With the first cohort of Chulalongkorn School of Integrated Innovation (ScII) students already attending the semester abroad program at the Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology of the University of California, Berkeley, the two institutions have decided to deepen relations by initiating additional innovative partnerships.
Discussing the path forward on ScII’s premises on March 2, 2022 were Dr. David Law, Director Global Academic and Startup Programs and Ms Susan Giesecke, Director of Global Engagement of the Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology (SCET). Last year, ScII and SCET signed a partnership agreement to provide ScII students with opportunities to innovate along with Silicon Valley giants. Credited with developing Berkeley’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, SCET shared its experience and welcomed ScII’s move to consolidate the partnership by engaging with SCET’s flagship programs.
Welcoming them was Prof. Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai, a UC Berkeley alumnus and now Executive Director of ScII. “I am confident that through our partnership, we will not only actively promote innovations and cutting-edge learning experiences but also serve our communities and societies to create a better and more sustainable future for mankind,” Prof. Worsak said. He went on to invite UC Berkeley to offer Berkeley Method of Entrepreneurship Bootcamp (BMoE), an intensive workshop, at ScII. Prof. Worsak proposed hosting a regional Berkeley Bootcamp that would include participants from the entire region.
Assoc. Prof. Natcha Thawesaengskulthai, Chulalongkorn University’s Vice President for Strategic Planning, Innovation and Global Engagement discussed plans to engage Chulalongkorn University more actively in the United States, focusing specifically on innovation ventures. Dr. Ram Piyaket, Director, Office of International Affairs and Global Network of the Office of International Affairs, spoke about Chulalongkorn’s global initiatives.
Dr. Pietro Borsano, Deputy Executive Director, Industrial and Global Alliances, ScII presented a survey of ScII students currently at UC Berkeley along with responses from students interested in participating in the next startup semester. Mutual exchanges Future joint-initiatives include internship opportunities for ScII students in Silicon Valley, participation in the Silicon Valley Innovation Leadership Program and the Engineering Leadership Global Hybrid Program for ScII industry partners, visits to SCET by ScII faculty members, and opportunities for knowledge transfer and education in SCET teaching methods.
Dr. Wariyna Chemnasiri Director of Academic Affairs, ScII shared the profile of ScII students, noting that applicants to ScII’s Bachelor of Arts and Science in Integrated Innovation (BAScii) program are among the best students in the region and that their quality has steadily improved with every successive year.