Joint curricula could open door to students

“As we take some steps, our neighbours already move at a faster pace”, the 40 Rajabhat universities said as they revealed their joint research for better educational management for the Asean Economic Community in 2015. The 40 universities hope to collaborate with other Asean countries in putting together two standardised curricula – one for tourism and the other for teacher training.

The 40 universities have taken field trips to Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Burma and Cambodia.

They gathered information on education, sought opportunities for future collaboration on educational programmes and gathered ideas for guidelines on joint educational management that supports the Asean Economic Community.

Preung Kitratporn, chairman of the Rajabhat University Presidents’ Council and rector of Rajabhat Phra Nakhon University, said recently that their research initially found that Rajabhat teachers and students should be more alert and more study programmes should be produced in English language. Students should also be taught more about neighbouring countries’ cultures and languages so that they can study and work together better in 2015.

Of the 11,898 Rajabhat teachers, 7,358 – 6,821 Thais and 537 |foreigners – can communicate in foreign languages. English was the most common, followed by Laotian, Chinese and Japanese.

Rajabhat universities have 628 Asean students enrolled, comprising 397 Vietnamese, 92 Laotians, 76 Cambodians, 58 Burmese, four Filipinos and one Singaporean. 

Preung said that in the future, they would collaborate with Asean countries in making the tourism and teacher-training curricula in three languages – local, English and another Asean language – so that after graduation students could work in any Asean country.

The joint curricula would open up opportunities to more Asean students to study at Rajabhat universities, he said.

Rajabhat universities have entered into 43 projects with Asean countries – 12 with Laos, 11 with Vietnam, eight with Malaysia, six with Cambodia, four with Singapore, and one each for Indonesia and the Philippines.

Most Asean students at Rajabhat universities were studying 26 fields in the Bachelor of Arts Programme, followed by 17 fields in the Bachelor of Business Administration Programme, he added.

Somjet Phusrim, rector of Rajabhat Mahasarakham University, said Rajabhat universities would more likely join forces with Indochina countries such as Laos and Cambodia.

Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia were already much more advanced and their educational development leaned towards Europe and the US, while Brunei looked to the UK and Vietnam to Russia or China. 

Rajabhat campuses had to formulate a plan on how to produce international study programmes, cooperate in educational management and create double-degree curricula with Asean countries.

This would reduce redundancy and increase efficiency, while building Thai public awareness to prepare for the Asean Economic Community. 

Chaloei Phumiphan, rector of Rajabhat Roi Et University, said his school had various collaboration projects with Laos – because of the similarity of language, culture and traditions – including scholarships and joint research. In the future it would develop double-degree programmes with Laos.

Pairote Duangwiset, rector of Rajabhat Songkhla University, said his school had joined with the AUA Language Centre in organising the first English language development project for the Asean Community.

The project, from next month to April, would help its teachers and personnel to learn four skills – English communication, TOEFL, IELTS and academic writing.

Prapa Kayee, rector of Rajabhat Phuket University, said his school would collaborate in student and teacher exchanges with Indonesia and Malaysia because they were located near to southern Thailand.

The university would also call a meeting with Phuket schools and colleges to boost awareness and preparedness for the Asean Economic Community.