Pathum Thani, Thailand – The National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) successfully completed the first implementation of its second innovative Virtual Universe (VU2) and the associated learning unit. This significant event, held on November 22-23, 2025, at the NSTDA Pathum Thani campus, engaged 70 high school students and six teachers from six local schools in a unique immersive educational experience focused on biodiversity loss.

The VU2 learning unit, as part of the broader SIMPLE project, integrates immersive technologies – specifically Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) – as powerful pedagogical tools. Similar to VU1, biodiversity loss, an urgent environmental issue in Thailand, remained the key focus of the learning unit, with additional tasks in the preservation path.

Students actively participated in VR gameplays designed to simulate forest restoration efforts. Through hands-on virtual activities such as seed collection and the protection of restoration plots, participants gained practical understanding and direct engagement with critical ecological processes.

The main objective of this event was to significantly raise environmental awareness among youth. Beyond theoretical knowledge, the program aimed to deepen students’ understanding of the causes, effects, and crucial approaches necessary for effective biodiversity restoration.

“We believe that this program will foster a profound sense of stewardship in the participants,” stated Panyavut Aumpuchin, leader of the NSTDA team, who proudly hosted the event. “By empowering them with both knowledge and a tangible connection to conservation through immersive technology, we are cultivating a vital force for protecting and restoring the world’s biodiversity in the future.”

This successful implementation provided invaluable insights and a robust foundation for the following one, taking place in Chiang Mai, in FORRU’s premises on December 15-16, 2025. Curious about the latter? We’ll be sharing the full story in our next article.

The NSTDA team extends its gratitude to all participating students and teachers for their enthusiastic engagement, marking this event as a significant step towards a bigger space given to immersive technologies and sustainable development in education in ASEAN.