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     Walailak University (WU) congratulates representative students from the WU Informatics center of Promotion of Academic Olympiad and Development of Science Education Foundation (OPAS) under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana Krom Luang Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra on winning a gold medal, a bronze medal and, the South Top Scorer Award in the 18th Thailand Olympiad in Informatics 2022, hosted by The Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University between 1st and 4th June 2022. 

     On 20th June 2022, Prof. Sombat Thamrongthanyawong presented congratulatory presents to two Olympiad winners representing The OPAS Informatics team of Walailak University, namely Mr. Tee Hemjinda, a student from Benjamarachutit School, Gold medalist and winner of the South’s top score award and Mr. Chayapat Krutnim, a student from Princess Chulabhorn Science High School Nakhon Si Thammarat. Joining the meeting were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Krisandej Jaroensutasinee, Director of the OPAS Informatics center, Walailak University, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mullica Jaroensutasinee, Dean of School of Sciences.

      Assoc. Prof. Dr. Krisandej emphasized that Academic Olympiad never set out exclusively for top students or “the cream of the crops” as often misunderstood. On the contrary, the OPAS under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana Krom Luang Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra and currently Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn is founded to holistically promote education in five major disciplines including physics, chemistry, biology, computer, mathematics and astronomy for all students. As a result, every center, including the WU center, has been coordinating learning promotion activities with participating schools alongside the teachers to assist in students’ learning and addressing problems. Walailak University has been running the OPAS center for over 20 years and the operation grew in strength as a result of innovative training and collaboration with other departments to devise a proper training program. 

    “For example, unlike other subjects whose tests have to be manually examined by the examiners, informatics tests will be instantly processed after the test has been completed. For this, we have the Center of Digital Technology of Walailak University to thank for developing a real-time tutoring program serving as a simulator,” said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Krisandej before pointing out that the OPAS center, Walailak University performs effectively, as evidenced by the previous victory in Thailand Olympiad in Astronomy and Informatics this year. 

    As for the students, both mentioned their passion for computing and mathematics starting from getting inspired by friends and self-experiment with programming. Mr. Tee, the gold medalist, said that the key to success was constant practice and not only focusing on winning but also on networking and enjoying the experience. Mr. Chayapat, the winner of the bronze medal, mentioned his rewarding experience in WU Camp 1 in which WU Camp 2 senior students assisted the juniors as peer-tutors encouraging, and sharing knowledge and experience. Including the two winners, the entire team represented by 6 students joined the 18th Thailand Olympiad in Informatics 2022, and pressure, induced in by top-performing contestants across the country, had to be dealt with. Regarding this, Mr. Tee, as a Camp 1 senior shared his mental prep line to encourage the team.

     “We are here not only for the competition. Don’t just think about it that way. We are here in Chiangmai we will enjoy this experience as it is too,” recalled the gold medalist and the south’s top score award winner. 

     Assoc. Prof. Dr. Krisandej gave a final remark that interest in computing is all too often negatively judged even if it has transcended to computational thinking which involves coding. The process, therefore, cultivates critical, analytical, synthetic, and creative thinking required for 21st-century learners. With this in mind, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Krisandej mentioned further elaborated on the center’s current training scheme integrating UK Professional Standards Framework (PSF), the UK professional standards having been adopted by Walailak University since 2018 to promote student-centeredness generating critical, analytical, and synthetic thinking. In the future, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Krisandej is contemplating some reconfiguration to make the training a stress-free and creativity-boosting space for the participants. 

     Thailand Olympiad in Informatics has a solid aim to promote and lay a strong learning foundation in technology and science. Until 2022, it has been hosting 17 competitions with the 1st in 2005 at The Faculty of Science Kasetsart University, Bangkhen. The recent 18th competition was organized at the Faculty of Sciences, Chiang Mai university under collaboration and sponsorship from the Promotion of Academic Olympiad and Development of Science Education Foundation under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana Krom Luang Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra and currently (OPAS) Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, and the Institute for the Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology (IPST) together with 13 OPAS Informatics Centers in Thailand. This year, the competition welcomed 15 teams comprising a total of 93 students who have joined OPAS-hosted Training Camp 1 and Training Camp 2. Including the organizers, mentors, and teachers supervising the team, over 300 participants were counted. 

News by Nootchanat Sukkaew 

Division of Corporate Communication