Karl Trautman, a Fulbright Visiting Lecturer serving at the Otaru University of Commerce in Hokkaido, Japan, during the fall semester of 2022, traveled to Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand, in late January and early February 2023. Trautman visited Walailak University and Rajamangala University of Technology- Srivijaya (RUTS). He gave lectures, talked to students, faculty, and staff, and was interviewed on Walailak’s YouTube Channel. The visit was made possible by a grant from the Fulbright East Asia Pacific Regional Travel Program.

One lecture titled “Trends in Higher Education in the US,” was given at Walailak and RUTS. The Walailak lecture was given on February 1 before the Dean’s forum at Walailak University Hospital. It was chaired by Walailak University President Sombat Thamrongthanyawong. The RUTS lecture was given on February 3 before RUTS faculty and top administrators.

Another lecture was titled ”First-Year Student Learning and Teaching: A Transition Year” and was given at Walailak on February 1 before the School of Languages and General Education.

On February 2, Trautman gave two lectures at Walailak. One was titled “Contemporary American Politics: Populism and the US Midterm Elections, Possible Consequences and Polarization” and was delivered before 25 students in Dr. Siriporn Somboonboorana’s Contemporary Global Politics class. The other one was titled “How Populist Pressures in the US influences both the discourse and substance of US economic policies” and was delivered before 26 students in Medina Adulyarat’s Economics for Business class in the International College. Students were from Myanmar, Russia, Cambodia, Zimbabwe, China, India, and the Philippines.

The YouTube interview was on teaching Critical Thinking in US Higher Education.

At Walailak, Trautman met with faculty and staff, including Acting Vice-President and Associate Professor Dr. Surin Maisrikrod and Dr. Chirawat Wattanapanich, the Deputy Director of the Center for International Affairs.

Trautman visited various sites in Nakhon Si Thammarat, including Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan, the city wall, and the Shadow Play House of Suchat Sapsin.

Dr. Trautman holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Hawaii and teaches in the Public Service & Social Sciences Department at Central Maine Community College in Auburn, Maine.