On Thursday, October 16, 2025, Khon Kaen University (KKU), led by Asst. Prof. Sakda Wara-Asawapati, M.D., Assistant to the President for Planning and Quality Improvement, warmly welcomed delegates from the College of Arts, Media, and Technology, Chiang Mai University (CMU) for a knowledge exchange visit. The purpose of the session was to share experiences and management approaches that contributed to KKU’s achievement of the Thailand Quality Class Plus: Societal Contribution (TQC Plus) Award. The event took place at Sarasin Meeting Room, 2nd Floor, Sirikunakorn Building, Khon Kaen University.
Asst. Prof. Dr. Sakda Wara-Asawapati expressed his appreciation for the visit, emphasizing that it was a valuable opportunity for both universities to learn and collaborate on strategies that promote institutional excellence. He explained that Khon Kaen University’s success in achieving the TQC Plus recognition resulted from a systematic process of analyzing internal and external data before formulating evaluation frameworks aligned with the university’s missions at every level—from administrators and directors to all staff members. This alignment, he noted, ensures that all sectors work with a unified mindset in accordance with the EdPEx (Education Criteria for Performance Excellence) framework, supported by a detailed and integrated operational strategy.
“The foundation of Khon Kaen University lies in its 60 years of dedication to society,” said Asst. Prof. Dr. Sakda. “All of our projects, academic programs, and research initiatives originate from community challenges and are developed into tangible solutions through academic services, research, and innovation. At the same time, our vision to become a world-class research and development university is centered on sustainable development for society. These two principles—social dedication and sustainability—are our key strengths that drive the university in a unified direction. With this clear vision, KKU continues to achieve meaningful social impact and will remain a university devoted to society for generations to come.”
Dr. Pawana Kittiwimonchai, Acting Director of the Division of Educational Quality Development, added that KKU has long upheld its mission as a university dedicated to society throughout its 60-year history. The university applies its strengths toward sustainable development, guided by the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as its vision. She further highlighted the importance of developing new assessors while integrating multiple quality frameworks, including EdPEx, TQC, IQA, AUN-QA, Rankings, OKRs, and modern information systems. Continuous monitoring, technological advancement, innovation, and the pursuit of tangible outcomes, she noted, are also key to sustaining progress.
At present, 10 faculties at Khon Kaen University have achieved EdPEx 200, accounting for 62.5% of all faculties. Three faculties have reached EdPEx 300, while two faculties have earned the Thailand Quality Class (TQC) distinction. In addition, nine newly established or developing faculties are in the process of fostering innovation and progressing toward EdPEx 200-level excellence.
Asst. Prof. Dr. Khongthat Thongphun, Deputy Dean of the College of Arts, Media, and Technology, Chiang Mai University, stated that the purpose of the visit was to learn from KKU’s success and apply its practices to enhance work processes, integrate technology into organizational operations, and strengthen leadership and management skills among support staff. He also expressed his hope that the visit would mark the beginning of a long-term partnership between CMU and KKU, fostering future collaboration and continuous learning in multiple dimensions.
The morning session focused on KKU’s management framework and practices that led to the TQC Plus: Societal Contribution Award, while the afternoon featured a visit to the Faculty of Engineering, Khon Kaen University, to learn about the faculty’s achievements that earned the Thailand Quality Class Plus: Operation (TQC Plus: Operation) Award—marking a successful conclusion to the knowledge exchange program.
