Chulalongkorn University’s secret behind being No.1 in Thailand

6 March 2020

Chulalongkorn University is the best university in Thailand for 20 subjects in this year’s QS World University Ranking by Subject – more than any other university in Thailand.

On the world scale, Development Studies at Chulalongkorn University continues to make the cut in the world’s top 51-100 while four other subjects – Architecture, Chemical Engineering, Geography, and Politics and International Studies – perform strongly in the 2020 World Ranking’s 101-150 top tier.

In the broader subject area categories as outlined by this world-famous university ranking scheme, Chulalongkorn University also ranks first nationally in four out of five subject areas; namely, Arts & Humanities, Engineering & Technology, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences & Management. For Life Sciences & Medicine, Mahidol University tops the rank while Chulalongkorn comes in second.

According to Professor Surichai Wun’gaeo, professor emeritus and director of the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies at Chulalongkorn University, the exceptional performance of Development Studies at Chula (the university’s nickname) reflects more than ten years of efforts among converging forces at the university and exceptional advantage for Thailand to lead in the area.

“At Chula, we not only have a renowned international program in this area (Master of Arts in International Development Studies or MAIDS) but also several think tanks — Center for Peace and Conflict Studies, Institute of Social Research, Center for Social Development Studies — and a network of scholars and researchers who have contributed to redefine Development Studies into a multi-disciplinary and transgressive area of learning,” said Professor Surichai.

He also added that by being situated in the heart of Southeast Asia and a location of headquarters for several leading international organizations, Thailand also benefits significantly from resources in development experiences. For more than a decade, Development Studies at Chulalongkorn University has constantly grown through collaboration, research and advocacy with this sector and the expanding civil society.