh Samui, an island resort, six days in Hong Kong (on a stop-over), and several one-day trips in Thailand. This has been an exclusive, one-way partnership as Thai students could not afford taking classes at Loyola. ABAC was very interested to see if JSU would want to establish a similar partnership. MFLU was also interested in discussing student exchange possibilities as they felt their students would prefer either visiting or studying in the US which is an English-speaking country rather than some of the non-English speaking countries (for example in Europe) that MFLU currently has a relationship with. The infrastructure and social network is already in place with Loyola, however, so that would likely be a lower-risk proposition for JSU and JSU students.
Student Employment. A partnership that ABAC has with Loyola College is that they offer students that have participated in a student exchange with them to return and teach English at ABAC for a year after they graduate (which there are many positions that need to be filled each year). In fact, this acts as a support network/system for the students that participate in this study abroad program because they have several individuals on campus that graduated from the same university that can show them around Bangkok, give them advice, and be there if any help is needed. There are currently 15-20 Loyola College graduates from undergraduate programs like in English and Psychology as well as MBA students that teach at ABAC for 1 year with free room and board, round-trip airfare expenses, and a salary (similar to my current arrangement). Although no similar arrangement exists between international universities and MFLU, their administrators welcomed this possibility and felt that teaching English at MFLU might be an attractive option for JSU graduates as it would give them an opportunity to experience a different culture while working in a different country and perhaps create some start-up business of their own.
MBA Student Interviews
August 17, 2008 at 2:14 am | In Thailand | Leave a CommentTags: Interviews, MBA
I just wanted to comment on the oral examination/interviews that I performed last week at ABAC. All students that apply to the MBA program at ABAC have to go through an oral examination as part of the admissions process. On Thursday, I and three other “adjarn” (instructor) were to interview candidates for the MBA “fast-track” program, or the “weekend” MBA students. They call it “fast-track” as these students (if accepted) will take consecutive8-week classes every Saturday and Sunday for 18 straight months to get their degree. Having taught one of these classes, the students are likely some of the best at ABAC but also face some of the greatest stress as they do not get a break from class (these students still work full-time Monday through Friday) in a year and a half. The price you pay to be put on the “fast-track”.
I am not sure how valid the interview process was as I was simply given a sheet of about a dozen questions to ask the candidates and then give a rating from 1 through 5. What is the difference between a “3″ candidate and a “4″ candidate? What criteria should I use? After speaking with the other interviewers, they had the same questions, but we each ended up using our own subjective judgements to rate each candidate. After seeing about 5 candidates, I was able to come up with a way to rank each candidate. Generally all candidates could speak English well (“fair” – “good”), but there were a handful that could converse very well (“excellent”). I also asked about what kind of work experience each candidate had and for how long. Again, there were some “excellent” candidates here (over 5 years experience) while there were a few that had either little experience (recent graduate) or little relevant experience (e.g., working as a waitress or as a secretary). Using these criteria, I was able to place a handful at the top of the stack, but as one additional criteria to place a few others up there, I asked a few of the candidates that I felt were on the margin to “explain” their GPA because in those cases, their undergraduate GPA’s were in the mid 2.0’s. With all of this information in mind, I was able to rate each candidate appropriately. I certainly didn’t feel comfortable knowing that of the 40 or so interviews I performed that only a handful would be accepted. Most candidates gave very strong pleas for wanting to pursue the degree which really did put me in a difficult position of giving critical feedback that I know would likely lead to their rejection. I guess that is price you pay for applying to one of the “top” International (“English” only) MBA programs in Asia.
So what was the interview process like? Well, it began at 9:00am and ran through 4:00pm. There were 150 applications submitted for the “fast-track” MBA program, but ABAC was only going to accept 50. The interview sheet I had been given had stated that I had 15 minutes for each candidate, but after the first handful, I was given the hint by one of the department secretaries to “speed things up” as the candidates had made appointments to be interviewed and the line was growing outside the door of the office I was given to conduct the interviews. In short, my 15 minute interviews became 10 minute interviews. That was fine because then I just focused on the few questions that were useful in helping me rate each candidate.
So what were the questions like? There were a few standard questions like “What is your academic background?”, “What are you doing now?” (to get information about work history), “What tasks have you performed while working?”, “Why should ABAC consider you for the MBA program?”, “Identify a problem you have faced and how you solved it?”, and “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”. Those questions alone were more than enough to fill 10 minutes, but from asking these questions, I really could get a sense of who the “better” candidates were and which candidates had better prepared for the interview. Probably the strangest response I got was from the “problem you faced” question when a women mentioned that she had problems with her “ex-boyfriend”. Other “poor” responses (in my opinion) were those that said ABAC should choose them because “they were hard workers” or “committed” to finish the degree, but provided no examples to justify. Or those that simply had no response to what they saw themselves doing in 5 years. There were a few questions that I did not ask that were on my interview sheet because I didn’t have the time and I didn’t see how it could help me rate the students, such as “Are you single, married, divorced?”, “What do you think of the current political environment?”, and “Give me details of your favorite company?”.
So what were the candidates like? Well, I interviewed candidates that were from Thailand (majority), China, Korea, Malaysia, and Taiwan. The age varied, but most had received their undergraduate degree 3-5 years ago although there were a couple that were recent (2007) graduates and a few that had graduated back in 1994 and 1995. When asking why they applied to this MBA program, many stated that it was because of ABAC’s reputation throughout Asia, that it allowed them to still work full-time (classes only on weekend), and that they would be able to graduate in a year and a half. Most had heard about the program from the Internet or from a friend, many were alumni of ABAC, and the reason why most wanted to pursue the MBA was to gain “business knowledge” as a few were prompted by their employers as they needed this degree for corporate advancement. In general, however, most of the candidates had aspired to “own their own business” in the next 5+ years and the majority had spent time working for the “family business” and plan to take over when their parents retire. These “family businesses” ranged from importers/exporters to wholesalers to distributors. This made for some interesting conversations and did make the day go by fast.
Two Weeks Left
August 13, 2008 at 5:26 am | In Thailand | Leave a CommentTags: ABAC, GSIT, mflu, partnerships
Two weeks from now I will be back at JSU and I can almost sense an internal clock within me ticking down the moments I have left here. The weather has been miserable here for the past week (raining on and off most days, cloudy, gloomy) so I feel a bit “cooped up” without having the chance to be outside exercising as I have for the past few weeks. I only have two classes left; tomorrow my students will be presenting their team projects and next week Thursday they will be taking the final exam. I am happy with the way that this semester turned out for this class, but I feel the past week has just felt like “work” since there has been a lot of back-and-forth with the Thai universities as I am trying to coordinate the final details of our initial short-term partnerships initiatives before the start of JSU’s fall semester. Things have also been quite busy as I am still holding weekly study sessions where I help many of the students from the one MBA MIS section that I do not teach with their class by reviewing case studies with them among other things. I have also been unofficially advising two other students that are working on their final thesis surveys, helping them perform their studies and analyze the results with SPSS, which I know they greatly appreciate. The good thing about not having an office at ABAC is that it has forced me to spend most of my days working in the computer lab and that has allowed me to meet so many students. The bad thing about having to work in the computer lab is that I can expect to spend at least one hour each day helping a few of those students with questions they have. I don’t mind the extra work so much as it has allowed me a chance to introduce myself and JSU to so many new people.
My meeting with the undergraduate business school at ABAC has never materialized and that has been very disappointing for me after starting with so much promise. I have gotten several reasons from other ABAC administrators about why this happened, but the most likely one is that the business school alone has over 10,000 students and they probably didn’t have the time to fit me in their schedule. Not wanting to put all of my eggs into this one basket, I spent the last few weeks meeting with several ABAC administrators in the graduate schools to discuss partnership opportunities there. The dean of the graduate business school is very receptive to whatever possibilities we can think of, from student or faculty exchanges to joint programs, so that was very nice to hear. I was also able to attend a graduate School of IT departmental meeting this week where I also had a chance to discuss partnership opportunities with them as well as provide feedback on other items that they had on their agenda (e.g., self-assessment/accreditation, marketing/publicity, etc.). Although the dean for the graduate School of IT (GSIT) was not there (usually doesn’t attend these faculty meetings), I did meet with him just a few weeks back (“The Father of the Internet in Thailand” or “The Father of eLearning in Thailand) and did discuss an interest in building a partnership to which he was receptive. In my discussions with this committee, however, they were very interested in the possibility of at some point having a joint or “offshore” program with our MSSD program. Though they have recently started “offshore” programs in Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Vietnam, the committee was interested in extending this to the US as most of the committee had received their Ph.D.’s from the US and had fond memories of their experiences while there. The GSIT had modeled their program from the ACM (Association for Computing Machinery), has a MOU with the University of Missouri (not sure how extensive this is or with which campus, though), and they are now offering four majors (CIS – Computer Information Systems, CEM – Computer and Engineering Management, TEM – Telecommunications and Engineering Management, SCM – Supply Chain Management) and a Ph.D. program. The committee was receptive in the possibility of student/faculty exchanges with their department and also looked forward to hosting a delegation visit from JSU to formalize a MOU. Since I am always interested in action and not just “promises”, I also did talk about some short-term partnership possibilities between the GIST and JSU. ABAC has traditionally has been a teaching institution, but in the past few years, has placed greater emphasis on research for their faculty. As such, ABAC now hosts several international research conferences each year and they have started to publish their own journals which are growing in reputation. With this increasing emphasis in research, we discussed several possibilities to collaborate with faculty from JSU. They agreed to pass along their vita’s to me which I could share with JSU faculty to see if there were any possible “matches” to partner up doing research. The immediate benefit for JSU faculty is that it would give them access to data and research partners in Thailand, which might be of interest for any JSU faculty that does international or culture-based research. The committee suggested that this could be the beginnings of a multi-disciplinary research corporation whose primary members are ABAC and JSU. They also asked me to encourage JSU faculty to submit their manuscripts to their journals as they always are looking for research from all different areas. During the meeting they also discussed a recent student that was accepted into their Ph.D. program and would be starting this coming semester (remember that ABAC’s graduate school has a trimester schedule that matches up almost identically to JSU’s semester schedule) whose topic of interest was similar to some of the research I carried out over the summer here in Thailand. It was suggested that as part of a partnership between JSU and ABAC that I could perhaps play a role as a “co-adviser” for this student. I don’t think that there will be any compensation involved with this, but it could be a good opportunity to conduct more research in Thailand.
Some other great news to report is that the initial, short-term partnership plans with MFLU are starting to materialize through the help of Sherri Restauri from JSU’s distance education office. If you recall, this was the possibility of MFLU undergraduate software engineering students participating in the teams of my software engineering students this coming semester and that my graduate software engineering students could act as “project managers” for the software projects that MFLU students worked on. Though there are still a few details to work out, it appears that JSU will be able to create student accounts for MFLU students to be able to access JSU’s Blackboard system and communicate/collaborate with my students (Sherri doing all the work behind the scenes on this). Since the MFLU semester’s and JSU semester’s don’t line up that well (their current semester ends in early October), I have discussed with the MFLU faculty that their current students could just “observe” my undergraduate student teams this semester and actually participate in their next semester. Since I have my graduate students for two consecutive semesters, this would not be a problem as they could monitor the same student projects over the two-semester period. Things are starting to shape up here and should be interesting.
Again, still wanting to become more involved here at ABAC and getting to know more people, I agreed to spend most of the day tomorrow conducting interviews for prospective MBA students. Part of the admission criteria to the MBA program at ABAC is an oral interview to ask several questions about the candidate and also assess their ability to speak/communicate in English. The interviews will take place from 9:00am – 3:00pm with each one lasting about 15 minutes in length. There are about 100 candidates that a few other faculty members along with me will interview and I was told that I will be paid 100 Baht (about $3) per interview, even though I wouldn’t mind doing it for free. I was also told that out of the 150 or so candidates that have applied for this coming semester, that they would only accept 50, so I was encouraged to provide as much detail as possible and even recommend automatic rejection which would help them with their admission process. With class tomorrow night, it will be a busy day, but certainly an interesting experience.
Finally, I have been thinking about a presentation to give to the JSU community about my experiences over the summer and the developments for prospective partnerships here in Thailand. I don’t know what the best venue for such a presentation would be, however. I was hoping for a relatively large audience (in the hundreds of people vs. a few dozen) that would include both faculty and students. The presentation could be framed more broadly about the possibilities available for them with universities in Asia and I could speak at length about my experiences over here this summer. Is there an outlet like that possible at JSU? Do you think there would be much interest in the JSU community?
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