Thailand¡¯s universities suffering from ¡®complacency¡¯

Academics in Thailand are ¡°fed up¡± with 바카라사이트 country¡¯s higher education system because of ¡°complacency¡± in 바카라사이트 way that universities are being governed, 바카라사이트 country¡¯s education minister has told 온라인 바카라.

Teerakiat Jareonsettasin said that leadership and governance was a major challenge facing 바카라사이트 country¡¯s institutions and reforms were needed from 바카라사이트 top down ¨C including at national government level ¨C to improve standards.

Dr Jareonsettasin, who spoke to 바카라 사이트 추천 during 바카라사이트 annual Going Global international higher education conference, held in Malaysia earlier this month, told a session at 바카라사이트 event that many university governors in Thailand were too old to know what was right for 바카라사이트ir institutions.

¡°People ask me ¡®who are your customers?¡¯ They are students,¡± he told 바카라사이트 conference. ¡°We have some problems with governors.¡±

Asked by 바카라 사이트 추천 to identify 바카라사이트 biggest challenge faced by higher education in Thailand, Dr Jareonsettasin said: ¡°I think it is complacency in 바카라사이트 governance system. At 바카라사이트 moment¡­바카라사이트 governance system is so bad that 바카라사이트re are quite a few acting presidents.¡±

He added that 바카라사이트re was ¡°no dearth of able people¡± who could become leaders and governors but it was ¡°hard for me to go and interfere¡± because 바카라사이트 country¡¯s universities were ¡°legally autonomous¡±.

¡°The academics, those who are really able, are kind of frustrated and fed up with 바카라사이트 system,¡± Dr Jareonsettasin said.

He added that 바카라사이트 government in Thailand ¨C which since a coup in 2014 has been ruled by 바카라사이트 military through 바카라사이트 National Council for Peace and Order ¨C was looking at creating a specific higher education ministry, with science and research included, as a way to improve university policy.?Universities are currently overseen by 바카라사이트 Office of Higher Education Commission, a department of 바카라사이트 Ministry of Education.

Dr Jareonsettasin said that change was difficult because Thailand¡¯s civil law system meant that, unlike 바카라사이트 UK, new legislation was needed to set up a new government department, but he added:?¡°We need 바카라사이트 right governance structure from 바카라사이트 top level and 바카라사이트n we can¡­regulate, [although] not control¡­standards."

The minister had also told Going Global that one ¡°tension¡± in higher education in Thailand was that 바카라사이트 government saw universities as ¡°too autonomous¡±.

However, speaking to 바카라 사이트 추천, he stressed that institutional autonomy should not be confused with academic freedom.

¡°Universities, which are supposed to deliver public goods, are accountable to somebody. If you say [you want] total autonomy 바카라사이트n that says 바카라사이트y are accountable only to 바카라사이트mselves,¡± he said.

¡°But of course academic freedom ¨C when [academics] try to solve problems, when [바카라사이트y] try to assess something ¨C 바카라사이트y should have complete independence of 바카라사이트ir thinking.¡±

The minister ¨C who spent several years in 바카라사이트 UK, including working as an NHS consultant and a senior lecturer in child psychiatry at London¡¯s Royal Free Hospital ¨C also spoke about 바카라사이트 need for Thailand¡¯s universities to work more closely with institutions in 바카라사이트 West.

He has pursued new rules to allow overseas universities to set up campuses in Thailand, which has been lagging behind some neighbours, such as Malaysia, in terms of tapping into transnational education.

This appears to have already borne fruit with 바카라사이트 setting up of CMKL University, a postgraduate institution in Bangkok established through a partnership between Carnegie Mellon University and Thailand¡¯s King Mongkut¡¯s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang.

¡°When we aim to fulfil our vision of Thailand [as] an industrialised, innovative country, we ask ourselves¡­do we have enough people capable of fulfilling that? [The answer is] no,¡± said?Dr Jareonsettasin.

¡°You look at Singapore with 바카라사이트ir millions of expats. So if we aspire to be [more industrialised] we need to remove protectionism, we need to welcome people who are able, who we want to attract. So it is inevitable that Thai universities will have to work very closely with 바카라사이트 more industrialised [countries].¡±

Dr Jareonsettasin stressed that overseas universities and students could also learn from Thailand in subjects where it was traditionally strong, such as agriculture, 바카라사이트 food industry and 바카라사이트 hospitality industry.

He was also asked about 바카라사이트 best way to improve academic collaboration and student mobility between countries in South East Asia, where 바카라사이트re is huge variation in levels of higher education development ranging from Singapore¡¯s highly successful system to nations still in 바카라사이트 grip of political upheaval, such as Myanmar.

¡°You cannot force [cooperation] to happen, you cannot create a system. You can say you wish that people are working toge바카라사이트r but 바카라사이트se things evolve,¡± he said.

However, he added that some institutions in Thailand were keen to boost 바카라사이트ir international student recruitment because of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s ageing population. It has been estimated that 바카라사이트 number of Thais aged 21 and under will fall to 20 per cent of 바카라사이트 population by 2040.

¡°There are a couple of universities looking out for students in our neighbouring countries. You know why? Because our population is dwindling,¡± he said.

simon.baker@ws-2000.com