Activities

On Friday, 19th September, IC-KMUTNB hosted three accomplished guests who contributed practical guidance to its 3rd-year students. The panel's theme was "How should university graduates prepare for the future?" and was composed of Tareef Jafferi, Founder/MD of HappilyAI, Suphakd (Phak) Seankhat, Investment Advisor at Satoris Giants, and Henry Won, Founder of Clvir B2B.  A fourth panellist from Ducati, Thailand, unfortunately had to cancel at the last minute. 

Tareef began the discussions with a short talk about his journey to his current position. Life's journey is chaotic and never a straight line, so students should use the opportunity to try many things, manage expectations and remember to have conviction in what they are doing. It is important to build an environment with supportive people where you can be you, and you can become happy. Using examples of companies, Tareef showed how to design conversations that help a company and a person grow. The intersection of Behaviour, Analytics and Technology is where HappilyAI focuses, emphasising humanism in AI.

Suphakd also shared his journey from hospitality to technology and pharmaceuticals. By focusing on meaningful conversations, talking with people you want to learn from, being curious and asking questions, he was able to move (Norway, Switzerland, China, UAE and now Thailand) and conduct business globally. Phak suggested having a mindset that would help continue one's journey because things will not be straight. But, more importantly, Phak emphasised the importance of listening so that you can identify problems and then present solutions. If students present solutions to employers, they students are likely to be listened to and taken seriously regardless of their degree or discipline. He was able to transcend industries by focusing on solutions by purposefully talking with others.

Henry echoed what the others said. Understand the objective of your conversations. Is it worth your time? University students are young and have time, but they have to use this time to learn and make mistakes. There is always more than one answer, but the thing is to commit to the answer you choose. 

All three panellists talked about being proactive. It is important to be able to learn quickly and be sharp. More so now, it is important to know how to communicate and to do so with energy. If you are passionate about your project, others will be interested. While it is important to accept feedback, it is also crucial to be critical of what others say. Understand the other person’s perspective.

If there were one main message, it would be, Go make direct human contact. Go physically talk with others and exchange ideas. This conversation will help you understand yourself, the market, who to talk with, and how to communicate better. The panellists used this to grow their businesses.

These individuals connected and inspired the students. Very few were distracted by social media, mobile games; there were many questions asked using the Slido option and in person. Several stayed after the session to interact with the panellists. The attention and lack of distraction say a lot, especially with students still chatting 40 minutes after the session formally ended. 

This panel discussion is among many ongoing initiatives to help students develop a pragmatic sense of what is required upon graduation and in global business. IC's Embassy Talk series is a one-of-a-kind in Thailand, where diplomats regularly visit the College and give talks about conducting trade with their countries. Over 10 representatives have visited since January 2023.

The College has also hosted CEOs, MDs and Consultants to give the students guidance on business presentations, workplace behaviours and writing. By having a variety of guest speakers, students get a balance of lecturers' knowledge and experience with ongoing happenings in the business world by people currently influencing changes. Therefore, IC is delivering on its mission to produce work-ready graduates that can have a global impact.  

News Author: Dr. Mariano Miguel Carrera