Chulalongkorn launches “Chula XL” to drive lifelong learning for all

Chulalongkorn University has announced the establishment of the Chulalongkorn University College of Extension and Lifelong Learning for the People (Chula XL), a new college that will serve as the university’s central mechanism for integrating knowledge across disciplines and systematically connecting it to people of all ages. 

The initiative is designed to respond to shifts in society and the 21st-century labour market, while strengthening Chulalongkorn’s role in becoming a tangible “university for the people”.

The launch event for Chula XL was held on Wednesday, December 24, from 1pm to 4pm on the 9th floor of SIAMSCAPE, Bangkok. 

Professor Wilert Puriwat, President of Chulalongkorn University, presided over the opening ceremony and delivered a special keynote address on “The global role of lifelong learning”, in his capacity as Chair of the ASEM Education and Research Hub for Lifelong Learning for 2025–2030.

Associate Professor Thiti Bovornratanaraks, Dean of the Graduate School, then outlined the development of Chulalongkorn’s lifelong learning ecosystem, while Professor Polkit Sangvanich, Chair of the committee establishing Chula XL, presented the college’s objectives and formation.

The event also featured a panel discussion titled “Synergy for Lifelong Learning: Driving Future Skills for a Sustainable Thai Society”, with university executives and academics from a range of faculties. 

In addition, a parallel session, “Learning Platform powered by Chula”, showcased lifelong learning platforms including CUVIP, Chula MOOC, CBS Academy, PIES and MDCU MedUMORE.

Chula XL’s mission is to manage and develop lifelong learning in formats that are flexible, accessible and aligned with social realities. This includes non-degree programmes, microcredentials, professional training, and upskilling and reskilling initiatives linked to the credit bank system. 

The college will also coordinate cross-sector partnerships to build an interdisciplinary learning ecosystem with international recognition.

The launch of Chula XL marks a major step in Chulalongkorn University’s efforts to help move Thailand towards a lifelong learning society—supporting human development, national development and future sustainability.

Wilert said Chula XL reflects a significant transition for the university towards becoming a learning platform for society. Education, he said, should not be confined to campus walls or restricted to formal qualifications, but must be open, genuinely accessible and applicable in everyday life and professional practice. 

Knowledge, he added, is a force that sustains people’s work and quality of life at every age—reinforcing Chulalongkorn’s role as a national institution that can drive lifelong learning for the public by mobilising all faculties and building an academic hub that welcomes all Thais, from school pupils and university students to working professionals and public and private sector personnel, with equal access to both academic and practical knowledge.

He said Chula XL has received cooperation from key national partners including the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Labour, Thai Airways International, Thailand Post, private sector organisations and wider institutional networks. 

This, he noted, reflects the power of integration to raise the quality of Thai education in ways that respond to the real economy, society and everyday life—whether learning takes place in the workplace, while travelling, or in public spaces. 

“Chula XL is a new milestone for Thai education, expanding learning opportunities anytime and anywhere,”he said.

“XL”, he added, signifies the scale of Chulalongkorn’s role in building a knowledge-driven force for people across the country—one that can transform not only learning, but also the sustainable future of Thai society.

Thiti said Chulalongkorn University has a core mission to promote lifelong learning to strengthen the capabilities of people and society, enabling sustainable adaptation and development amid global change.

The university aims to expand learning access for all age groups through a wide range of flexible learning formats that respond to social needs. 

Since 2022, the university has assigned the Graduate School to oversee lifelong learning management, including the credit bank and credit transfer systems, to connect different forms of learning into a continuous pathway. 

This has led to the development of the “Chula Lifelong Learning Ecosystem”, which enables learners to build knowledge, skills and competencies needed for life and work in a flexible way. 

The ecosystem has grown through collaboration across university faculties and units, as well as partnerships in Thailand and abroad, and has now progressed to the establishment of the college for lifelong learning for the people, which will act as the central hub integrating knowledge from multiple disciplines to meet modern learners’ needs. 

Chula XL, he said, does not only expand educational opportunities; it is also a key mechanism for developing the country’s human resources, strengthening lifelong learning capacity so people can build on knowledge, create value for themselves and adapt to the future—aligned with Chulalongkorn’s “Impactful Growth” strategy, which aims to deliver broad-based development and lasting positive impact for society.

Polkit said Chula XL has been established with the goal of expanding Chulalongkorn’s role from being a leading university to becoming a university for the people that supports lifelong learning throughout Thai citizens’ lives.

“In a rapidly changing world, knowledge and skills must be continuously developed,” he said.

Chula XL will serve as the central unit integrating lifelong learning across all faculties and units of Chulalongkorn University into a coherent system. It is not intended to be general training alone, but a core mechanism for advancing the university’s lifelong learning ecosystem.

The college will also connect the credit bank system, learning management systems and microcredential framework, enabling people to accumulate, build on and develop skills flexibly over their lifetimes.

It will work closely with government, the private sector and industry to ensure learning aligns with real-world work and national development needs.