Group vice chairman Ajva Taulananda said the establishment of the university would allow for a centralised system of staff training and development within the organisation at its units, both locally and abroad.

 "CP Corporate University was planned to develop existing and new talent for the Charoen Pokphand Group. Employees at all levels of the organisation will receive extensive training, while management will undertake business-leadership development," said Ajva.

The establishment of the university complements its vocational school, which has been operating in the Kingdom for five years now and is aimed at producing workers for the retail business.

The university's focus will begin with CP's retail business in China, because Lotus Super Centres currently employ 40,000-50,000 personnel each year. The university will serve group chairman Dhanin Chearavanont's vision of expanding Lotus Super Centres to 1,000 stores within 10 years, staffing them with trained and knowledgeable employees.

The university itself will be in the form of a "virtual university". Without the need for structural buildings, training and development can be conducted anywhere, both locally and abroad.

Employee training will also take place on the job, such as at Lotus Super Centres themselves, for instance. Colleges established within the university will be set up to tailor to the needs of the organisation's agriculture and food processing, retail and telecommunications businesses as well as potential leader development. CP Corporate University will also work in tandem with various universities across the world.

Prof Patrick Cheng has been appointed founding president of the university, effective June 1. Professor Cheng has educational and corporate experience in management and training. From 1967-1978, he worked for Bell-Northern and Xerox Canada. From 1989-96, he helped found the City University of Hong Kong, achieving international recognition and increasing its student population from 3,000 to 16,000. Beginning in 1996, he served as vice chancellor of Hong Kong University, implementing changes that improved its international university ranking and financial position. Earlier this decade, he assisted in the establishment of a for-profit college within a Shanghai university.

Cheng is a member of the Academy of Sciences of China and of the Academy of the Political Consultative Committee.

In addition, the CP Group has appointed Ajva, group executive vice chairman Sarasin Viraphol and Shanghai Lotus Supermarket Chain Store vice chairman Narong Chearavanont to the university steering committee.