On Wednesday, September 24, 2025, the Tohoku University Alumni Network successfully held the second edition of the Alumni and Students Career Talk, this time aimed at Thai students.

During the event, four distinguished alumni from Thailand shared their career paths, spoke about their experiences at Tohoku University, and answered questions from the 17 participating students, further strengthening the bond between generations.

Speakers

Prof. Juthatip Wiwattanapantuwong – Chulalongkorn University

Prof. Juthatip Wiwattanapantuwong (Ju) is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Psychology, Chulalongkorn University. She also serves as President of the Tohoku University Alumni Association of Thailand and as a committee member of the Thai Psychological Association.
She received a scholarship from Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) to pursue her master’s and doctoral degrees in Psychology at Tohoku University. After working as a specially appointed Assistant Professor at the Tohoku Forum for Creativity, she returned to Thailand. Her research focuses on mental health in vulnerable groups, such as the elderly (funded by the National Research Council of Thailand, 2023), inmates (funded by the Ministry of Justice, Thailand), and people affected by disasters (funded by UK Research & Innovation).

Prof. Anawat Suppasri – Tohoku University, IRIDeS

Prof. Anawat Suppasri is an Associate Professor in Tsunami Engineering at the International Research Institute of Disaster Science (IRIDeS), Tohoku University. He is ranked No. 5 worldwide in “tsunami” publications according to the SCOPUS database.
His work has received awards from the Japan Society of Civil Engineers (2011, 2014), the Japan Foundation of Ocean Engineering (2011), and the Japan Society for Natural Disaster Science (2013). After the 2011 Tohoku tsunami, he guided numerous visitors and scholars, both from Japan and abroad, through affected areas. He has also contributed his expertise to the public through collaborations with UNDRR, UNDP, and other UN organizations, as well as several embassies in Japan. His contributions were recognized with an award from former Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone in 2018 and the MEXT Young Scientists’ Award in 2022.

Ms. Saijai Pongsripetch (Kia) – Krungsri Finnovate

Kia is passionate about helping entrepreneurs and businesses grow. She has over seven years of experience in business consulting, venture building, and venture capital.

• Supported and mentored more than 40 companies across Southeast Asia in diverse industries, including sustainability and social impact, food and beverage, financial and accounting technology, and supply chain management
• Served as a judge or mentor in more than 20 competitions and accelerator programs for startups, SMEs, and social enterprises
• Designed and conducted over 30 workshops for more than 600 participants, focusing on early-stage venture direction, financial planning, and operation

Her areas of expertise include market entry strategies, idea validation, financial planning for early-stage ventures, pitch preparation, business modeling, and turning plans into execution.

Mr. Akarawat Buasuk (Nhong) – Bosch Corporation

Mr. Akarawat Buasuk currently works in Quality Management (Customer) at Bosch Corporation, where he coordinates with Japanese automotive clients (JOEM) and global production teams to ensure product quality and effective communication.
He holds both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Tohoku University, supported by MEXT and SEIKO-Epson scholarships. With his strong technical background and international experience, he is committed to inspiring new graduates pursuing careers in Japan or in global industries.

You can watch the full event at the link below—enjoy!