In November 2013, PSU organized the 15th IMT-GT Varsity Carnival. The weeklong event provided ample opportunity for cultural and educational exchange among faculty, staff and students of the three member nations: Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.
The Varsity Carnival – initiated in 1996 and held annually ever since – consists of sports, cultural events and seminars with predefined themes. The PSU-hosted event started with keynote speeches by Prof. Dr. Adnan Hussein, IMT-GT Varsity Council President, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Worawut Wisutmethangoon, Vice President for Student Development and Alumni Affairs. During the event, participants from 12 universities explored the seminar topic “Maintaining Self-Identity towards ASEAN Community”, learning about ecotourism and sufficiency economy, while cultural performances centered on “Exploring ASEAN Culture through Mythic Dance”. Sporting activities on the topic “Sport Spirit” included football (soccer), volleyball, futsal, tennis, badminton and pencak silat (martial arts of Indonesian origin).
The Varsity Carnival ended with a spectacular closing ceremony on November 28th at the International Convention Center. Heads of participating countries exchanged souvenirs; sport champions and runner-ups received medals and certificates; outstanding performers of cultural and academic presentations were rewarded with plaques of honor and certificates, and all participants received certificates of participation.
To host this grand-scale international event, PSU received significant assistance from several local organizations, including the Southern Border Provinces Administration Center, the Provincial Administration of Songkhla, Hat Yai Municipal Office, TAT Southern Office, the Hat Yai Police Station and many more.
The IMT-GT Varsity Carnival facilitates information exchange and increases the understanding and acceptance of cultures – crucial elements of strengthening the ties among the youth of the three countries, which ensures the continuous future collaboration and successful economic development in this region of the ASEAN community.
