The Center for Student Promotion and Development (Smile & Smart Center), Walailak University, organized a workshop project titled “Enhancing Advisor Competency: Basic Counseling Course” between April 28–29, 2026, at the Smile & Smart Center, Thai Buri Building, with 22 advisors and staff participating.

The objective of this training was to develop knowledge, understanding, and basic counseling skills for advisors, especially new ones, to prepare them to appropriately care for, assist, and support students within the context of their academics and university life.

Within the course, participants learned both theory and practice, such as in-depth communication techniques, active listening, building positive relationships, observing and assessing mental health risk signals, as well as guidelines for assistance and systematic referral into the university’s care system.

The training was honored by expert speakers, including Professor Dr. Saifon Aekwarangkoon, a psychiatric nursing lecturer; Asst. Prof. Dr. Pawarut Puangsri, a psychiatrist; and Asst. Prof. Dr. Apsorn Boonyang, who intensively shared their knowledge and experiences.

This project is part of the advisor capacity development, which is a crucial mechanism in the student care and support system. It focuses on enabling advisors to reach, understand, and assist students promptly, especially regarding issues of stress, adaptation, and mental health, which are currently on the rise.

Enhancing the counseling skills of advisors will help elevate the quality and efficiency of the university’s student care system, leading to the sustainable development of students into graduates who are “smart, good, and happy.”