On June 12, 2025, Assistant Professor Dr. Pongsutti Phuensane, Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration and Accountancy at Khon Kaen University, participated in the opening of the “Upskill SME Exporters” Workshop, Class 1 at Graph Hotel Ratchada, Bangkok. This event is part of the Upskill SME Exporters Project Phase 3, organized in collaboration with the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion (OSMEP), the Export-Import Bank of Thailand (EXIM Bank), and Khon Kaen University. The initiative aims to enhance the capabilities of Thai SME operators, enabling them to grow confidently on the international trade stage, while promoting the establishment of cooperative networks among the government, private sectors, and relevant educational institutions to support capable entrepreneurs in competing and sustainably expanding their businesses in international markets.

This training event was honored by expert speakers from various sectors, who shared experiences and knowledge with the entrepreneurs. The training content was designed to address every dimension of SME development in Thailand, such as market analysis using Market Intelligence tools, strategy formulation from strengths to sales propositions, trends in international markets for 2025, financial risk management, and logistics for export, along with sharing firsthand experiences from entrepreneurs who transformed crises into opportunities in international markets. Additionally, participants received in-depth group consultations in four key areas: international marketing, financial management and export insurance, logistics transportation, and product development for export. Partner organizations, including EXIM Bank, ISMED, NSTDA (ITAP), TISTR, DHL Express Thailand, and OSS of OSMEP, provided services and consultations throughout the day. Assistant Professor Dr. Phongsutith Phunthan, Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration and Accountancy, revealed that this collaboration reflects the faculty’s role in driving the strategic mission of bridging academia and industry, particularly the transfer of in-depth business management knowledge to Thai SMEs, enabling them to systematically elevate their businesses to international levels and adapt to the rapidly changing digital economy. The Upskill SME Exporters project is scheduled to continue training in five locations nationwide from June to August 2025 to create momentum for Thai SMEs to compete in the global market with the knowledge, tools, and networks necessary in an era of rapidly transforming global economics.