Computer Engineering and Digital Technology: Introducing a New Practical-Based Curriculum
“The Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, introduced a new program called “Computer Engineering and Digital Technology (CEDT)” in the academic year 2023, admitting up to 300 students per year. This program aims to produce graduates who can fill the significant workforce gap in the digital sector. Additionally, it is the university’s first program to embrace the innovative education management approach known as the ‘Higher Education Sandbox.’ This approach promotes collaboration in educational management involving experts from the private sector, with a focus on enhancing students’ practical skills throughout their academic journey through annual internships and cooperative education programs. More than 50 private sector companies have officially partnered with the CEDT program. Due to its modern curriculum and the program’s online outreach efforts, there have been over 2,600 student applications for the 2023 academic year. The selected students represent the top 2 percent in the university entrance examinations.”
Thailand still faces a significant shortage of digital workforce, which affects businesses’ competitiveness. To produce graduates who can meet the demands of the labor market and align with the private sector’s needs in the business world, the Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University has recognized the importance and introduced a new program, ‘Computer Engineering and Digital Technology (CEDT),’ starting in the academic year 2023. This program admits up to 300 students per year, twice the capacity of existing Computer Engineering programs in the same department.
Furthermore, this program is the first at the university to adopt an innovative education management approach known as the ‘Higher Education Sandbox,’ in line with the National Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation Policy Council. It promotes collaboration in educational management between experts from the private sector, with a focus on equipping students with skills throughout their academic journey. This is achieved through internships and cooperative education programs in private sector organizations that have officially partnered with the CEDT program, including more than 50 leading companies in various fields such as finance, services, real estate, manufacturing, and technology, encompassing IT consulting, software, hardware, security, and AI. Additionally, various companies are in the process of formalizing partnerships.
With a curriculum structure that remains up-to-date and aligns with market demands, private companies offer extracurricular activities based on student interests. This curriculum also creates opportunities for students, parents, and competition organizers to propose additional criteria for admission in the TCAS1 selection round, which is based on student portfolios from International Science Olympiads and selected competitions. The program also emphasizes public relations and information dissemination regarding the curriculum. Furthermore, it establishes transparent admission criteria, making it easily accessible through various online media platforms such as websites, Facebook, and TikTok. Additionally, active participation as judges in several academic competitions is introduced, recruiting award-winning students for further studies. As a result, this program has garnered significant attention from students seeking higher education, reflected in the large number of applicants, exceeding 2,600, marking a seven-fold increase from previous years. Moreover, the students selected for this program have exceptionally high scores, ranking in the top 2 percent of university admission exam scores.
The number of applicants and students in this new program serves as an indicator that the development of the curriculum to align with the new context of the current business world, such as the ‘Higher Education Sandbox,’ and continuous and accessible public relations efforts, has made the program desirable and attractive to highly capable students applying for enrollment.
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Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University
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