East Asia Watch: Higher education in Thailand – the current picture: Q&A with the Chair of the Council of University Presidents of Thailand

This blog is the second in our new series East Asia Watch - exploring how education institutions in East Asia are responding to different challenges that are evolving out of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The purpose of the series is two-fold:

• provide UK institutions with a greater understanding of both challenges and expectations of student-sending countries in East Asia 
• provide UK institutions with learning points and food for thought when developing their own responses to Covid-19

Higher education in Thailand – the current picture

The International Education Services Team in Thailand spoke with Professor Dr. Suchatvee Suwansawat, the Chairman of the Council of University Presidents of Thailand or CUPT*, a consortium of presidents from 28 Thai universities.

The following conversation investigates Thailand’s current higher education landscape and the lessons that have been learned from the Covid-19 situation.

British Council: What are the opportunities and challenges for Thai universities?

Prof. Suwansawat: Before Covid-19, the big challenge for Thai universities was the drop in student enrolments. In 2018 and 2019, the number of enrolments through TCAS, the undergraduate programmes admission system, was over 400,000 and over 300,000 respectively. In 2020, the number of enrollments has reached 300,000 so far. There are likely to be more than 1,000,000 seats available for students across 200 universities in Thailand. It is obvious that there are more vacant places than student applicants.

Unlike other countries in the region such as China, India, the Philippines, and Vietnam, the number of students in tertiary education in Thailand has decreased. This will become an issue for Thailand’s development. Universities are at the forefront of providing graduates with the right skills to industry, business, and public and private sectors.  

Opportunities can arise from a crisis. Due to Covid-19, the teaching methods of universities across Thailand have shifted from face to face sessions to online classes. This can happen overnight. 

Thai universities have been preparing for virtual classes for a number of years, but they had not been fully implemented. Covid-19 has been the trigger to make this happen and it shows that Thai universities have the ability to make such a change. Covid-19 is the real disrupter.

British Council: Classrooms across the world are becoming virtual. What do you think of online teaching and learning? 

Prof. Suwansawat: The virtual classroom has gone quite well in Thai universities. For example, it was reported by Microsoft that KMITL moved to 94% virtual classes within just one week.  

On a positive note, in a virtual classroom, students will receive equal attention from lecturers. In a real classroom, students sitting in the front row and those in the back might not receive equal opportunities to interact with lecturers. In a virtual classroom this is not the case.

Questions have been raised about the effectiveness of the virtual classroom for practical learning, such as training a surgeon or a pilot. However, with new technology such as VR and IR, this will be made possible. Virtual classrooms can be developed to serve this purpose.

However, we have to admit that human interaction in face to face settings cannot be replaced. To work in a group virtually is not the same as working together through face to face interaction. This is where virtual classrooms cannot be as effective as face to face settings.

It is therefore expected that after Covid-19, teaching in universities will gear towards a blended teaching style of virtual and face to face learning. This teaching style will be a new challenge for university teachers who will need to develop their own skills to keep up with this rapid and continuous change. The role of university lecturers will not be the same.  

British Council: How do you think Thai universities will develop following the Covid-19 outbreak?

Prof. Suwansawat: Many people talk about a ‘New Normal’, but for Thai universities, I’d say we’re talking about a ‘New Next Gen’ who are students with a new and open mindset. Students will be trained to have an understanding of both science and art. At the moment, Thai students have to choose to study either science or languages and social science when they enter a high school. This should be changed. The two skills are equally required. Students have to understand technology and also human beings. They should know how to leverage technology and be a good team player. Teachers and friends will become mentors or facilitators. In addition, it is essential that we change to enable students and researchers to create innovation by themselves. For example, we have a lot of efficient doctors, but we need to create innovation and high technology to support them.  

British Council: How are universities in ASEAN working across the region to cope with Covid-19?

Prof. Suwansawat: As well as being the Chairman of CUPT, I am the lead of the similar organisation in Asia Pacific. There are 28 country members, and some are not in ASEAN. We regularly discuss what the post-Covid-19 world will look like and how higher education can use expertise and knowledge from different disciplines to tackle the changes.

British Council: What are your three recommendations for UK institutions interested in working with universities in Thailand?

Prof. Suwansawat: The UK is the pillar and thought leader for world education. UK institutions should keep being proactive in working with Thai universities. The relationship and influence of UK education is deeply rooted in Thailand. This should be continued.

Secondly, I’d like to welcome UK universities to open a campus or deliver their programmes in Thailand. KMITL is very proud of the first US course delivery in Thailand with Carnegie Mellon University. It is the only Carnegie Mellon University campus in Asia Pacific. I hope we will also have a UK university in Thailand. I am more than happy to help support this initiative.

Lastly, UK universities may consider coming to Thailand as a consortium or in a group. The quality of UK universities is high and they do not differ too much from one another – they could come as a specialised group and generate a larger impact.

During this uncertain time, the conversations with the Chairman of CUPT leaves us a clearer picture of Thai higher education and its way forward. Here are some take away messages from the conversation:

• Thai universities are open to partnership with UK universities, especially in transnational education. This is to also help attract more students, including international students from other countries, to compensate for the decreasing number of Thai students.
• One of the challenges for university lecturers in Thailand is the new skillset they are having to develop to cope with the new way of teaching. This could be an area for UK institutions to exchange expertise and ideas.
• Universities work together across the region, so it is worth exploring multi-lateral partnerships as well as a bilateral ones.
• To approach Thai universities as a group or as a consortium, such as in a subject specific area, could generate larger impact.
• UK universities can contribute more to Thai universities by sharing their enquiry based and discussion-based teaching style. STEM and Innovation are also potential areas for partnership.

*CUPT or the Council of University Presidents of Thailand is a group of presidents from 28 Thai universities. The organisation’s role is to discuss and look after the critical issues in Thai higher education. CUPT works closely with the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation and provides feedback and advice to the Ministry for the development of Thai higher education. The Chairman of CUPT is currently Professor Dr. Suchatvee Suwansawat, the President of King’s Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang.