Chulalongkorn University Council

In this day and age, Thailand is a country that finds itself facing changes on many levels. Firstly, there is democratic change; bringing Thai people greater equality and greater freedom in conducting our lives. Then there is the change of globalization; bringing increasing competition both nationally and internationally. Then there are changes in governance; bringing good government, increasing accountability, clarity, and a fast and efficient media system. With all these changes, knowledge is no longer contained in the realms of career and education. It becomes a public commodity.

In such a climate, Thailand has become an economic society with knowledge as its foundation. Decision-making and policy must be based on facts that are clear, proven, reliable, and accepted by the general public. The process of management in any field is a discipline which has undergone incredible growth and change; it is the process of acquiring knowledge, distilling it, determining its value, and turning it into a form that is practical and easily digested. The dispersal of knowledge now focuses on the receiver and how that knowledge will be used, as well as how it can best serve society.

However, even an economic society based on the acquisition and use of knowledge still requires a human touch. In a climate where there is a great influx of values from abroad, foreign ideals and domestic ideals often find themselves at odds. It is up to us to provide a stable standpoint on what is right and suitable, and withstand the influence of foreign thoughts and ideas that flow in with the media. We must strike a balance between the old and new, and be able to distinguish the positive aspects, such as efficiency, from the negative aspects such as consumerism, materialism, extravagance, egocentrism and violence. In this, traditional Thai values become instrumental in maintaining our integrity – such things as self-sufficiency, generosity, compromise, compassion, familial support, flexibility and sensitivity can all help to lead to a peaceful society.

Amongst all these changes, institutions of greater learning are forced to change also. As the country’s leading university, it is the responsibility of Chulalongkorn University to act as one of the leaders of our nation in these rapidly changing times. We must fulfill our role as an institution that provides what the country and the people need, by maintaining excellence both in terms of academics and adapting ourselves to the changing environment. The University must keep with, and make advancements in, knowledge, technology, and science, in order to serve the demands of the economic society in which it is based. Providing excellence has become more important in recent years than ever before, and more than ever, the University must maintain such values as integrity, justice, professional ethics; and instill these values in its students and in society at large.

Moreover, the University must achieve all these things under greater restraints on its resources than ever before. Therefore, it must expand its resource base to something wider and more varied. Yet it must also keep in mind that it is an institution of the people, and as such, work to provide opportunities for students correspondingly, based on individual merit, unconstrained by such things as social standing and geography.

Therefore, it is time to build a new Chulalongkorn University. To this aim, it is imperative to consider philosophically and theoretically issues that are our primary concern, for instance institutional freedom, our relationship with the public, the issue of funding from diverse resources, education quality, equality, and being a university of the people. We must also consider what the university is to be in practice, and how it will function in conjunction with the theoretical aspects of operation, such as the different rules and regulations that will have to be drawn up and enforced. As the primary governing body of the institution, the Chulalongkorn University Council is responsible for guiding the University through the changes it faces, and ensuring that these changes take place smoothly, appropriately, and acceptably.

Professor Dr. Charas Suwanwela
Chairperson, University Council