When I first heard of the DEN Conference, I must admit I didn’t expect much. However, when I was there, I found out that everything was fascinating – the topic, how people present their own thoughts and the way they design how they want to share their projects. I was impressed by the speaker’s speech, knowledge, what they have learned during those projects, and how they questioned things. Importantly, I was inspired to do more: to keep learning, to keep questioning, and, above all, keep inspiring and being inspired.
This conference wasn’t just the place where people just present things and everything ends at that time, it’s the place where people think deeply about what the problem the presentation wants to show is and how we could deal with it. The conference lets us share our opinion and use our own voice. More importantly, it’s the space where we can see other’s perspective. There was a moment that stood out to me. It’s when some presenters talked about their journey and how they feel as the in-between of two nationalities.
As someone who has often questioned my own identity, I’ve felt unsure of where I belong and, at times, disconnected from myself. However, after all the presentation, somehow some of the speech just
make me think “What matters more: your own self, or the perspective of others.” It makes me think of myself and how I like to be me. I would like to learn psychology, that’s my own goal and will always be, but the thing is what kind of psychologist or kind of humanI want to be. It’s the question I get from the reflection of the conference, and I think I may need to find out more and remind myself how much I value being true to myself. I truly enjoy interacting and communicating with thoughts and experiences with others. As I reflect on the conference above, the atmosphere did encourage me a lot, and the experience is invaluable. As both a presenter and a listener, I felt truly encouraged to express my thoughts—about my own projects and those of others. I had the chance to improve my English skills in presenting, communicating, and answering questions. This experience helped shape my sense of responsibility.
Having experienced an environment that was open-minded and full of people eager to connect, I believe other countries would benefit from similar conferences. That’s why I want to carry forward the spirit of the DEN Conference—open-mindedness, eagerness, and meaningful communication—into my academic journey and future learning. Since psychology is a lifelong pursuit, it would be a privilege to learn and share that knowledge with others as I grow.
Nanassanan
Nanassanan Wangsiripitak, Kasetsart University, Thailand