The School of Global Studies (SGS), Thammasat University, held the “Introduction to the SGS programs” webinar to introduce its programs to the public. The school offers three social science programs: the Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies and Social Entrepreneurship; the Master of Arts in Social Innovation and Sustainability; and the newly established Doctoral Program in Social Innovation and Sustainability.
In this webinar, the Dean of SGS – Assistant Professor Prapaporn Tivayanond Mongkhonvanit, PhD – talked about the common spirit shared by the three programs: “At the aggregate level, the school has been at the forefront of various issues; whether it’s globalization, innovation, or entrepreneurship. Those are the important concepts and segues where we try to bridge and make the connection between theory and practice, and basically, try to integrate real events to our understanding and our theory of social sciences.”
“We have been trying to make the vital connection between globalization and localization, to substantiate what it means to have these experiences and to extend that to the global framework. As for innovation and entrepreneurship itself, we try to expand the base not only at the private sector level, but we try to bring entrepreneurship to the policy level, to civil society, to the public spheres as well. This is an important element that we try to encourage and support our students to embrace. Hopefully, with that sort of knowledge set, you can focus more on the issues that are relevant, for example, in your thesis and in your study,” says Asst. Prof. Prapaporn.
The PhD program in Social Innovation and Sustainability at the School of Global Studies is unique in its combination of social innovation and sustainability, two very important policy areas at the forefront of our contemporary society in the twenty-first century.
The students will get to specialize in the topic of their own interest but in close collaboration with our faculty who are experts in different fields. Recognizing that social innovation and sustainability are broad terrains, the program seeks to promote diversity by offering different tracks of entry that cater for applicants with different academic backgrounds and different levels of professional experience.
The PhD program will provide an open environment for critical dialogue. The aim is to be highly interactive with workshops, seminars, case studies, subject experts, and practitioners engaging in the discussion of key concepts, theories, frameworks, and emerging ideas for creating, developing, and enabling social innovation in the public, private and social sectors in the region. Learners will have the opportunity to participate in research seminars and conferences inside and outside the universities.