It is with great sadness that SEAMEO SPAFA learns the loss of former Centre Director of SEAMEO SPAFA, Dr M.R. Rujaya Abhakorn.
Dr M.R. Rujaya Abhakorn dedicated nine years of his life to the directorship of SEAMEO SPAFA from 1 October 2010 to 30 September 2019. However, he had been part of the SEAMEO family for much longer as prior to becoming SEAMEO SPAFA’s Director, he held the role of Deputy Director for Administration and Communication at the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Secretariat.
During his time at SEAMEO SPAFA, he implemented many activities which he categorized under three flagship programmes of ‘Advancing Southeast Asian Archaeology’, ‘Sacred Universe’ (programme activities related to the arts) and ‘Conservation in the Tropics’ (programme activities related to cultural heritage conservation).
It was also during his directorship that SEAMEO SPAFA opened the position of Communications Officer, which has enabled the Centre to keep up with the times by having more of a social media presence. It also led to the upgrading of the SEAMEO SPAFA website to the one that the Centre currently uses. All of which, allowing SEAMEO SPAFA to stay relevant and to reach a wider audience.
Last year in 2021, SEAMEO SPAFA celebrated its Golden Jubilee. As Dr M.R. Rujaya Abhakorn steered the Centre for almost a decade of our 50 year milestone, we are grateful. His memory will live on as an integral part of SEAMEO SPAFA.
SEAMEO SPAFA expresses our deepest heartfelt condolences to the family and friends in the passing of Dr M.R. Rujaya Abhakorn. May his soul rest in eternal bliss.
