Mae Fah Luang varsity embraces Google

This will bring 14,000 students, teachers, and personnel onto the cloud.

Samuel Cheung, Asia Pacific regional lead, Google Apps Supporting Programs for Education, said Google supports Mae Fah Luang University in their vision to be a green university. Google Apps for Education is not only great for students and teachers, it’s good for the environment, he said. 

“Our research shows that using Gmail can decrease an organisation’s environmental impact by up to 98 per cent and where better to test this principle than in Thailand’s most beautiful university campus,” Cheung said.

Cloud computing and collaborative tools have a vital role to play in helping equip future generations. In nine months, 13 Thai universities have gone Google, bringing over 300,000 teachers, students and personnel online. Through easy-to-use and easy-to-access products and tools, Google Apps for Education encourages students and teachers to take full advantage of the Web and collaborate in interactive learning environments at no cost. This not only makes learning more magical and innovative, it lets educational institutions invest even more in their teachers and students, while positively contributing to a robust online ecosystem that crosses countries, cultures and languages and moves the Web and the world forward.

“We’re looking forward to growing the Google Apps for Education community with more than 30 new institutions in the pipeline this year,” said Cheung.

Google Apps for Education is a collection of free e-mail and open collaboration tools available to teachers, students, classrooms and families around the world, which includes Gmail, Docs, Calendar and Groups just to name a few favourites. 

Mae Fah Luang University’s president Vanchai Sirichana said that the adoption of Google Apps for Education is an innovative way to further develop the university as a fast, flexible, cost-efficient and high-quality institution.

“Cloud technology significantly reduces the use of paper and is in line with our commitment to becoming a green university and most importantly, this initiative will equip our students with the skills for a modern world and the ability to use the tools available for maximum benefit in their education and future careers,” said Vanchai.