Thai Virtual Office Student Assistant Appointment Ceremony（2022/03/07）

 Thai Virtual Office Student Assistant Appointment Ceremony was held on March 7, 2022.
 NAIST overseas office in Thailand was established in 2017, located within Kasetsart University's Faculty of Engineering, to serve as a central point in Asia for global collaboration in higher education and research, including recruiting international students, enhancing cooperation with partner universities, and strengthening networks with NAIST alumni in Thailand and surrounding ASEAN countries.

 In the last 2 years, the worldwide travel restrictions caused by the COVID 19 pandemic, hinder us from implementing any physical activities in the Thai office. Therefore, in order to continue to develop the office's activities under any circumstances including the pandemic, we have decided to establish a new "Thai Virtual Office" with the aim of further promoting collaboration between NAIST and its partner institutions in Thailand and strengthening the office's function as an information and network hub. This Virtual Office will be operated concurrently with the physical office. It will be open this April and the opening ceremony of the Thai Virtual Office is scheduled for late August 2022. The Virtual Office, the first trial of its kind at NAIST, will be run by DGE staff and Thai student assistants who will be engaged in promoting NAIST, recruiting prospective international students, and networking with international NAIST alumni. The following six students are appointed as student assistants.

Mr. Wassapon Watanakeesuntorn（D3, Software Design and Analysis Laboratory）
Mr. Kundjanasith Thonglek（D2, Software Design and Analysis Laboratory）
Mr. Soratouch Pornmaneerattanatri（D1, Software Design and Analysis Laboratory）
Mr. Thanet Pakpuwadon（D3, Photonic Device Science Laboratory)
Ms. Thanaree Treepetchkul（D1, Photonic Device Science Laboratory）
Ms. Kamolchanok Sarisuta（D1, Nanomaterials and Polymer Chemistry Laboratory）

 Prior to opening the Virtual Office, the "Thai Virtual Office Student Assistant Appointment Ceremony" was held on March 7. The venue of this ceremony was virtually set up using the oVice platform, and the student assistants, Dr. Kazuhiro Shiozaki, President, Prof. Kenichi Matsumoto, Thai Office Director, Dr. Tsukasa Ogasawara, Vice President, Prof. Jun Ohta, Vice President and several guests gathered to witness the appointment.

 Student assistants expressed their willingness to consult with prospective students about life in Japan and academic & research activities at NAIST　based on their own experiences and to motivate prospective students to study at NAIST in the self-introduction session. President Shiozaki signed the appointment certificates, and a commemorative photo was taken with each student assistant. President Shiozaki sent a message of expectation to the student assistants, saying, "I strongly expect that you will come up with new and innovative ideas and work with our faculty and staff to co-create the NAIST's first virtual office".

 Participants enjoined the virtual ceremony and ended in great success with a smiling commemorative photo.