REPORT ON EXCHANGE PERIOD
RANGSITUNIVERSITY
Report on Exchange Period
1. Personal Details
2. Course Details at Home Institution
Business Economics (Bachelor of Business Administration)
International Business
3:rd year student
3. Exchange Period
RangsitUniversity, Office of International Affairs, ABC-Program
Jeroen Schedler, Director (Office of International Affairs)
March 8 2004 – May 31 2004 (Exchange period)
4. Details on Courses Taken
4.1. Asian Economies and Finance
From March 8:th to April 21:st
Teacher: Dr. Lily
Guest lecturer: Dr. Nathabhol
Asst. Prof. Chintana
Prof. Dr. William McCleary
Assc. Prof. Sirilaksana Khoman
In this cource the main goal was to learn about Thailand and Asian economics. We started to learn us things like makro and mikro economics and later we studied things like the Asian crises in the 90:s. What went wrong in the Asian economy and what have happened after.
Personally I got a beter picture on how big the Asian economic market is and what to think about if I would start some business in Asia. Luckily we had the chance to have Prof. Dr. William McCleary as an lecturer who have worked for the IMF for 30 years and had Asia as his main work. He lectured us how imported IMF been for Asia and what kind of problems there still is in some Asian countries. For teacher Dr. Lily we made a big project were we should present a country and it´s economy. This was a groupwork and my group presented The republic of China. Normally this course could be wery booring but thanks to Dr. Lily it was very interesting because of her teaching methods and her kindness. For the other lecturers we had only some smaller tasks to hand in. This course was maybe the best if I think on the useful information that we learn.
4.2. Sales and Marketing Management in Asia
From March 8:th to April 9:th
Teacher:Dr. Khanchitpol
Guest lecturer:Dr. Anuchit
A. Teeranun
Prof. Lt. Gen. Dr. Somchai
In this cource the main goal was to learn and understand how the Thai and Asian corporation management do sales and marketing. What differs from the western marketing style and what western corporation should think about doing their marketing in Asia. We had an bigger project in this course that we made as a groupwork and were we should present how an global Thai corporation do their domestic and international marketing. What their strenghts / weaknesses is and what we think they should improve in their business. We also two smaller cases to hand in. To read we got a huge book “International Marketing, eleventh edition, Philip R. Cateora / John L. Graham” and also a lot of copied papers from the lecturers every class.
4.3. International Business in Asia
From April 19:th to May 21:st
Teacher: Ms. Amporn
Guest lecturer: Ms Ussanee
Mr. Peter
The goal for this course was to learn how corporations go global. What to think aboud before you go globally. We had a lot of case studies from copied papers about different corporations like McDonlds, Boeing, Nestlé….
Ms. Amporn lectured us about international corporations and the cases, Ms. Ussanee lectured about the stock-market and how it works in Thailand. Mr. Peter lectured about the same things as Ms. Amporn but also how corporations should evaluate different countries. Groupwork again and this time we should present a work were we pretend to launch a business corporation to the Asian market. Another smaller projekt we had was to present a country and the business opportunites.
4.4. Cultural Management
From March 8:th to April 9:th
Teacher:Dr. Bassakorn
Guest lecturer:Dr. Nakamol
Ian Mcdonald
In this course the main goal was to learn and understand the Thai culture and
their religion. How big impact the religion have on the Thai people and what an foreigner should think about in Thailand. This course was interesting even if it got a bit booring sometimes. To read we got copied papers from the lecturer every class. In this course we had again a groupwork, we had to present Thai culture and another Asian country. Our group wrote about Malaysia.
4.5. Thai Studies and Thai Language
From March8:th to May 21:st
Teachers: Do not remember them by name.
We had a few classes were we should learn us basic Thai language like how to say hello and to order food in restaurants. To learn the Thai language was really hard and even if I learnd it I normally pronounced it wrong in restaurant so they did not understand it. We had also the possibility to learn us some Thai dancing. And one day we got the opportunity to be in a kitchen and learn us how to make some Thai dishes even if I do not like the Thai food we made.
4.6. Holidays
We had one hole week of during one of the biggest thai festivals. That was Sonchran which is actually the Chinese New Year. We changed the timetable a bit so we got the last week in Thailand of so we could travel.
5. Travel Arrangements
Vaasa Polytechnics did most of the travel arrangements from Finland to Thailand for us. They used Area Travel Agency LTD for making all the flight arrangements.
Our group gathered Friday the 5 of March at VaasaAirport, and the one hour flight to Helsinki
lifted 21:35 o´clock. After the inchecking other normal stuff our plane to Bangkok lifted 23.50 in the night. The duration of the flight was about 10 hour. The first time I really understood the meaning of culturechock was after arriving at the BangkokInternationalAirport and when we went outside to the hot climate.
6. Accomodation
Finding accomodation
The International Coordinator at Vaasa Polytechnic and RangsitUniversity made all the
Arrangements for the accomodation. They split us in to three smaller groups and we lived in two different places as follow.
Accommodation 1: SITA double rooms.
Accommodation 2: SITA Single occupancy.
Accommodation 3: Inter Resident Apartments
Type of accomodation
The accomodation were I lived was at Sita Villa that located about 5 - 10 min walk from the campus. The room was really nice and luckily it had also aircondition.
Contact details of accomodation
Sita Villa
71/293 Ake-Prajim 3 rond, Soi 2
Muang-Ake Project 1
Pathumthani 12000
THAILAND
Price of accomodation
Accommodation 1:SITA double rooms.
(17,200+6,000/per room = 23,200 THB)
That is about 460 Euro for 3 months. We had also the possibility to order food and use computers and internet for which we paid for in the end of every month.
Level of the accomodation
I would say that Sita Villa is a good place for for students to stay at during their studies.
7. Financing
7.1. Study grant
Under my exchange period I got a higher study grant from Kela (The Social Insurance Institution of Finland). The study grant per month were 259,01 Euro before tax.
Basic monthly rates of the study grant
STUDENT / SECONDARY / HIGHER1. / is married or has dependants / 213,60 / 259,01
2. / lives alone, aged 20 or over / 213,60 / 259,01
3. / lives alone, aged 18-19 / 213,60 / 259,01
4. / lives alone, aged under 18 / 84,09 / 126,14
5. / lives with his/her parent,aged 20 / 63,91 / 105,96
6. / lives with his/her parent,aged under 20 / 21,86 / 38,68
7.2. Housing supplement
The housing supplement covers 80 percent of the rented accomodation in Finland and can vary between 26.90 Euro and 171,55 Euro. But students who study in a foreign country get a higher housing supplement, 180,80 Euro per month from Kela (The Social Insurance Institution of Finland) The total housing supplement for three month were 542,40 Euro.
7.3. Student loan
I also applied for an higher student loan under these three month I studied abroad. The student loan per month I got became 360 Euro per month.
Government guarantees for student loans (€ per month):
Student aged 18 or over / 220 / Student receives adult education subsidy / 310Student aged under 18 / 160 / Student studies abroad / 360
7.4. Scholarship
I got awarded a scholarship by Vaasa Polutechnic for exchange studies in Thailand ( RangsitUniversity), Asian Business and Culture study module.
The total sum of the scholarship was 1.475 euros, of which 510 euros was for living expenses, 795 euros for travel expenses and 170 euro for vaccination costs.
7.5. Tuition fee
Vaasa Polytechnic paid the tuition fee 1.000 Eur for the Asian Business and Culture study module at RangsitUniversity.
8. Final Remarks
This exchange period to RangsitUniversity was really good. It was both educational and a lot of fun. I can say that it was probably the best thing I ever been on, and I could suggest it for everyone.