October 27, 2020 at Sirikunakorn 3, Sirikunakorn Building, Khon Kaen University – Khon Kaen University by the Human Resource Section and Division of Human Resources organized a conference on “Development of High-Level Administrators of Khon Kaen University”. Assoc. Prof. Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, M.D., President of the university presided over the opening ceremony. Assoc. Prof. Kriengkrai Kitcharoen, Ph.D., Vice President for Human Resources made a reporting speech. The event was attended by KKU administrators, Vice Presidents, Assistants to the President, Deans, Directors of various organizations and heads of organizations responsible for strategic work. The opening session ended with Distinguished Professor Krairit Bunyakiat’s special talk on “Strategic Thinking towards Implementation”.
Assoc. Prof. Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, M.D., President of Khon Kaen University said, “Khon Kaen University has a development project for administrators and the conference today is under this project. Many administrators are from the academic line, and many have just been appointed. Administrative work involves a lot of rules and regulations, which are very important for efficient and successful operations as well as for creating good outcomes. The present administration is similar to academic work, for there are new and important things to learn. It is an honor to have Distinguished Professor Krairit Bunyakiat to give a special talk today. Professor is experienced in giving consultation to important organizations both in Thailand and abroad. He was one of the professors who established and taught at the College of Graduate Study in Management (MBA) of Khon Kaen University. Thank you, Professor and thanks all of the guest speakers and administrators who participate in this project.”
Assoc. Prof. Kriengkrai Kitcharoen, Ph.D., Vice President for Human Resources explained that the High-Level Administrator Development Project is part of the plan to develop leaders who are high-level administrators. In the fiscal year 2021, there are plans for training in which the commencement will be in making strategic plans. Khon Kaen University by Assoc. Prof. Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, M.D., President of Khon Kaen University already laid the 4-year strategic plans, which aim principally at implementation. High-level administrators will change according to the office terms. Therefore, a good start will enable all implementations to be in the right direction. In the future, this will be in the master plan as a continuous project. In fact, high-level administrator development begins from building understanding of important laws for administration. Later, there will be other curricula. The university has the core curriculum for administrators at all levels, high, middle, and administrators of the supporting staff. The following step will be training at different faculties, which means putting the plans into action. The outcomes will answer the strategic plans of the university and continuity in administration of all levels.
Distinguished Professor Krairit Bunyakiat said, “Khon Kaen University is in a suitable region and in the area where the holistic provincial administration is in line with the university’s development. There are advantages in geography as well as resources. The strategic plans of the university are clear and can be put into practice. In principle, laying strategies to develop an organization involves important factors, namely, appropriate planning and setting of time frame for administration and development, integration of organizations in the university so that they can work together no matter if they are in the field of science or humanities, selection of important issues for the university that will lead towards development of administration and personnel, administration and implementation that are distinguishable, and lastly, the risk, which is very important and is an indicator of success. The appropriate means in administration are essential. These include: making strategic plans, making clear implementation plans with emphases on outcomes and impacts that may arise, implementation – which is very important especially in terms of regular revision and improvement towards innovations in administration – and evaluation with monitoring and following-up work in order to know the strengths and weaknesses to be adjusted and finally, flexibility in the operations that are in accordance with the present situation.
This “High-level Administrator Development Project” was organized to build knowledge and understanding among participants of strategic concepts as well as to build skills and important traits for administration at a high level. The knowledge and understanding can be applied in the administration and management of the university and upgrading the capabilities of the university to become the world’s leading research university. The special talk on “Strategic Thinking towards Implementation” by Distinguished Professor Krairit Bunyakiat covered the key knowledge, skills and traits of a high-level administrator in a university. The conference also included training in planning and administering work at the university level. Finally, there was a session to reflect the outcomes of the conference that leads to learning of excellence practices and innovations in university administration.
By Natthawut Jaruwong
