I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E :

Flooding of Campus 1

From the

Academic Director

1

IPaD Update 2

From the Students

(Flooding Reports)

3

Social Networking

with SRU

5

Meet the Staff 6

Meet the Students 6

Guest report on

Social Media

7

Restaurant Review 7

Event Calendar 8

B U S I N E S S N A M E

www.stendenrangsit.com

SRU NEWS 4 / 2 0 1 1

O C T O B E R - D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 1

2012 has come its conclusion, as, as I take my leave of SRU, I

can look back at a year filled with excitement and change.

During the year in academic and marketing terms, we have

introduced new staff members, developed a new exclusive 6

month minor - that of International Protocol and Diplomatic

Studies - together with an Asian Studies research unit and its

related blog, seen many visits from friends on other sites,

developed a new website, done visits and school presentations

both inside and outside Thailand, have forged solid links with

industry, and have increased the size of our advisory board. In

addition, we are attracting an ever-growing number of Grand

Tour students, who are attracted by the quality of the

programme in an exotic location.

SRU experienced the vagaries of nature during the past months,

and saw the evacuation of our students out of Thailand to other

campus sites. The flooding was wide-spread, and the residents

in one third of the 12 million-strong city‟s districts, including our

own students, were advised to leave their homes and places of

work and study, because of the advancing flood waters that

have killed 506 people in three months.

Many of the inundated areas including Rangsit were under as

much as a metre of filthy brown water, which played havoc with

bus services and traffic along flooded stretches of major roads

through Bangkok.

Following the evacuation from Rangsit, the area of Chatuchak,

home to the well-known weekend market, also fell victim, with

main road outside the market covered in deep water for several

weeks.

We experienced water was also lapping at the stairways to the

overhead Skytrain station, its most northern point, although

through most of the flooding, the elevated transit system is

continuing to operate to schedule. However, some stations of

the underground were closed for safety reasons.

However, natural disaster brings out the best in people, and

clearly Stenden produces exceptional students. We were

involved in sand-bagging, evacuation exercises, community aid

programmes, and were formally thanked by the community for

our contribution to humanitarian initiatives.

Flooding of campus BEFORE

AFTER

From the desk of the Academic Director

P A G E 2

S R U N E W S 4 T H Q U A R T E R 2 0 1 1

Taking the time-honoured thesis that Diplomacy is simply

the art and science of hospitality viewed through a

different lens, this new minor was developed to teach

business and diplomatic excellence to students who wanted

a real career edge.

The first running of the demanding IPaDs minor is now

reaching its conclusion, and has proved to be

a phenomenal success, with interest from

future students increasing daily. This 20

week minor has intentionally been of an

extremely high academic standard, and has

been well-received both by students and by

the diplomatic community at large.

The course comprises five main academic

themes – International law, Economics for

Diplomats, International Media, Diplomatic

Studies and Mandarin language and culture.

Students also run a weekly political

commentary blog, complete an extremely complex module

assignment which draws on all the themes of the

programme, and do a written and oral mandarin exam. In

addition, the students are exposed to the diplomatic

community by means of visits to embassies and the United

Nations, as well as attend functions at embassies and

organisations like the Châine des Rôtisseurs as well.

The IPaDs students are also full members of the Foreign

Correspondents‟ Club of Thailand (a professional

association for international journalists and politicians), and

attend regular lectures there, given by important visiting

internationals and heads of state.

With all the field trips and activities,

one particular highlight will long

live in the memories of the

students. As a group, we were

allowed diplomatic status to visit

the Kerobokan maximum security

prison in Indonesia, and were able

to meet with the much-publicised

Bali 9, including the 2 on death

row, and gain a completely

d i f ferent ins ight in to the

controversial issue of the death penalty. Following the de-

briefing on campus following this visit, we were surprised

by a visit from the President of Stenden, Mr Leendert

Klaassen and our Director International, Dr Robert Coelen

who added some valuable insights into our experience.

However, amid the excitement of this academic emphasis

and marketing endeavour, we have also had to deal with

the terrible floods in Thailand, and were forced to evacuate

our students to the other campuses with hopefully as little

disruption to the academic programmes as possible.

Stenden Rangsit is positioned as a centre of academic

excellence, and students have involved themselves in many

projects, and the quality of work produced has been

exemplary. However, out of the classroom our students

have also excelled, and during the recent flooding, our

students were involved in relief activities, aiding members

of the community in a time of need. We take pride in our

students fulfilling the Stenden mission statement, both for

themselves and for the surrounding community.

We have also welcomed the appointment of a long-time

friend of SRU, Maureen van der Meché, as General

Manager, and congratulated Mrs Vorapa Udol on her

promotion to Rangsit liaison manager for the campus.

Clearly SRU is going great places.

Also joining the staff in 2012 are Mr Jaap Sanders as

Academic Director, and Mr Peter de Boer and Mr Jorrit van

der Woude as lecturers. They are welcome additions to

the enthusiastic team!

It has been both a pleasure and a privilege for me

personally to have been able to work with such wonderful

colleagues in the Stenden family. I wish SRU team, both

present and future, wonderful years ahead, and will take

pleasure in watching the team grow from strength to

strength. They have my appreciation and admiration.

Finally, I take the opportunity to wish all the readers of our

newsletter well over the festive season and my best wishes

for a rewarding 2012.

Update on International Protocol and Diplomatic Studies (IPaDs)

Students with Mr Klaasen and Dr Coelen

P A G E 3

From the students

S R U N E W S 4 T H Q U A R T E R 2 0 1 1

Piyanut is one of our first year students of the IHM programme and describes her experience during the flooding.

My name is Piyanut Prayatsup, I am a 1st

year student studying at Stenden Rangsit

University. As you may have heard on the

news, Bangkok was severely hit by the floods.

Due to this SRU decided to relocate us to

Stenden University Bali.

My first instinct was that I did not want to

leave Thailand; I did not want to leave my

family and also my house. Coming to Bali was

the first time I‟ve ever left Thailand, let alone

leaving my parents. When we first arrived in

Bali we were all surprised and taking in all the

surroundings that we would call „home‟ for the

next 3 months. At first we were all finding it

hard to adapt to the different lifestyle here in

Bali. We were not keen on trying the new

food, we just all felt very homesick, and still

worried about the situation in Bangkok.

After having a weekend to relax and adapt to

the change, we had to start studying again.

We all found it very interesting once we

arrived to Stenden University Bali. It was good

to have a change in scenery. The Bali

campus is different compared to

Rangsit. Bali‟s campus is more open,

they use less air-con, and everything is

in one building.

Since coming to Bali we have all learnt

many new things, and gained a lot of

new experiences that will stay with us.

The Balinese people are some of the

nicest and friendliest people I have

met. They want to help and they also

like Thailand!

We have now been here for 3 weeks. We

have made many friends, locals, holiday

makers and also fellow students. We have all

gained confidence in meeting new people.

Now we are all settled in and enjoying our

time here. Bali is an inspirational place to

study at, the culture the location and scenery

all help us to relax and yet still have fun. This

experience has taught us a lot, which I will

also take back to Thailand with me.

Piyanut (2nd from right)

enjoys Bali’s beaches

with her friends

Thom Dirkse is one of the first Grand Tour students to follow the International Protocol and Diplomatic Studies (IPaD) minor. For SRU News, Thom uses his talent as a blogger for AsiaNowBlog.com and writes about his adventures during the flooding.

When the first news of floods reached us it

was still far away and not expected to be as

bad as it turned out to be. As the weeks

passed by there came news of more and more

areas getting flooded, until on one day the

threat came that the Rangsit area was next.

This was all new to us and our expectations

were vague. All sources gave different

information, and some said it was an event

that occurred every year. School organized

transport for the students to fill up sandbags

to prevent the canals from flooding. The

community support turned out to be more

than the feeling of being useful, but I also

experienced it as being lots of fun. All locals

were incredibly friendly and made sure we

were supplied with red bull, noodles and not

to forget shovels and sandbags. It is always a

kind of special to have fun with people

without understanding a word of what they

P A G E 4

S R U N E W S 3 R D Q U A R T E R 2 0 1 1

Thom (l.) waits with

SRU staff at Bangkok’s

train station during the

evacuation

are saying. The only

thing I did understand

was “ farang leo

leo” (Foreigner hurry

up).

I was actually on my

way to have a look at

the bridge (one of the

known weak points in

the dyke), when we

were notified that the

following classes were cancelled. The holiday

was only some days later. Upstream there

was water released to ease some of the

pressure on the dam. The water will break

true this very day was what I understood.

Well what are we doing here then? So I

packed my bag and went off with a couple of

friends towards the sun and beach. Ko Phi Phi

was touristy but none the less I had a great

time canoeing, swimming and enjoying a

couple of beers. It turned out to take

more than 2 weeks before the

University itself started to get

flooded, as it appeared to be an

island for weeks.

Well after the holiday we had to get

back to the work spirit, so we took

the ferry when we received the

message that school was postponed

for another couple of weeks. We

stayed one day in Krabi to discuss

what to do next, my friends wanted

to go straight back to Ko Phi Phi.

Although I have had a great time

there I had enough of it and went

back to Bangkok instead.

Once I arrived by bus on the famous

Khao San Road, I started my quest to

Rangsit campus. From the taxi I started to see

that the water was expected to come into the

city: sandbags everywhere and thousands of

parked cars on the elevated highway. Once

dropped off at Don Muang Airport (near

campus area), I could see at least a meter of

water. Busses were driving off and on but I

couldn‟t figure out which one would take me

home. In a situation like this Thai people are

always willing to take you along, good for me,

because otherwise it would have been a very

long walk. Not speaking the language would

pose more trouble for me because the pick-up

dropped me off miles to far. I farewell my

newly made friends and left of alone.

It did not take long before I got picked up by

a friendly young man that spoke English (a

relief I can assure you) and asked me “What

the hell are you doing here if you need to go

to Rangsit” He was willing to show me the

right way and helped me to get further.

After a couple of days staying at SIta Villa, we

were asked evacuate to the city on a short

notice because the threat was getting more

serious. The Grand Majestic Hotel was

beautiful and we had some time to relax

there, together with Korean, Chinese, Finish

and Bhutanese students. Then, SRU decided

to move us all to Nong Khai and to arrange all

further travel arrangements from there,

because it would be safe and there were

several airports nearby.

Stenden Rangsit arranged train and bus

tickets to get us there end we left within 2

hours, no time was spared because the worst

predictions said the water would come soon.

Nong Khai was a “small” city but close to the

mighty Mekong River and there were

definitely some nice temples there! Khon Kaen

University, who hosted us was very hospitable

and organized lectures , a dinner and a tour

through the school and an enormous

aquarium that is the biggest freshwater fish

aquarium in the Northeast of Thailand.

To continue studying most of us had to fly off

again after a week either to Phuket for their

strategic Practice or for their Spa and health

two in Bali.

P A G E 5 O C T O B E R - D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 1

Stenden Rangsit networks no other

/stendenrangsit

This quarter, social networks helped to stay in touch with students and get across important messages during the flooding while Asia Now go its own fan page!

During the time in Nongkhai, SRU students used the opportunity to mingle with local students and establish good relations with Khon kaen University

Fundraiser for flood victims organized by a Thai student in the Netherlands.

The IPaD students are welcoming more and more fans on facebook.com/asianowblog

Best wishes from students on international practice

Students used facebook to communicate with concerned friends and family members.

Students used facebook to express their appreciation to SRU staff during the flooding crisis

Asia Now has gone social! All blog posts are directly posted on facebook.com/asianowblog

/asianowblog

Once more, social networks have proven to be a cru-cial tool to stay connected and share news. During the flooding crisis, the latest news and photos from cam-pus were spread quickly, keeping all students and staff informed at all times.

P A G E 6

Final exam of a different kind

S R U N E W S

Living an Adventure In March this year, Michael Ferraris joined the SRU

team to head up the Spa and Health Management

Minor in Thailand. With his health related background

it was an easy decision for the South African born lad

to take the lead of one of the most popular modules in

the Grand Tour curriculum.

Michael, who was born in South Africa, spent his

childhood worrying his mother, often catching snakes

and riding his bicycle down massive sand dunes in the

Namib Desert. Having parents who worked in the

mining industry, Michael soon found himself

completing high school in the Canadian North. Not

being one to worry about anything, he was soon

snowboarding, snowmobiling and simply ice fishing in -

40 degree Celsius weather with new and easily made

friends. Needless to say, nothing much has changed,

his mother is still worried sick and he is still a keen

adventurer. Since living in Asia, Michael has been

privileged enough to travel to surrounding countries

like Laos and Cambodia, and is now coordinating and

tutoring modules at the Stenden Bali campus

temporarily due to the flooding in Thailand. When

asking Michael what some of the highlights have been

since his arrival in south east Asia, it is likely that he

would respond with something like “swimming down

the Mekong river, driving through torrential rain on

scooters in the mountains in Bali or simply winning one

of Thailand‟s premier rugby tournaments with his

beloved Southerners Rugby Club”. If you were to get

to know Michael, it‟s not only his enthusiastic and

sociable personality you would be exposed to, but you

would learn of his selfless ways. Before the floods had

taken grip of Northern Bangkok, you could find Michael

relentlessly packing sandbags trying to protect the local

area from inundation. After the dykes had succumb to

the immense volume of water, you could then find him

packing military relief vehicles with vital supplies to

people who had been severely hit by the enormity of

the flood. Despite many of his simple ways, Michael is

extremely proud to be associated to Stenden University

whether based in Rangsit or Bali and takes his

academic duties very seriously. Although Michael may

Meet the Staff

Stenden Rangsit’s Shining Lights One thing Stenden

University is extremely

proud of are the various

campus sites located

around the world. A

benefit of having campus

sites in 5 different

c o u n t r i e s i s t h e

internationalization which

is present within. Noah

Kafula from Congo is a

prime example. Born and raised in the second largest

country in Africa, Noah is a long way from home, all in the

name of International Hotel Management. Noah, one of 15

siblings became passionate about hospitality while

travelling at a young age. His father who is a successful

businessman may have also contributed to this passion,

possibly from his individual management principles.

Educated primarily in French, Noah is equally fluent in

English which makes socializing with guests an easy feat.

Despite his social skills, Noah enjoys making cocktails and

sees it as a way of expressing his creativity. Despite his

passion for hospitality, Noah is an avid football fan and

supports his beloved country whenever he can. Further to

that, Noah also has a soft spot for animals and dearly

misses his dogs and cats at home. Asked what he loved

most about Thailand, he suggested that the people and the

various cultures he is exposed to on a daily basis have

really shaped the person he is today. Furthermore, Noah

also really loves Thai cuisine and you can often find him

sampling various street food at the local markets. When

asking Noah about what the future may hold, he insists

that he would like to return to the Congo and apply the

knowledge he has learnt at Stenden Rangsit University.

Michael on one of his endeavours to

the Buddha Park in Vientiane, Laos

Meet the Students

Noah during his internship at the

Centara Grand Beach Resort

P A G E 7 O C T O B E R - D E C E M B E R

The trend called Web 2.0 According to most trend watchers, social media was the biggest

happening in 2010 & 2011. From sharing your positive or negative feedback on Tripadvisor (customer

for customer), book & pay hotels / restaurants through mobile apps & widgets, being the mayor of your favorite cafe

on foursquare to tweeting your experiences on twitter, everything is possible.

Some studies that have been conducted last months are telling the opposite that social

media will generate extra revenue for your company. Could this be because it can be

hard to measure which media your guest uses to purchase your products? There are

certain tools that can help you to track the ROI on social media like Google Analytics.

There are IT based companies who preach they can make sure that your Facebook

page will be liked by 12,000 followers within one month. Although that seems create

for you brand awareness & recognition, are those likers the ones you want to follow you? How many of those 12,000

followers are potential buyers for your company? Social media marketing places a high demand on your time. The

content must be created, edited, approved and published; comments must be responded to and the different sites and

pages must be maintained. Last but not least like any other trends, trends quickly come as they go. an

As part of the close collaboration of Stenden Rangsit

University and Stenden University Bali, as well as the

time spent together during the flooding, Jeroen Schot,

module coordinator in Bali contributes to SRU News

as a guest writer.

Why does it work?

It‟s inexpensive –compared to other marketing tools

(Mostly) everybody uses it

You can reach people in different parts of the world

You can regularly update your offers & promotions

It helps to create brand awareness

It increases the brand recognition and your loyal fol-lowers

But... It doesn‟t increase revenues directly

A recent study reveals what we already suspected – volume is not quality in your followers

It takes time – and eventually money

Maybe it will end eventually?

Note that visits to restaurants are unannounced and paid for in full.

Amaltery SRU Restaurant Reviews

Ice cream, one of the world‟s greatest inventions, has

long taken its rightful place in everyone's hearts - young

or old. Served previously exclusively in the bygone

European royal courts, this frozen dessert was

considered a delicacy so divine that, as somebody aptly

put, it should be illegal. Illegal or not, we all love it,

especially when it comes with a little twist...

Forget - at least temporarily - about

everyday flavours like chocolate,

strawberry and vanilla, because at

Amaltery, you're in for a pleasant

surprise! To the unknowing eye, Amaltery

appears to be an innocent-looking ice

cream parlour where kids would enjoy

their chocolate sundae and banana split.

A brainchild of a former advertising

consultant, Amaltery also does it justice design-wise. Its

simple yet minimalistically chic interior, together with its

startlingly named flavours makes you want to sit and

linger on your 'Screamin Orgasm', wishing it'd never

melt...

Amaltery, situated at the Urban Kitchen, Ground Floor,

The Erawan Bangkok and Ground Floor at Siam Paragon,

is an ideal place for true epicureans - a place where soft

confection and hard liquor collide head-on. Whether you

want to conclude your dinner with a frozen nightcap, or

get a little tipsy for a night of booze binging, Amaltery is

guaranteed to serve every purpose!

However, a closer look reveals neither

children nor their sundaes, but a shelf

filled with colourful liquid in equally

colourful bottles. Yes, you guessed it,

Amaltery manages to combine two

opposite debaucheries and ice them up

into over 30 varieties of home-made

cocktail ice creams, from common

concoctions like Margarita, B52, Long

Island Iced Tea, and Sex on the Beach, to more

imaginative ones like 'Bitchin Margarita', 'Midnight

Mojito', and many more.

Calendar

P A G E 8 Ja

nu

ary

Mar

ch

TIEE 2011/2012 (postponed from November 2011)

Location: Royal Paragon Hall, Date: 30 March to 1 April 2012 Thailand International Education Expo 2011 (TIEE 2011), the biggest event of its kind among ASEAN coun-

tries, will put the spotlight firmly on the Kingdom‟s excellent learning institutes and its effective education

industry with SRU on location.

Chinese New Year

Location: Chinatown/ citywide, Date: 23 January 2012

Rites and festivities citywide by Thai-Chinese. Chinatown fills with lion

and dragon dances, firecrackers, lanterns, Chinese opera and even more

food stalls than usual. 2012 is a dragon year.

Thailand Coffee Tea and Drinks / Bakery & Ice Cream Exhibition

Location: IMPACT Arena, Date: 30 March to 2 April Meet exhibitors showcasing the latest creations and trends in Coffee, Bakery and Ice Cream. A good opportunity to meet experts and international

Silverlake Music Festival 2012

Location: Pattaya Date: 28 January 2012 The event that is making waves in Thailand, besides the flood, is the world class event “Silverlake Music Festival 2012”. It will write a page in Thailand‟s musical history and it will welcome some of the world‟s critically acclaimed artists (Incubus). Thailand‟s favorite artists will perform live at Pattaya‟s Silverlake Vineyard, one of the best venues in Thailand.

Febr

uar

y

4 T H Q U A R T E R 2 0 1 1

12th fl., Rattanakunakorn Bldg. Rangsit University 52/347 Muang Ake, Phaholyothin Road Lak-Hok, Pathumthani 12000 Thailand

T: +66 2 997 2200 (ex. 4095, 4098) F: +66 2 997 2200 (ex. 4097) E: SRU@stenden.com

Stenden Rangsit University

www.stendenrangsit.com

Stenden Rangsit University is based on the campus of the Rangsit University near Bangkok in the Kingdom of Thailand. We are a joint venture between Rangsit University and Stenden University of Applied Sciences of the Netherlands. Rangsit University is the fastest growing private University in Thailand with 35 000 students at a collegiate-style technologically advanced modern campus in Bangkok, the diplomatic hub of the East.

Stenden University, with campus sites in Emmen, Assen, Groningen, Meppel and the main campus in Leeuwarden in the Netherlands, as well as Port Alfred (South Africa), Bali (Indonesia) and Doha (Qatar), has 12,000 students and staff from 60 countries and offers the renowned International Hospitality and Hotel Management Studies degree among its other 22 degree courses. Drawing from the best brains of both partner universities, Stenden Rangsit University offers you a highly qualified and committed staff with a passion for teaching. Quality and excellence are assured!

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Valentine’s Day in Bangkok

Location: citywide Date: 14 February 2012 Although one wouldn‟t expect this western „day of love‟ in Thailand, Bangkokians celebrate Valentine‟s extensively. Roses and cuddly toys can be found all around while many restaurants offer special promotions for diners. Many romantics go for a diner cruise on the beautifully illuminated Chao Praya River. Another popular spot is the Trimurti Shrine (also called „Shrine of Love‟) in the Chidlom district where hordes of singles, couples and pretty much anyone seeking love or lust kneels down to ask for luck.