1 of 6 BU-ITI Students, the Only One from a Private University, Wins SYEP Thailand-Japan Exchange Scholarship
Congratulations to Ms. Rinrada Thepkaew (Rin), a student from School of Information Technology and Innovation, who has been selected as 1 of 6 Thai students—and the only one from a private university—to receive a scholarship from the Youth Development Program with Sister Cities for the fiscal year 2025. The program is organized by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's Foreign Affairs Office in collaboration with Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan.
They selected youth candidates who reside in Bangkok through a written test and qualification verification, resulting in 22 finalists for interviews conducted jointly by the Foreign Affairs Office and Fukuoka Prefecture. Only 6 people were selected to receive specialized training from the Foreign Affairs Office and Japan under the "Specialized Youth Exchange Program: SYEP" in Japan from March 11-16, 2025.
We commend Rin's excellence, as she participates wholeheartedly in every activity with determination to gain valuable experiences throughout her 4 years at BU. This might be the last activity we see Rin participating in as she is graduating this final term as a senior. But she leaves behind great stories for us to remember.
The Challenge Submission
"This is the first time I've participated in this program. I learned about it from a friend who shared information in our LINE group. The program is interesting, with different challenges each year. This year's topic is 'Solving City Problems through Business Model Presentation,' which seemed interesting for idea submission, so I decided to join this activity."
The Idea Submission
"My idea focused on addressing public park problems to better serve people's needs. I observed that public parks aren't as popular as shopping malls because of the different shared experiences these spaces offer. So I proposed turning parks into co-working spaces, with a portion of the revenue going toward green space improvement. The target audience would be Digital Nomads or people who travel while working. This idea made me 1 of 6 Thai students selected to collaborate on a project with Japanese students who shared an interest in Green Space. Given the project's three-month timeframe, Rin and the team brainstormed various ideas and collected data by interviewing local people. We discovered that street food vendors work constantly with no time to use public spaces and face challenges from not having permanent selling locations. So, Rin and friends came up with the idea of opening food vending areas in parks, naming the project 'TT PARK' (Thailand Taste Park), which aims to add value to famous Thai street food through training, organizing selling spaces, and long-term planning for a Cloud Kitchen to accommodate limited-space food sales and meet online customer needs."
6 Days Worth Every Minute
"Throughout the 6 days, we observed and learned from real challenges shared by professionals from Borderless Japan, who provided real cases from their fieldwork. It was serious on-site learning as they taught us to analyze problems to see the real picture and conduct field visits. We learned how products from poor countries can be developed and value-added until they command higher prices. We visited various councils for 1 day, observed operations for 2 days, and prepared to present our team's ideas for another 2 days, which was very challenging. Social business planning means creating a business that generates profit while simultaneously helping society, but our team managed to think through and present successfully. It was both stressful and fun. The last day was free time to explore Fukuoka city. It was extremely cold, but I could breathe deeply, confirming the rumor that it's truly 'the lungs of the world.”
Language: The Heart of Opening the World
"This program is excellent, providing an experience that opens up a world of learning through like-minded friends. It creates work opportunities that give us suitable options. None of this would happen without communication language skills. English is crucial in helping us communicate for better understanding. If anyone is still afraid to speak, start by watching favorite movies or cartoons in English, practice pronouncing and speaking through language learning apps—everyone can do it because this is the method I used."
