PSU had the great honor of receiving H.E. Ms. Robina Patricia MARKS, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary at the Embassy of the Republic of South Africa in Bangkok, from 13-14 August 2015. Her Excellency kindly accepted the invitation of the PSU Institute for Peace Studies (IPS) to be an honorable keynote speaker for the seminar "Long Walk to Freedom: South Africa's Past and Prospects", organized at PSU Hat Yai Campus on 14 August.
The seminar aimed to open local perspectives concerning peacebuilding and reconciliation in South Africa from the past until present, and the great knowledge and experience of Her Excellency greatly contributed to the internal insights on social transformation, in order to bring about better, more reasonable educational platforms for the southern region of Thailand.
During the welcome dinner, hosted by Asst. Prof. Dr. Pattara Aiyarak, Vice President for Global Relations and Informatics, Her Excellency mentioned the good relationship between the South Africa and Thailand, and the growing importance of the worldwide academic and economic cooperation. Furthermore, views on topics of mutual interest were exchanged, including the existing and possible future academic cooperation between the two countries, the current conflicts around the world and the need of more effective support for peacebuilding.
