Monday January 4, 2021 at 9:30 a.m. at the administration building of the Northeast Science Park – Assoc. Prof. Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, M.D., President of Khon Kaen University attended the meeting, “Reinventing University” – a step toward the future, which was held by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation. Among the key participants were Prof. Dr. Supachai Patumnakul, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Prof. Dr. Peerapong Teekasakul, Chairman of the Sub-committee for University Reinventing and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kittichai Trairatanasirichai, President of Nakhonpanom University. Over 200 participants included administrators of all universities in the Northeast, officers from MHESI and educators.
The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation (MHESI) is stepping forward to reinvent Thai universities, aiming at reforming the administrative system, improving instruction and programs to catch up with the social changes so that graduates will be of high quality and meet the needs of the market, as well as strengthening the universities’ competitive competence and upgrading Thai university quality toward the international level. Universities all over the country will be encouraged to classify themselves into one of the 5 strategic clusters based on their proficiency. The five clusters are: Global & Frontier Research, Technology & Innovation, Area-Based & Community, Moral & Intellectual Cultivation, and Specialized & Professional. It is expected that Thai universities will be upgraded and become comparable to the world-class universities by the year 2023. Each university will be efficiently applying its knowledge, capacities and potentialities in the respective strategic cluster where each has the proficiency and expertise. Meanwhile, the competition among the universities will be promoted, answering the national development plans.
By Jiraporn Pratomchai
