The only continent-country in the world, Australia is one of the most biologically diverse countries on the planet with the world’s third largest ocean territory and 17 properties on the World Heritage list.

Dr Thon Thamrongnawasawat, well-known environmentalist, writer and lecturer at the Faculty of Fisheries, Kasetsart University is impressed by Australia’s prominent landscape and abundant nature. Reminiscing about his time in Australia when he undertook a Doctorate program in Marine Science at James Cook University (JCU) in Townsville, Queensland, Dr Thon said “Thailand and Australia have environmental similarities, especially in tropical environment. As it is hard to find a developed country situated in indo-pacific region with a similar environment, this allows for application of knowledge and skills to Thailand’s context”. 

JCU is one of the best institutions in the world specialising in Marine Science, especially coral reefs. Its Townsville campus situated next to the Great Barrier Reef provides a unique advantage for study and research. Dr Thon said that his experience was extended through his work as a Research Project Manager in remote sensing for marine ecosystem at the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.

Professor Tim Smith, PhD and Director of Sustainability Research Centre at The University of the Sunshine Coast (USC), Queensland, said that “Australia has some of the world’s most advanced laws and policies to deal with critical environmental and sustainability issues”. USC is a renowned university for Environmental, Sustainability, and Climate Change programs with field research stations at Fraser Island, a designated World Heritage Area and the world’s largest sand island.

Dr Ross Hill, Environmental Sciences Lecturer at The University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), and Member of UTS’s Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster (C3) said that “The Australian Government has made ‘Responding to Climate Change’ a national research priority and supports scientific research in this area. C3 at UTS is an ideal location to study the effects of climate change on both marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Marine climate change research at UTS extends to the poles as effects of climate change are already being seen in the Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. C3 scholarships are available for Thai students wishing to contribute to this research area”. Currently UTS offers three broad specialisations; Environmental Biology, Marine Biology, and Environmental Forensics.

For those interested in pursuing environmental studies, Dr Thon said “as the environment is interrelated to everything, there is an increase in demand for people with knowledge and skills in this area”. He further suggested that “Do not only study for a degree but discover yourself and the world while you are in Australia…let the world change you and you can change the world”.