The first graduates from a Japanese-style technical college founded in the Thai capital, Bangkok, have celebrated their milestone moment at a commencement ceremony.
The college opened five years ago based on a project launched by the governments of Japan and Thailand, with the support of Japan’s National Institute of Technology.
Twenty students, along with their families and teachers, attended the first graduation ceremony of the college on Sunday.
National Institute of Technology Chairman Taniguchi Isao said he hopes the graduates will be active as practical, creative engineers making use of what they have learned at the college.
Students at Japanese-style technical colleges can acquire practical knowledge and skills over five years after graduating from junior high school.
There is a sense of crisis in Thailand that corporate investment is flowing to other Southeast Asian nations.
By introducing the same curriculum as in Japan, the college in Thailand is expected to raise the standards for majors in technology who can be immediately effective after graduating — hopefully advancing the country’s economy.
When entering the college, the students were selected from across the country with a rate of one successful applicant out of more than 10 hopefuls.
Many of the graduates have already secured job offers, including those from Japanese companies doing business in Thailand.