PJC administrator visits Thai colleges
FROM STAFF REPORTS Gulf Breeze News news@gulfbreezenews.com

Dr. Jim Martin, center, gets a friendly hello from the locals at an elephant farm in Mae Hong Son, Thailand. Martin, vice president for student affairs at Pensacola Junior College, recently visited Thailand as a member of a six member American delegation.

Gulf Breeze resident Dr. Jim Martin, Vice President for student affairs at Pensacola Junior College, was a member of a six person American delegation to Thailand at the end of 2007. Martin joined college administrators and trustees from North Carolina, New York, Missouri, and Illinois in visiting three of Thailand's 18 community colleges. The group worked with Thai college trustees and administrators at Mae Hong Son Community College, Mukdahar Community College and Samutsakorn Community College. The American Delegation was invited to Thailand by the Thai Ministry of Education. The primary purpose of the trip was to assist trustees and directors (college presidents) to understand their respective roles in formulating policies and procedures for Thailand's community colleges.

"It was an incredible experience working with the enthusiastic leadership of the three community colleges we visited in Thailand," Martin said. "Even though there was an obvious language difference between the representatives of the U. S. and Thailand, we were able to understand their needs and our ability to meet those needs."

Picture courtesy of Jim Martin

Thailand is the leader in Southeast Asia in the development of a community college system, Martin said. Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos also expressed an interest in hosting an American Delegation of community college leaders in the near future.

"Education is the key to Southeast Asia's development," Martin said. "The Community College System is the most cost effective and efficient means of educating the population of those countries."

Martin added that he hopes he might be able to continue to work with the countries of Southeast Asia in their development of a community college system.

Martin got an up close look at

some of the region's wildlife.

"Two elephants at the elephant farm wrapped their trunks around me. One around my waist, the other around my shoulder. Not a pleasant feeling," Martin said.

Additionally, Martin found that transportation has an added twist.

"When we landed at Mae Hong Son on our Thai Air TurpoProp airplane, I noticed a fellow riding a moped on the runway, following the aircraft. I was told by the flight crew that it was his job to pick up the parts from aircraft that fell off either during landing or take-off," he added.

Still, the people were very friendly, Martin said, and eager to learn English.

"Thailand is the friendliest country in the world! I call it 'Smiland' because the people are always smiling. It's been 15 years since I was last in Thailand, and I've seen incredible growth in their economy since my last visit. Bangkok is now the third most populated city in the world. The people of Thailand desperately want to learn English as a second language. It's amazing how diligent they are about learning English. The average taxi driver in Bangkok learns English by listening to his fares."

"At a branch campus of Mukdahar Community College, the local villagers came out to greet us and to wish us 'long lives and good health.' They prayed for us and gave us gifts ... I received two eggs and two bananas. Those were her prize possessions. They are very giving people."

Martin also learned a lot about Thai culture.

"When the American Delegation visited a remote village of long necked women, I was walking through their very impoverished village. I was walking by myself when I heard an organ playing. I followed the organ music up the side of a mountain only to find a small Catholic Chapel, St. Joseph's Chapel. They had no electricity and the organ was battery powered. The chapel had dirt floors and benches as pews. The alter was plywood. Ironically, it was a Sunday, and being a member of the Catholic faith, I said my prayers in the chapel. It was a moving experience to find a Christian church in the midst of such impoverished conditions."

"As for the remnants of the tsunami, no we didn't go that far South in Thailand, Martin said. "We did travel to 'the Destin' of Thailand, which is called Hua Xin. Many condominiums are being built along the coast of the Gulf of Thailand. Should the American Delegation return to Thailand, we have been told we will visit the villages that were affected by the tsunami."