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Vice-President of Thai open university visits UNE

November 02, 2006

Professor Alan Pettigrew, Associate Professor Pranee Sungkatavat, Professor Robin PollardThe vice-president of one of Thailand's leading open universities visited the University of New England last week, as part of an international “shadowing” program initiated by the Australian Vice-Chancellors' Committee.

The Thailand Executive Leadership Program provides professional development opportunities for senior Thai university administrators and is intended to strengthen relationships between Thai and Australian universities.

Associate Professor Pranee Sungkatavat is the Vice-President for Academic Affairs at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University in Nonthaburi, Thailand. Her responsibilities include curriculum and instruction, educational media development and student records.

Professor Sungkatavat said she had learned a good deal from her visit and that she felt UNE and Sukhothai Thammathirat had a lot in common – both universities are renowned for their expertise in distance education, for instance, and both face increased competition for students and are attempting to streamline their administrative structures.

“We have to find a suitable way to retain the quality of our courses, while also retaining the quantity of students enrolling,” she said.

Professor Sungkatavat said she hoped her visit would lead to stronger ties between the two institutions, especially in the form of exchanges and research collaboration.

“We might send our students here to experience more about your culture and academic areas,” she said. “We want to improve our HR development by sending our people here and exchanging our faculty staff and doing some joint research.”

UNE's Pro Vice-Chancellor (Development and International), Professor Robin Pollard, said: “We are delighted Pranee spent a week with us and talked to a number of academic staff. She offered a very good insight into some of the changes that are going on here at UNE.”

Professor Sungkatavat said: “I really appreciate my time at this university. A lot of the professors I met were so nice. I am impressed with what they are doing. The people here are nice, also. I think this is a good place not only for study, but for living also.”

For more information contact Leon Braun (UNE Public Relations) on (02) 6773 3771. A photo is available to accompany this story.

Pictured here: Professor Alan Pettigrew, Associate Professor Pranee Sungkatavat, Professor Robin Pollard.

Posted by Leon Braun at November 2, 2006 09:41 AM