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Published on February 21, 2008

 Genius is something only

a few are born with - for

most of us it's out of

reach. Or is it?

Not according to education expert Vanessa "Noo Dee" Race, who says that the spark glowing within all of us can be fanned in to a "happy genius" given the right conditions.

In common with other smart students, Vanessa used to get stressed out struggling to attain the "genius" label. Today, she runs her own school, and those anxieties are firmly behind her.

The Vanessa School is an alternative kindergarten and elementary school with a curriculum based on "brain-based" learning and the Multiple Intelligences theory put forward by Harvard professor Howard Gardner.

After graduating with a master's degree in neuroscience and education from Harvard, Vanessa came up with the notion that a happy genius - a brilliant but well-rounded individual - can be created.

She believes that everybody is a potential genius in some aspect of life, which might not necessarily be measured by a straight-A school report. To put the theory into practice, Vanessa turned to her mother, Chumsri Rukwanitpong, who helped her set up the school. The ideas are also behind the versatile 30-year-old's Geniusmaker company, which provides corporate coaching for company staff. In addition, she still finds time to write for various magazines and a newspaper and has penned a book, "Genius Maker".

 "Being a genius is not entirely about a high IQ. Studies of the brain show that no matter what we do, the basic thinking process is the same," Vanessa explains. "In feedback, my readers tell me that the more they read up on a chosen subject, the more they feel they've attained a level of genius in their field. A workman's self-esteem is boosted after hitting the books, for instance, because the CEO of his company won't be able to fix electrical wiring like he can."

For young children, parents and teachers, she focuses on the Brain Gym, a multidiscipline exercise created by Doctors Paul and Gail Dennison in California that uses mind-mapping techniques alongside Gardner's Multiple Intelligences theory. There are eight categories of intelligence that the school develops: linguistic; logical-mathematical; spatial; bodily-kinaesthetic; musical; intrapersonal; interpersonal; and naturalistic.

Vanessa first found the limelight after becoming the 15th winner of TV's "One Night Genius", going on to appear in commercials that emphasised her smart credentials. Evidence that she practises the well-rounded life she preaches comes in the form her spare-time activities, which include yoga, meditation and dancing.

Last week she was named a "Woman of Exception 2008", the first Thai to win the award presented each year by Swiss watchmakers Parmigiani Fleurier. The award honours women for their work in four categories: lifestyle, the arts, business and finance, and science. One previous winner was Singaporean scientist Ho Ching Lin, for her research into eye diseases.

"I'm particularly delighted with this award because Ho Ching Ling was a year above me at Harvard," says Vanessa. "She's dedicated her life's work to preventing blindness in new-born babies. I feel that it's vital that intelligence be combined with a generosity towards others and yourself. I have a curious and sceptical mind, but I start every day questioning how my knowledge can be of benefit to others."

Vanessa adds that she likes to stick to a simple lifestyle in keeping with her Buddhist practice. "I try not to carry a whole mess of stuff," she says, with a nod to her many achievements. "These don't have any effect on my ego. On the contrary, they remind me of the obligations that I have towards others. If I can get readers and members of the public interested in my work, then I feel I'm spreading a nourishing energy."

Vanessa's plans for spreading that energy in the year to come include releasing three new books - about learning techniques, positive psychology, and Buddhism and the brain.

Kupluthai Pungkanon

The Nation