Dr. Phanwin Yokying, in partnership with Kasetsart University and Khonkean University, organized the Workshop on Quantitative Research Methods: Labor, Agriculture, and Climate Variability in early November 2024, in Bangkok, Thailand. The workshop aimed to strengthen participating students’ capacity to conduct high-quality quantitative research and to help them better prepare for thesis writing, research-related employment opportunities, along with graduate studies. The workshop  provided in-depth insights into the interconnectedness of labor, agriculture, and climate variability such as Thailand’s aging population, farm productivity, and the impact of climate change on agriculture. Our student participants also  learned about relevant economic theories, formulation of research questions, sampling and survey design, data collection, data entry, along with  data analysis using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Additionally, the workshop included sessions on effective research presentation and writing.

Thirty-one undergraduate and graduate students, many of them Agricultural Economics majors, participated in the six-day workshop which incorporated many hands-on and applied group activities. Assignments were graded daily by the lecturers and the top six performers were selected to participate in Phase II of the workshop scheduled for December 2023. In the second phase, the students will work closely with Dr. Yokying and the organizers to implement their mini research projects that align with the workshop's theme. Towards the end of Phase II, each student will present their work. The students' research will be evaluated and two will be selected to study English at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in 2024.