College freshmen give added boost to MY World campaign in Thailand

Thailand’s Dhurakij Pundit University (DPU) held a kickoff event for incoming freshmen on July 4 and 5, bringing together new students and offering them to participate in a range of team-building activities. It was also a way of introducing students to the university’s involvement in MY World, the United Nations Global Survey.

DPU’s International College (DPUIC) gave a presentation about the MY World campaign and invited more than 1,500 new students to hear about the United Nations and many of the post-2015 development challenges facing Thailand and the rest of the world. “The beginning of a new academic year is always an exciting time for both faculty and students. This year is no exception as DPUIC has the opportunity to continue our successful partnership with MY World,” said Dominic Bone, DPUIC Assistant Dean of Student Affairs.

MY World votes are coming in at the university faster than they can be counted. At the two-day event, more than a thousand students were cast—pushing the university’s total well past 5,000—now accounting for more than 25 percent of Thailand’s 20,000+ votes. “Sometimes, we ignore the little things and we let it pass us by. But if you look closely and carefully and try to solve problems, we can be a major change in the world,” said Sirinant Khoprasertsuk, Vice President of Dhrakij Pundit University’s Student Committee. “It’s really a pleasure to help contribute to this UN project.”

DPUIC has taken the act of collecting votes to all-time highs—taking the campaign beyond the confines of the university into their local community. Earlier in the year, DPUIC partnered with the United Nations to take the survey to a local high school where they collected more than 2,600 votes in less than an hour.

“The key to their success has been the equal engagement of students and faculty. It’s exciting to see as much energy and passion for this campaign from DPU’s President as you would see from the most engaged student,” said Mark S. Cogan, UNDP Communications and Media Officer and Thailand’s MY World National Campaign Director. “It’s really been a team effort from day one”.

DPUIC plans as series of “roadshows” in August where they will take MY World into local high schools, in conjunction with their university recruiting efforts. Plans are also underway to host a “MY World Day” at the 25,000 student campus, hosting United Nations staff, representatives from the private and public sectors, and from various academic faculties.

“MY World Day will be an awesome event where the entire community of Dhurakij Pundit University and senior stakeholders will be able to showcase their contributions and successes in creating a better future for people of Thailand,” said Bone.