Khon Kaen University Holds SROI Training for Research and Academic Services to Enhance Social Impact Measurement Towards Sustainability

27 April 2026
12:33

On Friday, 24 April 2026, the Division of Enterprise and Societal Sustainability of Khon Kaen University organised a workshop on “Social Return on Investment (SROI) Assessment” for research and academic services. Held at the Science Park Administration Building, the session aimed to standardise social impact measurement, ensuring that university projects are evaluated with systematic and internationally recognised precision.

Professor Thidarut Boonmars, D.V.M., Ph.D., Vice President for Enterprise and Societal Sustainability

The opening ceremony was presided over by Professor Thidarut Boonmars, D.V.M., Ph.D., Vice President for Enterprise and Societal Sustainability. In her opening remarks, Professor Boonmars highlighted the crucial role of SROI as a tool for driving the university’s research and academic service missions, enabling projects to achieve tangible social outcomes and clearly reflect their true value.

Assistant Professor Jakrapun Suksawat, Ph.D., Head of the Department of Economics

Assistant Professor Siwaporn Fongthong, Ph.D., Chairperson of the Bachelor of Economics (Bilingual Programme)

The morning session commenced with an in-depth exploration of the “Principles of Social Return on Investment (SROI),” presented by Assistant Professor Jakrapun Suksawat, Head of the Department of Economics. Dr Jakrapun introduced the fundamental theoretical framework required for systematic social impact analysis, providing a conceptual foundation for the day’s training. This was followed by a lecture on the “Steps in Assessing Social Return on Investment (SROI)” by Assistant Professor Siwaporn Fongthong, Ph.D., Chairperson of the Bachelor of Economics (Bilingual Programme), who explained the practical process, from defining project scope and identifying stakeholders to analysing and interpreting results. The session also included a lively forum for discussion between the speakers and participants.

SROI KKU Platform

The afternoon transitioned into a hands-on workshop, where participants applied these theories to real-world case studies to deepen their technical proficiency. A key highlight was the introduction of the SROI KKU Platform, a proprietary digital tool designed for the robust monitoring and evaluation of university-led initiatives. The day concluded with a summary of the key takeaways and a question-and-answer session to ensure all participants could fully apply the knowledge gained.

This training reflects Khon Kaen University’s commitment to developing the capabilities of its personnel and elevating the standards of its research and academic services to measure social impact with clarity, transparency, and international recognition. These efforts will contribute to the sustainable development of the grassroots economy and society in the northeastern region.

The adoption of SROI is integral to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), allowing projects to demonstrate their social value in concrete terms. This directly links to promoting good health and well-being (SDG 3), quality education (SDG 4), decent work and economic growth (SDG 8), and partnerships for the goals (SDG 17). Developing such an effective evaluation system is a significant step towards building a strong, transparent, and sustainable society for the long term.