Management Psychology and Sustainable Development: a Comparative Case Study of Philippine and Thai Universities
A special lecture on the topic “Psychology & Sustainable Development” was hosted by PSU's Surat Thani Campus, involving a group of six exchange students from the Philippines visiting PSU from 31 January to 23 February 2024. The visit was organized under the supervision of the International Relations Department and the Bachelor of Public Administration program.
The lecture featured a case study that compares the University of the Philippines with universities in Thailand. The event, held on 14 February 2024, featured keynote speaker Asst. Prof. Dr. Pratumtip Thongcharoen, who presented a lecture titled “Management Psychology and Sustainable Development: a Comparative Case Study of Philippine and Thai Universities”.
The lecture addressed three crucial topics: bullying, LGBTQ+ issues, and public-mindedness. These issues are prevalent in societies worldwide, though their severity varies. The speaker engaged the audience, comprising six Filipino and three Thai student representatives, in assessing the severity of these problems.
After the lecture, the six Filipino and three Thai student representatives were tasked with assessing the severity of the issues discussed, using the questions below.
Q1: Which type of bullying do you think is the most severe?
Most participants, Filipinos and Thais, believe that cyber bullying has a higher level of severity and impact than other types, encompassing all three issues discussed.
Q2: In your society or country, how severe do you think the problem of bullying is? Please rate on a scale up to 10 points.
- Filipino students rated it 8/10.
- Thai students rated it 8/10.
Q3: To what extent do you believe there is acceptance of LGBTQ+ individuals in your society or country? Please rate on a scale up to 10 points.
- Filipino students rated it 5/10.
- Thai students rated it 6/10.
These issues and their assessment align with certain sustainable development goals, specifically SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
Finally, the speakers and participants expressed their opinions: respecting and accepting differences, along with sincerely giving respect to others, are key to solving problems related to bullying and LGBTQ+ issues. They emphasized that public consciousness is something of which everyone must be aware, advocating for a culture of giving and receiving to create a livable society and ensure sustainable development.
This aligns with the royal wishes of the Prince of Songkla, who stated, 'The benefit of fellow human beings is the number one activity,' reflecting the essence of public consciousness. This philosophy serves as a guideline for the staff and students at Prince of Songkla University, which has proudly upheld these practices for more than 55 years.