Dr. Prasong Tanpichai and Dr. Weerapon Thongma are two distinguished Thai scholars, alumni of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), and recipients of the Outstanding SEARCA Scholarship Alumni (OSSA) Award from the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture. Dr. Prasong, awarded for Teaching, earned his PhD in Agricultural Education in 1998 and revolutionized instructional paradigms at Kasetsart University’s Kamphaeng Saen Campus through his four-stage Farm Praxis model—moving through Theory, Practice, Sharing, and Realization. By transforming a university farm into an active Educational Farm laboratory covering hydroponics, crop cultivation, and agribusiness, he bridged academic theory with field immersion, mentoring students to collaborate with local farming communities on food security challenges while creating new environmental and community resource curricula. Dr. Weerapon, honored for Public Service and Community Development, completed his PhD in Extension Education in 2000 and has championed community-empowered rural development as President of Maejo University. He advanced sustainable livelihoods by pioneering community-based agrotourism, shifting local farmers away from single-crop dependence toward cultural tourism, homestays, and handicraft enterprises, backed by rigorous training in sanitation, hospitality, and leadership. Under his administration, Maejo University embraced Intelligent Well-Being Agriculture, merging agricultural science, environmental protection, and public well-being while deploying university networks to deliver direct relief and technology to rural areas during national crises. Together, both educators demonstrate how scholarly research and academic institutions can actively partner with rural households to foster sustainable, community-driven agricultural transformation.

Sowing Knowledge, Harvesting Community: How two Thai educators are transforming agriculture from classroom to countryside

Across Southeast Asia, the future of agriculture depends not just on technology, but also on leaders who can connect academic knowledge with community empowerment. In Thailand, Dr. Prasong Tanpichai and Dr. Weerapon Thongma are two respected scholars whose work in higher education and extension has changed how agricultural learning and rural development are approached.

Both educators have received the Outstanding SEARCA Scholarship Alumni (OSSA) Award, given by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) to graduates who help promote sustainable and inclusive rural development in the region. Dr. Prasong was recognized for Teaching, while Dr. Weerapon was honored for Public Service and Community Development. Their achievements show how education in Los Baños can lead to positive changes beyond national borders.

Dr. Prasong Tanpichai: Cultivating the living classroom

Dr. Prasong Tanpichai earned his PhD in Agricultural Education from the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) in 1998. Throughout his career, he has focused on transforming conventional agricultural education by developing innovative, practice-oriented learning models that connect classroom theory directly to real-world community applications.

Central to his teaching approach is the Farm Praxis model, which has four stages: Pariyatti (Theory), Patipatti (Practice), Pattiphak (Sharing), and Pativedha (Realization). This process helps students move from being passive observers to active problem-solvers with strong critical thinking, ethical leadership, and social responsibility. To put this philosophy into practice, Dr. Prasong turned a traditional university farm into the Educational Farm at Kasetsart University – Kamphaeng Saen Campus. This living laboratory is a place for learning, research, and extension. Students here develop practical skills in various areas, including crop production, hydroponics, mushroom cultivation, agro-processing, and agribusiness.

Outside the university, Dr. Prasong includes action research and community involvement in his classes. His students team up with local farmers, schools, and organizations to tackle real food security and production problems. This experience builds their confidence and teamwork skills while helping nearby villages. Dr. Prasong has also influenced curriculum changes, creating important programs like the Agricultural and Environmental Education Program and the Human and Community Resource Development program. He has mentored many future educators, researchers, and rural development workers.

Dr. Weerapon Thongma: Empowering communities from within

Complementing this educational innovation in the field of participatory extension is Dr. Weerapon Thongma, who completed his PhD in Extension Education at UPLB in 2000. As President of Maejo University (MJU), Dr. Weerapon has championed an empathetic, people-centered approach that insists on working with rural communities rather than merely for them.

Dr. Weerapon recognized how rural sustainability means helping farm families find different ways to earn a living while keeping their cultural traditions. By starting community-based agrotourism projects, he helped farming villages discover the value of their local resources and customs. With his support, these communities moved away from relying on a single crop and started homestay businesses, cultural tourism, handicraft projects, and direct farm sales. His programs also offered training in hospitality, waste management, sanitation, leadership, and tourism, so villagers could confidently host visitors from Thailand and other countries.

With Dr. Weerapon’s leadership, Maejo University adopted the idea of Intelligent Well-Being Agriculture (IWA), which brings together agricultural science, health, environmental care, and community well-being in teaching, research, and outreach. He has also led projects for sustainable energy in villages, improved production systems, and helped rural businesses reach more markets. During national crises, he has used university resources and alumni networks to quickly provide relief and technical help to communities across the country.

A shared lineage of community-rooted scholarship

Although their careers have different focuses—one on changing teaching at the university farm, the other on leading the university and working with villages—Dr. Prasong and Dr. Weerapon share a strong belief shaped during their studies in Los Baños. Both have doctorates in the human and educational sides of agriculture from UPLB, and both believe that academic knowledge only matters if it helps people. By breaking down barriers between universities and rural communities, they have made students into partners and farmers into co-creators of progress. Their recognition at the OSSA Awards shows the lasting impact of Thai scholarship and proves that education rooted in empathy, humility, and real-world practice can build resilience and prosperity for future generations.

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