Chetana Nagavajara

Nagavajara spent his formative years in the vicinity of the former Phra Nakhon province [th] (now part of Bangkok, situated east of the Chao Phraya river (Thai: แม่น้ำเจ้าพระยา, RTGS: Maenam Chao Phraya), near the Victory Monument (Bangkok) (Thai: อนุสาวรีย์ชัยสมรภูมิ, RTGS: Anusawari Chai Samoraphum), as the youngest among six siblings. Both of his parents, school teachers by profession, instilled in him a deep appreciation for learning and culture.^[9] His father, Thanom (Thai: ถนอม), also known as Khun Chamnikhabuansat (Thai: ขุนชำนิขบวนศาส์น), served as the principal of Bophit Phimuk School [th], where he played a pivotal role in establishing a Thai classical band at Khurusapha [th] and imparted instruction in Western classical music.^[10] Nagavajara commuted daily along Phaya Thai road on his bicycle, and showed enthusiasm for music and sports, which attached him to the community.^[11]

His upbringing was enriched by exposure to music, with his father fostering his musical talents, while his mother nurtured his proficiency in English. Additionally, he received guidance and instruction from his grandmother, further shaping his multifaceted skill set. His early participation in singing competitions at temple fairs reflected his burgeoning passion for music and performance.^[12]

Nagavajara is married to Tasanee Nagavajara, a professor of French at Chulalongkorn University.^[13][14] The couple shares a family with three children: Tasana, a violinist and member of the faculty of music, Silpakorn University;^[15] a daughter who holds an executive position at an American research corporation; and another daughter who owns a restaurant in Mexico.^[12]

Chetana Nagavajara, alongside his male siblings, received his early education at Debsirin School, a boys' school in Bangkok. Completing the curriculum in 1954 after eight impactful years, Nagavajara attributed much of his subsequent success and core values to his formative experiences at Debsirin.^[12] His academic prowess shone through when he secured the top spot in the national matriculation examination for arts students.^[16]

Following this, Nagavajara embarked on his higher education journey at the Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University. His academic potential was soon recognized, leading to the award of a prestigious Thai Government Scholarship for further studies in the United Kingdom. He spent three transformative years in Manchester, honing his linguistic skills and expanding his intellectual horizons by studying German and Latin alongside his primary curriculum.^[17]

Nagavajara's pursuit of knowledge led him to Cambridge University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Modern Languages. Subsequently, he ventured to Germany in 1961 to study under the tutelage of Kurt Wais. His academic journey culminated in the attainment of a Dr.phil. (magna cum laude) in Comparative Literature from the University of Tübingen in 1965.^[18][19]

Nagavajara's first placement in Thailand was at the Ministry of Education in 1968. Subsequently, he transitioned to the Sanam Chandra Palace campus of Silpakorn University in Nakhon Pathom, marking the inception of his enduring association with the institution.^[20]

As one of the pioneering members of the academic faculty at the campus, Nagavajara played a seminal role in establishing the German Department in 1968, laying the foundation for the department's academic pursuits and contributions.^[21] His commitment to advancing educational initiatives extended beyond the university, as evidenced by his tenure as the deputy director of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Secretariat (SEAMEO Secretariat) under the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO). During his four-year tenure, Nagavajara's contributions were duly recognized with the prestigious Goethe Medal in 1972. In his final two years, he assumed the position of deputy director of SEMEO's secretariat office.^[17][22]

Returning to Silpakorn University in 1976, Nagavajara assumed the mantle of Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Silpakorn University [th], a position he held until 1979,^[4] before transitioning to the role of Vice President for Academic Affairs and Development Planning from 1979 to 1981.^[3][23] His tenure as Vice President was marked by his instrumental support for the establishment of the social study division within the faculty.^[24] In recognition of his scholarly achievements and contributions, Nagavajara was promoted to full professorship in 1983.^[25]

Nagavajara's academic pursuits transcended national boundaries, as evidenced by his stints as a visiting scholar at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor in 1985 and 1992,^[26] as well as his role as a Fulbright Visiting Professor at the University of California, Berkeley during the academic year 1989–1990.^[27] His scholarly endeavors were further enriched by his engagements in Germany, supported by the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD),^[28] and his receipt of the prestigious Humboldt-Forschungspreis from the Humboldt Foundation.^[29]

On September 30, 1997, Nagavajara concluded his distinguished career as a senior professor (level 11), the highest attainable rank for a civil servant (Thai: ข้าราชการ, RTGS: Karatchakan).^[30] In a 1998 interview with the Bangkok Post, he expressed that his decision to remain a civil servant was driven not by personal preference, but rather by a deep sense of gratitude towards the Thai Government for the scholarship that facilitated his education in Europe.^[7] Nagavajara's ethos, which he has imparted to younger Thai scholarship recipients, underscores the perpetual nature of indebtedness to the anonymous taxpayers who support educational endeavors: "Scholarships may be repaid (either through years of service or even in cash), but indebtedness (to those anonymous taxpayers who finance your education) is inexhaustible." (Thai: ทุนนั้นใช้หมด แต่บุญคุณใช้ไม่หมด, RTGS: Thunnanchaimot Tae Bunkhunnanchaimaimot).^[31]

Despite his official retirement from full-time public service, Nagavajara continued to make significant contributions to academia. He remained actively engaged in government commissions, university councils, and leading research projects.^[7] Silpakorn University honored his enduring legacy by appointing him Emeritus Professor of German. Furthermore, in recognition of his invaluable contributions, a memorial dedicated to Professor Nagavajara was established on the second floor of the Sanam Chandra Palace Library, housing the books he generously donated to the institution.^[32] Throughout this period, Nagavajara continued to receive numerous honorary doctorate degrees and awards.^[6]

Nagavajara's scholarly pursuits have focused on the works of German novelists, showcasing a breadth of research publications in various languages, translations, and student handbooks in Thai. His expertise in multiple languages, including German, French, and English, has enabled him to produce a body of work that integrates Eastern and Western literary traditions.

His significant contributions to the field have been recognized with prestigious accolades, such as the Goethe Medal in 1973, received during his tenure at SEMEO. Notably, Nagavajara was awarded the inaugural TRF Senior Research Scholar grant in 1995 by the Thailand Research Fund [th] for his research project titled "Poetry as Intellectual and Spiritual Force in Contemporary Society: Experiences from Thai, British-Irish, American, French, and German Literature".^[33][34] These endeavors served as the catalyst for the emergence of several Thai art and criticism projects in subsequent years.^[35]

In his doctoral dissertation completed in 1965, Nagavajara delved into August Wilhelm Schlegel's leading role in French literary criticism from 1807 to 1835. Published in German as his first book in 1966 by the German publisher Max Niemeyer [de] in Tübingen.,^[36] the thesis-turned-monograph earned acclaim for its impartial mediation between French and German literary traditions.^[9][37] This book was later used by Roger Paulin alongside other sources, in the biography of Schlegel.^[38] His subsequent works include "Brecht and France," published in English by Peter Lang in Bern in 1993.^[28] In addition to Schlegel and Brecht, he also wrote about Goethe, Mann and contemporary German poetry in Thai.^[39]

Beyond his own written works, Nagavajara's translation efforts encompassed over 50 pieces of poetry, predominantly from German to Thai. Notable examples include "Geschrieben" by Werner Lutz, "Ein Tag für Impressionisten" by Rainer Malkowski [de] and "Der Aufruf" by Friederike Mayröcker.^[39]

In his English and German publications, Nagavajara explored the transcultural exchange of humanities between Thailand and Western countries. Works such as "Comparative literature from a Thai perspective. Collected articles 1978–1992", "Fervently Mediating: Criticism from a Thai Perspective, Collected Articles 1982-2004" and "Bridging Cultural Divides: Collected Essays and Reviews 2006-2014" garnered praise for their humanistic approach and insights into intercultural communication.^[40][8][41] Reviewers lauded Nagavajara's incorporation of Thai cultural theory, such as the "Tritsadi Ranat Thum" (Thai: ทฤษฎีระนาดทุ้ม, directly translated as "bass xylophone theory"),^[40] which posits that true leadership is akin to playing the bass xylophone (Thai: ระนาดทุ้ม, RTGS: Ranat Thum) not treble xylophone (Thai: ระนาดเอก, RTGS: Ranat Ek). The analogy of this theory mainly proposed that in the subtype of Pi Phat band (Thai classical music band) that is called Wong Pi Phat Khrueng Khu, the treble xylophone is the main instrument that the audience hears during the play, while the bass xylophone sounds deeper and harder to notice. Nagavajara suggested that the true leaders are like the bass xylophone players. They manipulate and control the tempo of the band unnoticed. And the other recognized ideal is the perspective reflecting necessity of oral speech tradition (Thai: มุขปาฐะ, RTGS: Mukkhapatha) and improvisation (Thai: การด้น, RTGS: Kan Don).^[40][8]

As a researcher and project leader, Nagavajara initiated and led the research projects "Poetry as a Spiritual and Intellectual Force in Contemporary Society" (1995–1998) and "Criticism as an Intellectual Force in Contemporary Society" (1999–2005). Thai arts criticism research projects under his leadership comprise literary criticism, art criticism, theatre criticism and music criticism.^[42][43] After the conclusion of the two grants (1999–2001 and 2002–2005) from the Thailand Research Fund,^[44] the projects were continued and expanded in scope by other research team members while he remains involved as a senior advisor until the conclusion of the last TRF-funded project in 2020. And later projects were funded by Kasikornbank (Thai: ธนาคารกสิกรไทย, RTGS: Thanakhan Kasikon Thai) during 2021-2022.^[45]

Examples of notable subjects of Nagavajara's criticism projects are Chart Korbjitti, Angkarn Kalayanapong, Sri Burapha, Atsiri Thammachot, The Suntharaphon Band [th], Bangkok Symphony Orchestra [th], Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra, and visiting foreign orchestras and soloists. Translated Plays, such as Bertolt Brecht’s Der gute Mensch von Sezuan (The Good Person of Szechwan) and Jean Anouilh’s Antigone (อันตราคนี or Antrakani in Thai) are also included.^[46] Some of his works in this area are published on TRF Criticism Project website.^[47]

Nagavajara's significant notions in arts and criticism includes firstly "one art lights the way for another" (Thai: ศิลปะส่องทางให้แก่กัน) which was originally from Wetzel, a writer in comparative literature, Nagavajara use this ideology in the context of Thai society and art. Stating that each branches of art supports each other. Secondly, "The role of amateurs in impelling art" explaining the significant of the involvement of the audience and also the amateur artists to artistic industry, and the boundaries between being professional artist, amateurs or the audience is a very thin line that is possible to cross. Thirdly, "Technology and product manufacturing deplete the value of art". Nagavajara insisted that the increasing remuneration of a single star artist will increase the difficulties of bigger bands to make living due to financial condition. Furthermore, he stated that audio recording via Hi-Fi technology over-expresses the correctness above a certain artist's capability, and also leads composers to create works according to these technologies.^[48]

Nagavajara writes extensively about humanities education and higher education in Thailand. His first book on a humanities theme "For survival of the humanities" was published in 1989 and sequels to the first, "Humanities in crisis: a Thai case study" and "Standpoint of humanities"^[31] were published in 1995 and 2015 respectively from collection of his essays. For higher education in general, he published essays in a book "Papers on Education" as early as 1981 and continues to present his views and ideas on higher education for decades. His lecture "From (Selfless) Giving to Commodification: The Dilemma of Higher Education" (2013)^[49] and "Cultural Consciousness: the Foundation of Thai Higher Education" (2016) given at the workshops "Deans for Change" were published as books by the Knowledge Network Institute of Thailand (KNIT) and were later included in two of his other books.^[12]

In addition to his roles as deputy director of the SEAMEO Secretariat, Dean of Faculty of Arts, Vice President of Silpakorn University, Nagavajara is a former member of the University Council at Ubon Ratchathani University (1993–2003),^[50] Prince of Songkla University (2008–2012)^[51] and Mahidol University (2008–2016).^[52] He was a member of the Governing Board of Ministry of State University Affairs (Thai: กรรมการทบวงมหาวิทยาลัย, RTGS: Kammakan Thabuang Mahawitthayalia) for more than a decade (1987–1990, 1992–2002).^[53] As Thai higher education making a transition into autonomous universities, the board was changed into Civil Servant Commission in Higher Education Institutions (Thai: กรรมการข้าราชการพลเรือนในสถาบันอุดมศึกษา, RTGS: Kammakan Kharatchakanphonlaruean Nai Sathaban Udomsueksa) and he continued to serve as a member (2005–2009).^[54] These appointments to high-profile public positions were royally endorsed by the King and published in the Government Gazette of Thailand.

Alongside his mentors Kurt Wais and Eberhard Lämmert [de],^[55] Nagavajara played a pivotal role in realizing the collegiate system's educational ideal, conceived by ML Pin Malakul, former Minister of Education and former President of Silpakorn University, alongside his young colleagues.^[9]

Nagavajara chaired a working group in the field of humanities and social studies, and fine arts at Mahidol University that produced a manual recognizing 22 types of academic products in humanities, social science and the arts for the purpose of academic promotion.^[56] Released in 2011, the manual provides details and clarity for the interpretation of the Thai Ministry of Education rules for academic promotion of tertiary instructors which were nationally standardized and enacted for the first time in 2007.^[57]

Nagavajara was profoundly influenced by renowned figures in the arts and literary criticism domain, including Charles Baudelaire, Bertolt Brecht, Albert Camus, Neville Cardus, Reinhold Grimm, Alexander von Humboldt, F. R. Leavis, Ekavidya Nathalang, Ronald Peacock, Soedjono Djoened Poesponegoro [id], Friedrich Schiller, Oskar Walzel [de], René Wellek.^[9][58] Throughout his career, Nagavajara had also created impacts and influenced others in his fields too.

Nagavajara introduced the term "culture of criticizing", which has been used as a reference among students, scholars, and others.^[59] Societies that are aware of problems and issues would create a "Culture of criticizing", which means that the members of that society support sharing opinions openly and rationally. In the sense that culture is a way of life, a culture of criticizing is the way of life of people who are willing to give and take criticism to make things better.^[60] Nagavajara has wide experience being inside the art and literature criticizing circle for multiple decades since 1998. Bangkok Post mentioned Chetana as "...The criticizer who writes sharply, his opinions could make screen writers review their works again despite being in the middle of the show and selling like hot cakes. And visual artists also pay good attention to what he comments..."^[7] Moreover, Chetana was also a directional committee for the project 100 great books Thai people should read [th] by Witayakorn Chiengkul [th]^[61]

The life and works of Nagavajara were studied in the research project "Thai thinker-researcher: Chetana Nakavajara", which was supported by the Thailand Research Funds in 1998. According to the project, Nagavajara's ideology is built upon a foundation of humanism combined with free-democracy, and fuses ideas from western and eastern culture.^[62] His publications, written in both German and English, have been recognized by international academic scholars,^[40][8][63] including academics from other disciplines. For instance, Professor Wanchai De-Eknamkul who was awarded Humboldt-Forschungspreis said: "Professor Nagavajara's dedication resembles that of a general in the field of Humanities and Social Sciences, able to stand firm against the scientific field with great honor. Currently, I greatly appreciate the valuable knowledge imparted by him."^[64] Academics and artists who have been influenced by Chetana Nagavajara include Korakoch Attaviriyanupap, Chamaiporn Bangkombang [th], Sodchuen Chaiprasathna, Kanya Charoensupkul, Duangmon Chitchamnong, Parichart Chuengwiwattanaporn, Khumron Khunadilok, Suntariya Muanpawong, Pradit Prasartthong, Ratsami Chusongdet, Siraporn Na Klang, and Sukanya Sompaiboon.

Nagavajara's role in the series of TRF-funded criticism projects inspired an award-winning children novel Khun Pu Waen Ta To (Thai: คุณปู่แว่นตาโต ,2001) by Chamaiporn Bangkombang [th], a 2014 national artist of Thailand in literature.^[65] The grandfather in the story was modeled after him and the children in the story represented team members of the research project.^[66] The sequel to the novel Khun Pu Waen Ta Taek (Thai: คุณปู่แว่นตาแตก ,2011) by the same author also featured him as the main character with a new batch of primary level students.^[67] The adventures of a grandfather and children in field trips to Wat Pho, National Gallery, Bang Lamphu, Amphawa and Spirit Cave at Pang Mapha and attempts to instill appreciation of the arts and their native roots were the main themes in the two books. Frequent reference to Siam Devadhiraj by the grandfather to express his frustration and various remarks on grandfather's connections to Germany in the two books were inspired by unique characters of Nagavajara.

In August 1998, during the last seminar in the series for this TRF-funded project, poets took an exception to what he presented as "representative Thai poetry" which include lyrics from modern pop songs by Seksan Sukpimai, or commonly known as Sek Loso, but not highly-regarded modern classics. In his interview with the Bangkok Post, he explained that "The protest by the poets at last August's seminar was brief, and had to do with a misunderstanding concerning the concept of value in poetry."^[7]

He received honorary doctorates^[6] from Prince of Songkla University in 1998,^[3] Srinakharinwirot University in 2001,^[68] Chulalongkorn University in 2004,^[69] Mae Fah Luang University in 2005,^[70] Chiang Mai University in 2006^[71] and University of Tübingen in 2009.^[72][73] Granting a second doctorate to the same person in this way was unprecedented at the University of Tübingen and his case has set precedent.^[58]

• 2004: Honorary Member of the Siam Society^[74]
• 1999–2002: Vice President of International Federation for Modern Languages and Literatures^[75]
• 1982–1988 Member of the Literary Theory Committee of the International Comparative Literature Association (ICLA)^[6]

• 2019: Lifetime Achievement Award, the Thai Chapter of the International Association of Theatre Critics^[76]
• 2017: Narathip Bongprabandh Award [th]^[77]
• 2009: Award for Distinguished Authority on the Thai Language, Ministry of Culture, Thailand^[78]
• 1995: Inaugural TRF Senior Research Scholar^[33]
• 1994: Alexander von Humboldt Foundation's Humboldt-Forschungspreis award^[79]
• 1984, 1992: Fulbright Visiting Scholar at University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (twice)^[26]
• 1989–90: Fulbright Visiting Professor at University of California, Berkeley^[27]
• 1973: Goethe Medal^[80]

Thailand

• 1994:   Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant^[81]
• 1992:   Chakrabarti Mala Medal^[82]
• 1990:   Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of Order of the Crown of Thailand^[83]

Germany

• 1996:   Grand Cross 1st Class Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany^[6]

France

• 2003:   Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres^[6]

Language and Literature

• Basic theory of Literature (1977)
• The Drama Literature of Bertolt Brecht (1983)^[28]
• Comparative literature from a Thai perspective: Collected articles (1978-1992)
• Wechselseitige Erhellung der Kulturen: Aufsätze zur Kultur und Literatur (1999)
• Study of Criticize: International Poetry (2003)
• Native roots and distant climes (2020)

Thai Art and Criticism

• The Path to the Culture of Criticism (1981)
• The Endless Path of the Culture of Criticism: Collected Critiques (1987)
• I enrolled because of Love: Collected Critiques on Thai and Western Music (1997)
• The Arts of Illuminating: Collected Academic Articles (2003)
• Fervently mediating: Criticism from a Thai perspective. Collected articles (2004)
• The Moderate Way of Criticism (2012)
• The Outcome of Research come with Criticism (2020)^[84]

Humanities and Higher education

• For survival of the humanities (1989)
• Old school VS New school: Thai Humanities in Correlation to Change (2005)
• From (Selfless) Giving to Commodification: The Dilemma of Higher Education (2013)^[49]
• The Standpoint of Humanities (2015)^[31]
• Conversations with Prof. Chettana Nagavajara on Leadership (2015)^[12]
• Cultural Consciousness: the Foundation of Thai Higher Education (2016)

• Catalogue, Leibniz Centre for Cultural and Literary Research, Berlin
• Catalogue, TROVE, National Library of Australia
• Catalogue, British Library, UK Archived 9 July 2021 at the Wayback Machine
• Bibliography of academic and critical work of Chetana Nagavajara compiled and edited by Sawitree Tongurai (As of 14 February 2021)
• "การสัมนาทางวิชาการ งานแสดงมุทิตาจิต "80 ปี อาจารย์เจตนา นาควัชระ" (2)". 2017 – via YouTube. (Academic seminar: 80th year Anniversary of Chetana Nagavajara 2017 Part II) (in Thai)
• Video Interview with Chetana Nagavajara, © Freie Universität Berlin 2016
• ปาฐกถาสิรินธร 2548 (ครั้งที่ 20 เรื่อง ดนตรีกับชีวิต) จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย (The 20th Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Lecture at Chulalongkorn University 2005) (in Thai)