Pita heads to Harvard

reader · August 21

From The Nation

Pita Limjaroenrat, the former leader and prime minister candidate of the now-defunct Move Forward Party, posted a message on Medium website on August 20 that he had taken up a visiting role at Harvard University.

The party-list MP was disqualified from running for office for 10 years following the dissolution of his party by the Constitutional Court for undermining the constitutional monarchy system of government.

Pita said that his next chapter will begin at Harvard University this semester as a Visiting Democracy Fellow. He expressed his excitement about this opportunity to further his commitment to promoting leadership and democratic principles in the ASEAN region.

"Returning to Harvard this time is deeply meaningful to me because, during my previous studies here, I was greatly inspired by several former leaders who served as visiting fellows at the university. They played crucial roles in transforming their countries and lived in Boston to nurture new leaders regardless of race," he wrote.

Pita also outlined two main goals for his time at Harvard:

Sharing: He intends to share his experiences in leadership, political struggles, democratic systems, public policy, and citizen engagement with young people across ASEAN studying at Harvard, not just Thai students.

Learning: He aims to gather knowledge to enhance his ability to address issues in Thailand and beyond.

As his political tenure ends, Pita says he is fully committed to using this opportunity to reflect on his experiences and the challenges faced during his term. His work at Harvard will involve a deep exchange of political knowledge and meeting with global leaders to return as a better political leader when the time comes, he said.

"I will continue to travel between Bangkok and Boston almost every month, without leaving my hometown for too long. This approach will help me apply the insights and strategies gained from Harvard to my ongoing efforts to develop Thailand and the ASEAN region. I am sincerely grateful for this opportunity and the support I have received. Let's work together to create a brighter future for our next generation of leaders," Pita said.