Thammasat Boosts Global Ties

"Being a leader of a university that learns from real experiences" is a significant milestone throughout the tenure of Professor Dr. Supasawad Chardchawarn, Rector of Thammasat University (TU), who aims to reform the human resource development system in Thailand to ensure it is "truly effective" in supporting the country's economic and social development.

Amid a global "crisis within a crisis," including a workforce shortage, Thailand faces challenges, compounded by a two-year high 2.1% unemployment rate (Q2 2025) and demographic shifts toward an aging society. For the past 19 months, Professor Dr. Supasawad has focused on elevating the university through partnerships. Domestic collaborations include MOUs with Siam Cement Group, the Federation of Thai Industries, and Gulf Energy Development for cooperative education. Internationally, the focus is on expanding relationships, including student exchange and Dual Degree programs, to achieve international standards, foster knowledge sharing, become a Comprehensive University, and transform human resource production.

In 2025, Professor Dr. Supasawad stated that there have been travels to various countries to discuss cooperation in the field of education. In Japan, visits were made to three universities: the University of Hyogo, Hokkaido University, and Rakuno Gakuen University. The latter two universities are partners in collaboration and the organization of the One Health Lecture Series 2025. All the universities expressed their desire to visit Thammasat University to enhance cooperation in higher education. The University of Hyoko aims to increase international students, offering high school quotas. Learning Thammasat University has a secondary school, they expressed interest in a visit, scholarships, and recruiting students from the Thammasat Demonstration School. Separately, the President of Hokkaido University, specializing in agriculture and health sciences, also plans to visit Thammasat University in 2026.

Thammasat University will attend the Beijing Forum 2025 in China, invited by Peking University President Gong Qihuang, to discuss and strengthen global academic cooperation, particularly in science, technology, and AI. This builds on existing bilateral ties. Additionally, TU visited three universities in Uzbekistan, Tashkent State University of Law, Samarkand State University, and the National University of Uzbekistan (which has an existing education MOU), to expand relations with the resource-rich nation. Professor Dr. Supasawad noted that expanding relations with Uzbekistan enhances knowledge, attracts international students, and serves as a gateway to Central Asia. Thammasat currently holds 171 active MOUs with foreign institutions: 55 in Europe, 135 in Asia, 10 in Oceania, 1 in Africa, 3 in Latin America, and 18 in North America.

In 2026, Thammasat University (TU) will expand relations with China and Indonesia. Collaboration with China seeks technological partnerships, especially in AI, and increased Chinese student enrollment, capitalizing on their rapidly growing universities. Indonesia is a key target due to its population and TU's reputation as a top Southeast Asian university, aiming to attract Indonesian students. These efforts support TU's goal to become a regional educational hub and an international center for social sciences.