A Range of Educational Activities for Sustainability by Chulalongkorn University, Expanding to the Community and Society 2024-2025

As an educational institution, Chulalongkorn University focuses on utilizing its diverse academic knowledge to improve communities and society. In this effort, the university has organized a variety of educational programs for a broad audience, including alumni, the general public, local residents, and displaced people. These activities aim to empower people from all backgrounds with the knowledge to take care of themselves and to become capable contributors to community and social development. Furthermore, this initiative also helps reduce social inequality.

Examples of Projects and Initiatives in 2024-2025:

The Trainer Training Programme for Inclusive Social Services in a Borderless World

Chulalongkorn University’s Office of International Affairs and Global Network, the Asian Research Center for Migration at the Institute of Asian Studies, the General Education Center, and the Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, in collaboration with INEB, Civic Engagement 4.0—Dignity, Justice, and Sustainability, organized a Trainer Training Program for Inclusive Social Service in a Borderless World. This program invited 18 Myanmar instructors from migrant learning centers in Mae Sot, Thailand, for training sessions on August 16th–18th and August 23^rd –25^th, 2024.

Participants engaged in learning and exchanging innovative teaching methods and classroom activities designed to deepen cross-national and cross-ethnic understanding and appreciation. The program also fostered international and multi-sectoral exchanges, encouraging collaborative activities that support sustainability across Asia.

[ https://inebinstitute.org/senslibretto/ ]

Knowledge Management and Technology Transfer Project on Reproductive Technology for Small Ruminants to Improve the Capabilities of Livestock Farmers in Nan Province

Sarawanee Khunmanee, D.V.M., Ph.D., from Chulalongkorn University’s School of Agricultural Resources, is leading a research team on the project “Knowledge Management and Technology Transfer in Reproductive Technologies for Small Ruminants to Enhance the Capabilities of Livestock Farmers in Nan Province.” This effort, funded by Thailand’s National Research Council (NRCT), intends to provide local farmers with easily accessible, viable methods for artificial insemination of goats and sheep. This project teaches farmers how to breed animals in accordance with their community’s specific demands, financial constraints, resource availability, and local conditions. Recognized as a “Model KM Project in Agricultural Community and Social Impact,” the NRCT chose this effort as a featured project during the “NRCT OPEN HOUSE 2024.”  [ https://www.cusar.chula.ac.th/post-bc/2767-2/ ]

VIDVAPATH CAMP: Engineering for Sustainable Community Development under the Royal Initiative

VIDVAPATH Camp is a rural development volunteer engineering project initiated by the Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sanphet Chuenitipaisan, Department of Survey Engineering. Launched in 2016 (B.E. 2559), the project aims to encourage students to apply their engineering knowledge to solve real-world problems in remote communities, inspired by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s royal initiative emphasizing sustainable and participatory development.

The project began through collaboration between Chulalongkorn University and the Rakkaew Foundation, creating experiential learning beyond the classroom through hands-on community engagement. The first development site was Ban Chetawan, Santha Subdistrict, Nan Province, an area facing severe drought. Starting in 2018 (B.E. 2561), students designed and constructed a check dam to solve the water shortage problem, which later expanded into a full-scale water supply system. The project further introduced solar-powered water pumps and, by 2023–2025 (B.E. 2566–2568), established an earthen house learning center as a model for sustainable living and renewable energy use.

Over more than a decade (2016–2025), the project has transformed once-barren hills into fertile farmland, converting over 100 rai of monocrop agriculture into mixed-crop systems. This not only improved local livelihoods but also instilled environmental awareness and self-reliance within the community. The camp has actively engaged students, alumni, and local residents in co-designing and implementing the development plan, exemplifying the university’s outreach in education for society at large.

The project’s achievements were nationally recognized when it received the first prize at the “2023 Rakkaew Foundation National Exposition: University Sustainability Showcase.” VIDVAPATH Camp stands as a testament to Chulalongkorn University’s mission to integrate academic knowledge, community engagement, and volunteer spirit to drive sustainable social and environmental development.

[ https://www.intaniamagazine.com/vidvapath-camp/ ]

Chula Engineering Lifelong Learning Program

The “Chula Engineering Lifelong Learning Program” is organized by the Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. It opened its second round in 2025 with the objective of promoting lifelong learning, particularly by helping individuals reskill and upskill to keep pace with the rapidly changing knowledge and technologies of the modern world.

Under this program, the Faculty of Engineering offers selected specialized courses to students, academic personnel, and the general public. Participants can choose to study in a modular format, and upon completion, receive a certificate of participation. Those who wish to continue their studies can also accumulate credits in a credit bank system, which allows them to transfer credits toward a full master’s degree program at the faculty.

Examples of courses include “Wine Education for Entrepreneurs” and “Fundamental Risk and Disaster Management”, reflecting the program’s diversity and its focus on practical, applicable knowledge in both business and social contexts.

This initiative demonstrates that the Faculty of Engineering at Chulalongkorn University extends its educational mission beyond traditional degree programs. It opens learning opportunities to the wider community — including alumni, local residents, and even displaced individuals — through flexible and accessible modular learning. The program thus highlights the university’s role in providing educational services to society at large, showing its active engagement in community development and inclusive learning

[ https://www.eng.chula.ac.th/th/academics/lifelong-learning-program ]

AIS x Chulalongkorn University Hill Tribe Volunteer Club (Hill Tribe Club CU): “Khiang Doi Khoi Fon Klao Na Mae Mong Yao” Volunteer Camp

The volunteer camp activity “Khiang Doi Khoi Fon Klao Na Mae Mong Yao” was a collaboration between AIS and more than 30 student volunteers from the Chulalongkorn University Hill Tribe Volunteer Club (Hill Tribe Club CU). The team carried out community service activities at Ban Mae Mong Yao School, Wawee Subdistrict, Mae Suai District, Chiang Rai Province, for over one week in June 2025. The event was part of the “Green Energy Green Network for THAIs” project and comprised three main activities under the concept of “Create – Teach – Empower (สร้าง-สอน-เสริม)”, bringing tangible benefits to the local community:

• Create: Constructed and renovated facilities at Ban Mae Mong Yao School to enhance learning spaces and developed a Digital Library platform featuring over 500 books, enriching access to educational resources.
• Teach: Provided training for teachers and students on using the Digital Library, along with sharing new knowledge and digital skills — such as online selling — to help them keep pace with the digital era.
• Empower: Promoted equality and opportunities by passing on knowledge about local livelihoods, traditional occupations, and eco-tourism, from upstream to downstream communities, fostering sustainable income generation and long-term quality of life improvement.

This program exemplifies voluntary student-run schemes that combine education, technology, and social responsibility. [ https://investor-th.ais.co.th/news.html/id/2563232/group/newsroom_press ]

(Photo credit:  AIS)

Strengthening Nan’s Cultural Ecosystem for a Sustainable Ageing Society

The Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, in collaboration with the College of Population Studies and the Center of Learning for the Region (CLNR), Chulalongkorn University organized the project “Strengthening Nan’s Cultural Ecosystem for a Sustainable Ageing Society” in Thung Chang District, Nan Province, from June 9 to 15, 2025. The initiative aims to study and revitalize local cultural heritage while enhancing the quality of life of older adults in the community.

At the heart of the project is the preservation of the “Krung Music Tradition of the Khmu Ethnic Group,” a cultural heritage that is gradually disappearing due to social change. The Chulalongkorn University research team integrated demographic data—such as the proportion of older persons, migration trends, and birth rates—with local cultural information to develop a digital community database and mapping system. This serves as a participatory tool for sustainable community planning and cultural conservation.

Field activities included data collection from 90 households with a total population of 314 residents, along with a training workshop for 32 participants, comprising local leaders, teachers, and students. The workshops enhanced participants’ skills in data collection and analysis while introducing digital technologies for community mapping. Through learning from both academic experts and local wisdom keepers, community members were empowered to become custodians of their own knowledge and data.

Beyond capacity building, the project also created an intergenerational learning space connecting youth and elders through the preservation of the Khmu traditional music. This collaborative learning process encouraged older adults to serve as “community wisdom teachers,” while fostering a sense of cultural appreciation and stewardship among young people.

This initiative exemplifies Chulalongkorn University’s mission as a “University for Society,” harnessing academic expertise to generate positive and sustainable social impact. It contributes to cultural preservation, community empowerment, and preparedness for an ageing society. [ https://www.chula.ac.th/news/243735/ ]