Let’s meet our co-founder Associate Professor Voraprapa Nakavachara, Ph.D. (Ajarn Ploy)

Let’s meet our co-founder

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Associate Professor Voraprapa Nakavachara, Ph.D. (Ajarn Ploy)

Economist passionate about applying AI for sustainable development

In the Classroom

Ajarn Ploy’s educational journey began at the Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, majoring in Computer Engineering. She pursued her master's and PhD in Economics at the University of Michigan and the University of Southern California, USA. She worked in consulting in both the USA and Thailand before transitioning to teaching at the Faculty of Economics, Chulalongkorn University. 

Her research focuses on the impact of technology on the economy, such as the effects of ChatGPT on workplace productivity, economic analysis in the Metaverse, and the study of human behavior in cryptocurrency markets. In 2023, she received the National Research Award from the National Research Council of Thailand.

Outside the Classroom

Ajarn Ploy served as the Assistant to the President for Global Affairs at Chulalongkorn University from 2020 to 2024, where she helped spotlight the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on the global stage. This inspired her interest in applying AI to address climate change and promote sustainable development. 

Currently, she is part of the Higher Education Reform Committee under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, playing a role in shaping policies to integrate AI into the national higher education system.

Q: What is Ajarn Ploy's teaching style like?

A: I love taking students to experience the real business world. I often take them on field trips, meet company executives, and listen to business insights on solving various challenges. 

Q: What do you want to learn more about at this stage in life?

A: I am always learning, never stopping!

Q: Besides being an academic, what else do you want to do?

A: I want to build a business that can create positive social impact while delivering good returns to investors. I want to prove that we can be "doing well by doing good."

Q: What is your vision for an ideal economic system?

A: An economic system that can grow sustainably, leveraging technology to enhance efficiency.

Q: Any message for the readers of the Carbonoi page?

A: Please follow our work and stay tuned!

Read more about Ajarn Ploy's biography at https://www.carbonoi.com/en/อ-พลอย

Follow her academic work at https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=vB6pVkoAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao