Apichat “Alex” Aphaiwong, DPhil

POLICY SPECIALIST, OFFICE OF NATIONAL HIGHER EDUCATION SCIENCE RESEARCH AND INNOVATION POLICY COUNCIL (NXPO)

Industry : Public Service

This DPhil graduate from St. John''s College, Oxford, joined NXPO after graduation—not only overcoming reverse culture shock but also transitioning from synthetic organic chemistry to policy research. He rotated between divisions to understand the country’s overall policy needs and is now responsible for conducting research in technology foresight and international partnership such as with APEC and UN ESCAP. In addition to earning a gold medal at the 35th International Chemistry Olympiad in Athens, Greece, in 2003, he takes pride in being part of the team behind Generation initiative, now implemented as GenNX Model by Generation Thailand. This programme offers intensive boot camps for learners aspiring to become software developers. Furthermore, he actively contributes to Thailand’s accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) through participation in the Committee for Scientific and Technological Policy (CSTP). A newly discovered skill that he believes will contribute to a more positive future for the world is empathic listening. Steve Jobs serves as one of his role models.