Chulalongkorn University Selected as 1 in 12 APUCEN Council Members, Driving Social Engagement Strategy 

Asst. Prof. Dr. Thanasin Chutintaranond, Assistant to the President for Social Engagement, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pongchai Dumrongrojwatthana, Deputy Director of the Center of Learning Network for the Region (CLNR), represented Chulalongkorn University in the 5th Asia-Pacific University-Community Engagement Network (APUCEN) Summit in Chongqing, People’s Republic of China, during December 17-20, 2024. They shared Chulalongkorn University’s social engagement operations and delivered a presentation titled “Community Engagement Activities for Reforestation and Afforestation by Chulalongkorn University,” a project run by CU-CLNR, which garnered immense interest from universities, especially regarding the use of Ectomycorrhiza in forest restoration. 

Chulalongkorn University was selected to be one of the twelve APUCEN Council Members out of 106 educational institutions from 21 countries around the world. This marks a significant opportunity to elevate and mobilize the “CU Social Engagement” strategy led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yootthana Chuppunnarat, Vice President of Chulalongkorn University. 

“CU Social Engagement” consists of 3 aspects: 

1. Social Engagement for SDGs  
2. Social Engagement for Thai Society  
3. Cultural Engagement for Art and Music Communities     

Being selected to participate in APUCEN Summit 2024 is a testament to Chulalongkorn University’s commitment to social engagement missions and demonstrates its potential for collaboration with international networks for sustainable social and environmental development. 

The Asia-Pacific University–Community Engagement Network (APUCEN) is a regional network of higher education institutions and interested organizations that focuses on proactively promoting a culture of social engagement missions among higher education institutions, encompassing both sociocultural and environmental aspects. 

APUCEN is guided by the belief that higher education institutions and communities can collaborate on various activities to improve people’s quality of life and address social issues in the Asia-Pacific region. This collaboration is not meant to be in the form of typical academic services or knowledge transfer as commonly practiced. Instead, it seeks partnerships between higher education institutions and communities, or between higher education institutions themselves, to promote knowledge co-design and co-creation, leading to changes or problem-solving (knowledge for change) that cater to community needs. This approach will result in sustainable development while maintaining a focus on academic outcomes and fostering good citizenship among students and personnel in higher education institutions. 

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