Nation's 7 top universities qualify for national research

In the 500+ list of the Times Higher Education (THE)  QS World University Rankings in 2008, were: Chulalongkorn, Mahidol, Kasetsart, Thammasat, Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen, Prince of Songkla universities. As a result they are considered qualified to improve as nationalresearch universities.

The scheme to develop Thailand's leading institutions as nationalresearch universities has been approved by Cabinet and the Education Ministry will spend Bt12 billion on it.

"About Bt9 billion will be allocated to chosen universities— each will receive Bt100Bt500 million per year for three years consecutively. And around Bt3 billion will be invested in a project promoting research into the Thai higher education system," said Assoc Professor Wanchai DeEknamkul, secretary of the working committee. He was presenting the scheme at the Higher Education Commission's national conference at Impact Arena, Muang Thong Thani last month.

His presentation showed that leading Thai universities' research had been recognised internationally  through papers produced by: Mahidol University, biological medicine; Chulalongkorn University, physical science; Chiang Mai University,life science; Kasetsart University, agriculture; King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL), engineering; King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, engineering and biological science; and Thammasat University,engineering.

"Chosen universities will be independent to develop research fields in which they're expert. When the universities develop themselves, there will be high energy to make the development successful."

"We hope they will strengthen research fields ..... to establish national research centres. Thailand has very few national research centres—only those supervised by the National Science and Technology Development Agency. When there are many national research centres at the universities, people will seek help at the right places," he said.

The Higher Education Commission will set up an online system to evaluate nationalresearch universities. It will also have assessors check them twice a year.

"If any universities are unable to remain in the THEQS's list as they did in 2008 or reach higher ranks as they've promised in the application forms, their research budget will be reduced in the next year. If any cannot remain in the 500+ list, they won't receive any budget in the next year," Wanchai added.

Presidents of KMITL and King Mongkut's University of Technology, North Bangkok, recently complained the working committee's criteria to choose qualified universities were not fair because they had sufficient research papers but only lacked lecturers with doctorate degrees as the criteria required.

They also expressed concern the country's technological research development would be affected, as the budget would be allocated to universities not direct technology institutions.

"We won't change the criteria. We don't want national research universities to be substandard so we need to select ones with high qualifications. This will make them more active, trying to join this project. I would like them to recruit more lecturers with doctorate degrees, then apply for the project next year," said Wanchai.

Wanchai said each leading university was good at many different research fields and also subfields, such as engineering, science, biology and medicine. 

"If what the research universities give back to the society can help upgrade the country's development in the next three years, we'll request the government to continue the project and do contract research with SME entrepreneurs."