Twelve 3rd year students of the Business Administration Program majoring in International Business, Faculty of Interdisciplinary Sciences, Khon Kaen University Nongkhai Campus passed the criteria and have been selected to join the Wildlife Heroes Project, a project under collaboration of Thailand and Lao PDR for creating youth innovations to stop illegal forest wildlife trading. This 2023 competition was carried out at Vientiane, Lao PDR from June 29 to July 2, 2023 by the United Nation Development Project (UNDP) and the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.
Ten teams joined the Wildlife Heroes Competition, five from Thailand and five from the People’s Democratic Republic of Laos. Two teams from the Faculty of Interdisciplinary Sciences, Khon Kaen University Nongkhai Campus have passed and are entering the Finalists Round, namely, Miss. Wildlife Team and MEANWILD Team. The two teams receive monetary support of 30,000 baht each to create their project for the next round, which is scheduled on September 1, 2023.
Mr. Sutthipat Archamukda (Right), a 3rd year student of the Faculty of Interdisciplinary Sciences, Khon Kaen University Nongkhai Campus
Mr. Sutthipat Archamukda (Right), a 3rd year student of the Faculty of Interdisciplinary Sciences, Khon Kaen University Nongkhai Campus revealed that he was very happy to enter the final round as the representatives from Thailand. The concept of his team’s project was based on the trend of beauty pageant, which presently plays an important role in the social media. The social media that present this are a kind of entertainment that is easily accessible and also understandable for everyone in the world. If there is a campaign to create understanding of law enforcement that opposes wildlife trading and incorporate the idea in the beauty pageant, then the campaign will reach a lot of people. The team has been selected to the final round because of this concept.
“I appreciate the program lecturers’ support and encouragement for students to join competitions so that we can obtain experiences outside classroom. We can apply the business concept in real situation. We are grateful to our supervisor for his assistance until we become successful. I hope the junior students will join such project so that they can experience things that cannot be acquired in classrooms,” said Sutthipat.
Assoc. Prof. Teerawat Charoenrat, Ph.D., the supervisor of the students’ project said that Wildlife Heroes aimed at building understanding of law enforcement against wildlife selling that will lead to initiation of collaboration of Thai and Laos youths to find new means to solve the problem. The students were able to work with many sectors, exchange their knowledge, and develop innovations to solve the problem of illegal hunting, trading, and consuming wildlife in Thailand and Lao PDR. Students could integrate their knowledge outside classroom from their work and collaborate with organizations in the country and abroad. This is the real experience that will enhance their competency for their future occupation and accumulate the traits of the required graduates of Khon Kaen University.
News: Jiraporn Prathomchai and Anirut Sutthinan
Photos: Faculty of Interdisciplinary Sciences, Khon Kaen University Nongkhai Campus
