Deputy PM Inspires Thousands of Thammasat Freshmen at Orientation

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Yasuthorn Wangsawat, an alumnus of Thammasat's Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology (SIIT), delivered a keynote address at the 2569 academic year freshman orientation on August 2. He spoke to over 3,500 new students about the importance of adaptability and meaningful living. "Your life must not become extinct," he told them. "If you don't change, you'll be crushed."

Wangsawat began by praising Thammasat's culture of equality, reflecting that whenever he feels he has gone far in his career, he returns to memories of his university days where everyone was treated fairly. He then walked students through his own life lessons—fear, failure, and survival—emphasizing that meaningful living requires staying current with a changing world.

He recounted a pivotal moment after graduating with an electrical engineering degree in 2001, when Motorola—the company that had inspired his field of study—began shutting down operations. What seemed like a secure career path suddenly crumbled. An older mentor recommended a book on the emerging health technology trend, and Wangsawat realized his assumptions were completely wrong. "I had to learn and change, or I would be crushed," he said.

He turned that crisis into innovation, adapting his knowledge of radio signals to develop brain-signal technology to help disabled people regain mobility. He illustrated the lesson with two case studies: Kodak and Fujifilm both faced the digital camera revolution, but their fates diverged. Fujifilm understood its true identity—it was not merely a film company but a materials and nanotechnology leader—and survived. Kodak did not grasp this insight and failed. The message was clear: find your core essence and adapt it to change.