Khon Kaen University Receives National Outstanding Institution Award for International CWIE Implementation at CWIE Day 2025 in Chiang Mai
Khon Kaen University has been honored with the National Outstanding Institution Award for International Cooperative and Work-Integrated Education (CWIE) for the year 2025. The award was presented during the 15th CWIE Day, held in Chiang Mai Province.
Khon Kaen University has adopted a policy to enhance students’ global competency by aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the implementation of Cooperative and Work-Integrated Education (CWIE) at the international level.
The university has designated CWIE as one of its core educational strategies. The journey began with the “ASEAN Cooperative Education Program,” which was implemented from fiscal year 2013 until the second semester of 2019, covering 12 cohorts. A total of 1,456 students participated in international cooperative education placements during that period. Since the transformation into International CWIE at the end of 2022 until early 2025, six more cohorts have been organized, involving 395 students placed in international workplaces. Altogether, the university has sent over 1,850 students across 18 cohorts to gain real-world experience in 170 enterprises across 19 countries.
CWIE: A Core Strategy for Educational Transformation at Khon Kaen University
According to the Khon Kaen University Educational Philosophy 2023, CWIE has become a key mechanism in driving the university’s Education Transformation, as outlined in the Strategic Plan 2024–2027. The university embraces a new paradigm in education, emphasizing experiential learning and competency-based curricula that respond directly to labor market demands.
The Office of Academic Administration and Development has been assigned as the lead agency in overseeing international CWIE, including strategic direction, allocation of more than 38 million baht in CWIE international scholarships over the past seven years, support for international enterprise partnerships, development of operational standards, and performance evaluation through the CWIE KKU Platform. The field data obtained is consistently utilized to enhance curricula and improve teaching and learning processes.
Tangible Outcomes from Implementing CWIE as a Core Educational Strategy
The CWIE approach has led to meaningful international curriculum collaborations, such as:
A high-speed rail engineering program in partnership with Southwest Jiaotong University, China.
A Bachelor of Science in Agriculture program collaboration with Green World Genetics Sdn. Bhd., Malaysia.
Ongoing academic cooperation with the University of the Philippines Los Baños.
These outcomes reflect the success of CWIE in promoting competency-based education and real-world experiential learning.
To date, Khon Kaen University has received the National Outstanding Institution Award for International CWIE Implementation three times (2015, 2019, and 2025), underscoring the university’s commitment to delivering education that meets the needs of employers and strengthens the global competencies of its graduates.
Photos/Report: Cooperative Education Unit, Curriculum and Cooperative Education Division
