Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited or CPF together with the Faculty of Agro-Industry, Panyapiwat Institute of Management (PIM) organized its 5th CP Scholarship Day 2019 on 23 August, to award 44 scholarships to undergraduate students for the 2019 academic year. Thereby aiming to create qualified personnel and upgrade the agro-industry and food business on a sustainable global stage.

Mr. Prasit Boonduangprasert, Chief Executive Officer of Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited (CPF) asserted that the company is focused on creating a ‘new generation’ professional workforce in support of their business growth strategy both in Thailand and CPF investments overseas. He reiterated that "creating qualified and motivated employees" is an important issue that CPF values. 

Overseas students from the Faculty of Agro-Industry upon graduation, will return to work in their home country, thereby transferring valuable knowledge and experience to develop their specific agriculture and food industry in terms of economic, social and environmental issues. Thai graduates, may either work in Thailand or in various countries around the world where CPF operates. 

"Developing a new generation of personnel with professional skills and expertise is a crucial policy for CPF under our 3 benefits philosophy to sustainability, these are; benefit to the country in which CPF invests, benefit to the people of that country and lastly of benefit to the company. These are the values that CPF maintains to develop a sustainable business”, said Mr. Prasit.

Dr. Tiranun Srikanchai, Dean of the Faculty of Agro-Industry, Panyapiwat Institute of Management (PIM) qualified that the program is a work-based education model, comprising teaching and learning (with real life work experience), with three months of theoretical study in the classroom, alternating with 3 months internships in an actual farm or food processing facility. This three month rotation is maintained throughout the full undergraduate program. Students will thereby complete their education within 3 years and 6 months, broken down into 43% theory and 57% practical.

In the fourth and final year, Thai students will continue to practice in CPF farms or food processing plants for up to 6 months, international students will return to pursue their last internship in their respective country, thereafter fulfilling the graduation process from the Faculty of Agro-Industry – AGI/PIM graduates are ready to work on farms and food processing plants effectively right after their graduation.

The Faculty of Agro-Industry employs the professional services of executives from CPF to join both the theory and practical courses, as well as to help teaching as a special lecturers in specific disciplines for more than 100 courses by applying their real life work experiences to teach students to have a professional knowledge. 

Moreover, the students will have the opportunity to practice in CPF's world class farm and food processing facilities, experiencing the atmosphere of an actual work environment and solve real problems. This year, we are delighted to announce the graduation of AGI’s first graduates in the farm technology management program, a total of 42 graduates are now working with CPF effectively. 

Furthermore, International and Thai students working and studying together helps to generate a new learning experiences and cultural exchanges. As a ‘buddy’, they help each other to translate in various areas which enhances friendship with assertiveness and a close partnership" said Dr. Tiranan.

2019 sees the fifth year that CPF has granted scholarships to Thai students and the second for international students from the 17 countries where CPF invests. This year, there are 15 qualified undergraduates from 7 countries including India, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar, Philippines, Vietnam and Turkey, who have been enrolled in the bachelor's degree program together with 29 Thai students who have passed the prequalification for the Bachelor of Science Program in Farm Technology Management (FTM) and Food Processing Technology Management (PTM).