Chawat Arthayukti

Biography

After postings in The Hague, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and London, in 1984 he was appointed ambassador at large. In that post he had a dual role in dealing with the Cambodian situation, serving both Thailand and as the Association of Southeast Asian Nation's (ASEAN) special representative.

In 1986 he became ASEAN general-director for Thailand and was responsible for dealing with Japan over such issues as bilateral trade and culture. He was ambassador to Japan from 1988 until 1994. In 1994 he began a five-year term as ambassador to Canada and this year became ambassador to Spain. While in Ottawa he was responsible for several significant initiatives including the development of a Thailand-Canada student exchange at both the graduate and undergraduate level. He was also responsible for creating the Thai/Canadian Business Council, a body which helps diversify Canadian trade to Thailand.

Mr. Arthayukti will be awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree.

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Oration honouring Chawat Arthayukti

What is an ambassador? An ambassador, we are told by Sir Henry Wotton, “is an honest man sent to lie abroad for the good of his country.” That His Excellency Mr. Chawat Arthayukti is an honest man, I have no doubt; whether he has ever lied abroad for the good of his country I cannot say. But I do not think so, for lying would tarnish his excellence. It is rare, Mr. Chancellor, that we have an Excellency before us, though it is not that we lack glory. When I look about me I see chancellors and vice-chancellors and newly-minted presidents, presidents fresh from the hand of God, or at least, from God's immediate representative. I see directors and deans, and associate deans, and assistant deans, and semi-assistant deans, and hemi-demi-semi-assistant deans, and those who would become directors and deans: all the company of heaven arrayed in their multi-coloured, and sometimes borrowed, plumage. But not one of them is excellent. I speak, of course, only with reference to their official title.

But here before us stands an Excellency, and an Excellency of remarkable accomplishments and astonishing travels. He was born in Thailand, he took his baccalaureate in France and his bachelor of arts in California, he served in the Royal Thai Embassy in the Netherlands, he moved to become First Secretary in the embassy in Malaysia, he moved from there to serve in Singapore, and from Singapore he moved to London.

Now a man who is tired of London is tired of life, said Dr. Johnson, but Chawat Arthayukti, still alive, apparently, then became Ambassador at Large. At that time, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary might have referred to him as a man of no fixed address. And then, in 1989, he found himself in that foreign country west of Port aux Basques, known to some of us as Canada, as ambassador for Thailand, with accreditation to Trinidad and Tobago, and also to Grenada. I trust that at least the geographers among us have followed me so far.

And what then? Six years later he was posted to Japan, and five years after that, in 1999, this very year, he went to Madrid as Thai ambassador to Spain, with accreditation to Tunisia. If ever there was a man who was born under a wanderin' star, this man is it; and not even our new president, who, like an academic colossus, bestrides both the old world and the new, can compete with a record of this nature.

But Chawat Arthayukti is also human. He has a wife. He has three sons. He skis. He plays tennis. He plays golf, but though I sought, and sought diligently, to learn his handicap, I was told that it was a diplomatic secret. But there is yet more to be said. Four hundred years ago, another ambassador and diplomat, Sir Thomas More, said that this world was much like a prison, and that our task was to build in that prison palaces, and thus make the prison more bearable. I cannot say whether Chawat Arthayukti has indeed built palaces, but I can say that in his ambassadorial and diplomatic duties he has laid their foundations. He was involved in negotiations with Vietnam in 1976; he did much good in the grave and difficult Asian financial crisis; he has represented his country with great distinction; he managed to resolve a number of commercial problems in Kuala Lumpur; he has been involved in many issues of the General Assembly of the United Nations; and, in 1983 and '84, he played a significant role in the resolution of the border dispute between Thailand and Laos. It is perhaps providential that he is here, at Memorial, at the very time that the border dispute between MUNFA and the administration is entering a critical period. Perhaps our chancellor should encourage him to stay.

But enough is enough. I do not wish to embarrass our guest with a plethora of praises. And in any case, many years ago, in Middle Earth, when Bilbo Baggins gave his farewell speech at his eleventy-first birthday, his oration was applauded by his audience because it was everything that an oration should be: short and obvious. I cannot do better than to follow in his footsteps, and so, Mr. Chancellor, you have before you a wandering star, a diplomat, a builder of palaces, a distinguished guest, and I therefore have the honour to present to you for the degree of doctor of laws, honoris causa, his truly excellent Excellency, Chawat Arthayukti.

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Convocation address by Dr. Chawat Arthayukti

Fifty years in a man's life is a special occasion. Half a century of Memorial is not only a special occasion, it is the testimony of a sound, enduring and well recognized institution renowned for its academic excellence and its contribution to the community. Such contribution assumes particular urgency during periods of particular difficulty such as one this community has had to face in the past few years. The achievements in its interactions with the local community offer invaluable experiences that could be drawn usefully from. The linkage between university and business community is one we in the developing world, particularly in Thailand, need to develop and see mature in a more pragmatic manner.

Normally the career of the diplomatic service produce people who are rather fond of monopolizing the microphone once they get hold of one. I shall however be an exception and not speak for too long. I should only like to expand briefly on the subject of linkages between universities and the business community as applied in the Thai context.

The unexpected economic crisis that hit Thailand, and most countries in the Far East for that matter, two years ago, has revealed many weaknesses in the Thai industrial structure and hence the economy as a whole. The weakness in the competitiveness of many of our products, lacking in needed value added inputs, forced many companies, unable to sell their products, into laying-off a number of their staff — an ailment that affected all levels of the economy, including the financial sector. Young university graduates in the work force were particularly hard hit. They were jolted into taking cognizance of their vulnerability in the present day uncertain economic environment, despite their degrees, as many were hit by the massive lay offs and were facing an unsecure future.

The fundamental question therefore is how can universities and the communities concerned interact to ensure a smooth transition from graduation to the work force, and to reinforce job security. This linkage would need to be in harmony with the process of economic development as promoted by the government in tandem with the private sector.

On the government side, pursuant to the crisis, an urgent industrial restructuring plan was drawn up to introduce reforms and measures to force some necessary changes to allow for greater streamlining and to promote greater competitiveness within particular industries. It will not be an easy task, especially when it will entail reforms within the education system, particularly at the university level, and changes in the patterns of work in the business community. The government would also need to adopt a more pragmatic approach towards the role universities should assume in answering to the needs of the community as a whole.

Of special relevance are the special emphasis the universities in Thailand will need to put in those curricula that will hopefully equip the young generation of graduates with the necessary knowledge required by the technologies of the future. At the same time, the necessity to maintaining the overall balance in the curricula being offered must not be compromised. Obviously, there is no magic formula that would guarantee future successes in our industrial and technological advancements. But considering the existing industrial base and technological potential, it would be possible to assess what types of reforms we would need to introduce to give us the greatest advantage. The necessary resources will have to be diverted for that purpose, which means that the necessary political will on the part of our ever changing leadership would be essential.

The process would indeed require many years before results could be ascertained. To shortcut the process, many things can be done simultaneously:

• the entrepreneurial skills within the private sector, that is still the engine for economic growth, should be promoted;
• the young men and women should be trained in acquiring expertise in the technologies of the future, and to make available the necessary facilities and funding to allow for innovative creations that can add to the potentials of the community;
• the private sector should contribute more funds to universities for the types of R & D in technologies with potential industrial applications;
• we need to draw from the experiences of institutions of higher learning located in countries enjoying more advanced economies. Hence the importance of networking between these institutions to allow the faculty members to benefit from mutual exchanges. And we need to continue sending our students to acquire education and experience abroad.

The vast experiences acquired by well established institutions such as Memorial and others in this and other continents, can serve as guidance to institutions in the developing countries. There will of course be differences in the setting in each individual country where priorities may vary, but where the main trunk of the academic tree remains quite similar. The pragmatic approach, as spelled out in the mission that this university has set out to achieve, can certainly be emulated by institutions in many developing countries.

These linkages through networking should best remain on a voluntary basis. But they should be molded into an overall master plan conceived in harmony with clear cut long term national development objectives. The necessary budget allocations would indeed be required, and government support essential. The subject is certainly not new, and many people in the Thai academic and government circles are in agreement on the benefits of such a development. But whether the necessary political support will be secured is of vital importance.

The economic crisis, which is lingering into its third year, has taught us many lessons. I believe much soul searching is required to spell out new measures that might prove to be crucial for a more stable environment in the future.

Memorial University, with its long and successful interactions with the local community, can be an icon for many institutions of higher learning in Thailand in their search for suitable approaches to these types of useful activities.

I should like to take this opportunity to commend Dr. Arthur May for his dedication in the enhancement of the role of Memorial particularly within this community. May I also extend my congratulations to Dr. Axel Meisen on his appointment as the new president and to wish him the very best of success in the years to come.

I am happy to note that a number of Thai students have chosen to further their education here at Memorial. They have learned, and will learn how Memorial is interacting with the local community, and they will carry home the experiences they will have acquired here. I hope more will come in the years ahead, and in doing so help strengthen the close bonds between Thailand and Canada.

I thank you for your attention. And let me say that it is with special pride that I wear this gown which makes me an honorary member of the fraternity of this prestigious institution.

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Chawat Arthayukti
James H. Rogers
John Kenneth Galbraith
David Christian Ward
Donald Frederick Cook