Chula and KUIS Launch Strategic Initiative

Chulalongkorn University’s Office of Art and Culture Administration, in collaboration with its Office of International Affairs and Global Network, has launched a strategic initiative titled “Impactful Growth and International Growth: Leveraging Arts and Culture for University-Level Collaboration and a Strategy to Recruit High-Potential International Exchange Students for One Academic Year to Advance World Rankings (2027 Pilot Program Across Six Faculties, 30 Students).”

The initiative is being implemented in partnership with the Music Education Program at the Faculty of Education, Kanda University of International Studies (KUIS) in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, from October 21–26, 2026.

The project uses arts and culture as a strategic driver, linking the Impactful Growth strategy, which focuses on creating positive social impact, with the International Growth strategy, which aims to strengthen Chulalongkorn University’s international standing. Building on ongoing music and cultural exchange activities, the initiative seeks to expand these efforts into university-wide collaboration involving multiple faculties.

A key milestone took place on October 25, 2026, when Prof. Dr. Wilert Puriwat, President of Chulalongkorn University, and Mr. Shingo Ashizawa, President of Kanda University of International Studies, signed a university-level Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The agreement builds on collaboration initiated by Chula’s Faculty of Education and KUIS in 2020, covering academic cooperation, student exchanges, and Thai music instruction.

The signing ceremony was attended by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yootthana Chuppunnarat, Vice President; Asst. Prof. Dr. Vitchatalum Laovanich, Assistant to the President for Arts and Culture Promotion; Asst. Prof. Dr. Nattasuda Taephant, Dean of the Faculty of Psychology; Asst. Prof. Sarayut Supsook, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture; Mr. Kanchit Jirathanasathian, Director of the Office of Art and Culture Administration; and lecturers Chalermphan Ruavicha and Weerakit Suwanphithak, representing the Music Education Program at the Faculty of Education.

As part of the cultural exchange activities, students from Chula’s Music Education Program performed Thai music and conducted a music education workshop titled “Thai Music Back to Basic.” The workshop introduced KUIS students to traditional Thai musical instruments and ensemble performance. Participants subsequently performed alongside members of the KUIS Thai Music and Dance Club at the Hamakaze Festival (Open House), in the presence of administrators from both universities.

Following the MOU signing, representatives from both universities discussed plans to welcome 30 high-potential exchange students from KUIS to study at Chulalongkorn University for one academic year. The program is scheduled to launch as a pilot initiative in 2027 across six faculties: psychology, sports science, economics, political science, architecture, and education. These faculties have served as established destinations for KUIS exchange students.

Applicants will be required to meet the language proficiency requirements set by their respective host faculty. For example, the Faculty of Education requires proficiency in Thai. Discussions on joint curricula were also held with deans from various faculties at KUIS.

Both universities also identified opportunities to diversify their collaboration in the future, including short-term academic programs and exchanges for faculty members and researchers.

The full-year exchange strategy is expected to increase both the proportion and diversity of international students at Chulalongkorn University, which are important indicators in global university rankings. It will also offer Chula students the opportunity to learn alongside international peers in actual classroom settings.

This partnership demonstrates how arts and culture can serve as a gateway to university-wide collaboration, creating opportunities for Chulalongkorn students to gain valuable international experience while strengthening academic ties between Thailand and Japan.

Read more at: https://www.chula.ac.th/en/news/431257/