Interview with Alumni in Thailand– MY student life at Nagoya University –RESONANCE between people

・Academia
Prof. Dr. Apinun Suprasert

Why did you decide on studying at Nagoya University

As language is a part of culture, how did you study

for your master’s and PhD degrees?

Japanese?

Dean, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University

When I was a young staī member at Kasetsart

As a non-Japanese student in Japan, I was required

University, I wanted to assume the challenge ofto know the Japanese language to communicate withProf. Dr. Apinun Suprasert completed his master’s andtaking the next step to become an academic staī. IJapanese people. In fact, through some fun events with

PhD degrees at the Graduate School of Bioagricultural

was required to earn a PhD, and to do that, a seniorJapanese friends, such as ǀŝƐŝƟŶŐ sightseeing places

Sciences at Nagoya University. He then moved

member of the faculty advised me to study abroad atthat exposed me to Japanese scenery, culture, andback to Thailand to become a faculty member inNagoya University. To be honest, I was not familiar withhistory, I picked up Japanese language skills that werethe Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary

Nagoya University at that ƟŵĞ͕ and had no plans toenough to communicate with them. At the same ƟŵĞ͕

Medicine at Kasetsart University, Thailand. He claims

live in Japan at all. I was rather more excited to haveI ŶŽƟĐĞĚ that I go many ideas for my research throughthat one’s personal experiences and networking

unknown experiences than to be afraid.

these aĐƟvŝƟes, inspired by knowing Japanese culture

are of great value to one’s studies and research at a

inclusive of innovaƟve ideas. I found that languages areuniversity. He has currently been the Dean of Faculty

Once you arrived in Japan, how did you ĮŶĚ about theimportant and advantageous tools if you know Englishof Veterinary Medicine at Kasetsart University andculture?

and morĞ͕ŝŶĂĚĚŝƟŽŶto your mother tongue.

the Chairperson of the Thailand Branch of Nagoya

I was impressed that the people and the ĐŝƟes or theUniversity Alumni AssociaƟŽŶ͘transportaƟon systems in Japan were punctual and

What experiences did you have in your student life atwell-organized. Also, Japanese history and culture wereNagoya University?

really interesƟŶŐ͘ I remember especially Japanese

As my purpose for living in Japan was clearly to obtainfood culture made me even happy: every day, I puta PhD, so I mostly stayed at the laboratory. However,my dinner Ɵme special to meet my friends. I lovedby parƟĐŝƉaƟŶŐ in academic ĂĐƟvŝƟĞƐ throughĮƐŚ-fry and miso or tofu made from soy beans that

conferences, I had many ŽƉƉŽƌƚƵŶŝƟĞƐ to meetwere served by the canteen of Nagoya University on

professors and researchers not only in the laboratory

weekdays, and I used to go out on weekends to Imaike

but also all over the world. One great experience was,to have “chicken hanwari (a combinaƟon of rice andby winning a fellowship, to visit California during myfried chicken)”, the taste and the sensaƟŽŶ of Ňavor ofPhD program at Nagoya University. I can say from mywhich I can remember even now!

experience that we cannot study alone. Those networks

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current and the future works.

・Industry
Mr. Atsushi Uozumi

As you emphasize one’s own experiences and networking

Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers Legal & Tax
Consultants Ltd.

that I created are now a treasure of mine to carry out

are of great value to study and research at a university,
Mr. Atsushi Uozumi graduated from the School

While academic researchers have a responsibility toof Economics at Nagoya University. He became abecome experts in their Įeld, we should be aware ofĐĞƌƟĮĞĚ public accountant (CPA) in Japan and worked

being a voice in the society. We need to ask society

as an auditor at Chuo Audit CorporaƟon. In 1995,

about its needs and hear its responses to move on to

he transferred to Coopers & Lybrand (present PwC

the next stage. For example, in the subject of veterinaryThailand) in Thailand. Since then, also following

School of Economics at Nagoya University, my purpose

medicine, volunteering experiences in the farms arethe experiences of Asian ĮŶancial crisis in 1997, hefor studying at the university was then geƫng clearer.

ƐŝŐŶŝĮcant. Through such work, we can exchange ourhas supported Japanese companies in Thailand, byviews with farmers to apply them to our research based

consulƟng on M&A, on the restructuring of businesses,

During your student days at Nagoya University, howon their needs. From an educaƟonal point of view, Iand on internaƟŽŶĂů tax aīairs, ĮŶĂŶĐŝĂů audits, and sowere you leading a way to your future?

would like to inspire young people, giving them moreon.

For the Įrst two years of my university experience, I
did a lot of diīerent kinds of jobs out of curiosity, aschances to think of how their volunteering experiences
and leaderships can be engaged in society.

Prof. Dr. Apinun Suprasert, with Nagoya University members, at Kasetsart University

What was your purpose to study at Nagoya University?

well as the usual studying. I thought I could broaden

When I was a high school student, my dream was tomy potenƟĂůŝƚy to the future through the experiences

become a medical doctor. However, only aŌer I took thesuch as working as a private tutor for young students,

common Įrst-stage exam to enter Japan’s university,

a ball boy at baseball stadium, a seasonal employee

I realized what I wanted to do was not to become

at a department store, a physical laborer on theƉĂƌƟĐƵůĂƌůǇ a medical doctor but to do as a specialist.

transportaƟŽŶƐĞrvice, and so on.

I did not know what kind of specialist exactly at that

In my junior year, I was a student in Prof. Takashi Saito’sƟŵĞ͕ except that I was simply interested in economics.

seminar and was strongly inspired by him and myWhen I took advantage of a chance to enroll in thecolleagues to become an accountant. I had no idea how

Interview with Alumni in Thailand

what exactly should academic researchers do?

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Interview with Alumni in Thailand– MY student life at Nagoya University –to strive for that goal at rst, although we, the seminar
RESONANCE between people

members, worked together cohesively and received

You moved to Thailand to work as a partner at PwC

helpful advice from the graduate members.

Thailand. What things are important for your work?
Especially being in Thailand, I have faced cultural

I can imagine that you enjoyed constantly challenging

di erences that have provided me with more chances

one another during your university days.

than I expected. Although I obtained a professional

We built good friendships and shared any informanlicense of accoun

in Japan, the license itself is

we had, to the goal of becoming an accountant. Prof.

only available in Japan and not in Thailand. It is even

Saito also directed us to p

impossible for me to take the exam for the Thai

cipate in the academic

discussion held at a conference. We gained muchvafor the goal here again, by exchanginglicense because only those people of Thai nayare eligible. However, because I worked ingfor companies in Japan under the Japanese license

opinions with other university members.

and Ivated professional knowledge ofl

Finally, how did you reach your goal to become anstatements in Japan, I can now work speci cally to support

accountant?

Japanese companies in Thailand.

I took an exam to become an accountant for my rst

I believe that every experience will take me well intome when I was a senior student. However, the result

the future. Those university days helped me think

was failure. I then made an extremely tough decision,

about my career plans, and made me more con

and I inten

failed a credit to stay another year at

the university to focus on studying for the exam.
the graduaer

I passed the exam, and becoming an

accountant, I started working at accoun
I appreciate the great support Prof. Saito and my friends
in the seminar could give me. I feel I completed myuniversity training so that I could

vely step forward

to work in the real world and even overseas.

ent

about se ng a clear personal goal. I would like to saythat university days can be a key to open your brilliant
future.

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Interview with Alumni in Thailand

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