SEARCA and KU jointly hosted the 6th SEARCA Leadership Development Program for Higher Education in Southeast Asia (LDP-HEIs in SEA) from May 7th to 9th, 2024, at the Maruay Garden Hotel and Kasetsart University. Dr. Chongrak Wachrinrat, President of Kasetsart University, presided over the opening ceremony alongside administrators and staff from Kasetsart University's International Affairs Division (IAD), as well as SEARCA's leadership team including Dr. Nova Ramos, Dr. N. Varaprasad, Dr. Calvin Chan, Dr. Rebekah Lim, and SEARCA staff. They extended a warm welcome to all administrators and academic staff comprising 40 participants from the Philippines, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Singapore. The opening ceremony took place at the Maruay Garden Hotel on May 7th, 2024, at 10:00 a.m.

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Throughout the event, participants engaged in various academic activities including workshops, pitching sessions, and site visits. These activities aimed to foster the development of Re-Entry Action Plans for participants' academic endeavors, research pursuits, international collaborations, and other areas of interest. The schedule was as follows:

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●Tuesday, May 7th, 2024: The opening ceremony and workshop sessions where participants were divided into groups to develop presentations, with guidance from the SEARCA team.

●Wednesday, May 8th, 2024: Pitching sessions, where each group presented their work on stage, allowing all 40 participants from each group to engage in Q&A and share their perspectives. In the evening, at 6:00 p.m., participants enjoyed a site visit, taking a cruise to explore the beauty of Bangkok from the River City Hotel pier, organized by the IAD team.

●Thursday, May 9th, 2024: At 9:30 a.m., Dr. Chongrak Wachrinrat delivered a presentation on the topic "9SDGs-curve for Future" to all participants. At 11:00 a.m., the IAD team at KU organized a campus tour for participants to visit various locations within the university, including the Main Auditorium, KU Premium Shop, and KU Book Store. Finally, at 3:00 p.m., Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ladawan Puangchit, Vice President for Academic Affairs, chaired the closing remarks for the event, held at the Kamphol Adulwit Meeting Room, 2nd floor of the Kasetsart Golden Jubilee Administrative and Information Center.

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All 40 participants expressed their impressions and interest in engaging in the activities throughout the three days. Additionally, they showed interest in participating in other international activities with Kasetsart University, suggesting the university to host various academic events to promote knowledge and relationships among ASEAN countries. Finally, both the administrators and faculty members of SEARCA and Kasetsart University are pleased to support future academic activities to enhance knowledge and relationships in ASEAN. Lastly, Associate Professor Dr. Ladawan Puangchit, Vice President for Academic Affairs, was honored to preside over the closing ceremony of the aforementioned project activity and presented souvenirs to the SEARCA management. They also took group photos together at this event.