Universities to create ‘innovation hubs’ to push technology surge

By Rachanon Charoonsak 
The Nation

 

 

The Council of University Presidents of Thailand (CUPT) is taking concrete steps to implement its Innovation Hubs policy.

 

The policy has sought to ensure CUPT universities double as the bases for innovative product and service development. Some such innovations, reflecting the values of the policy, were on display at a recent two-day Thailand Innovation Hubs 4.0 event.

 

Held at the Siam Paragon shopping complex, the event focused on the five key innovation sectors – agriculture and food, bio-energy, smart city, creative economy, and ageing society. The event also demonstrated the capabilities of artificial-intelligence (AI) robots built by several Thai universities. 

 

Assoc-Professor Perapong Tekasakul, head of the Innovation Hubs project, said it was necessary that the country undergo human-resource and educational reform, along with integrating research in line with the Thailand 4.0 policy. 

 

“The CUPT Innovation Hubs will build on research to develop innovations for the country,” he said. 

 

These hubs will also pursue public-private partnership (PPP), he said, to make the utmost use of research findings, undertake addition research with commercial potential, create tech start-ups and upgrade existing industries. 

 

Deputy Education Minister Udom Kachintorn said disruption from Internet technologies (IT) had already spread far and wide, requiring that all people and industries keep pace.

 

“Universities have an important role to play in regards to producing future employees that industries need. Graduates should have many skills,” said Udom, who is also a professor.

 

If universities fail to change, he said, their students may not be able to get a job after graduation.

 

“As the world changes, we need to change with the world,” he said.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30342549

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-4-5

Thailand 4.0.

One wheel on each corner.

Yawn.  

 

The nationalist buffoon costume says it all.

Edited April 5, 20188 yr by ChidlomDweller

9 hours ago, BigBadGeordie said:

Thailand 4.0.

One wheel on each corner.

but no brake !

 

Where you from? Where you stay? You have girlfriend?

If universities fail to change, he said, their students may not be able to get a job after graduation.

 

This is just part of a larger and more concerning picture. According to a Times Higher Education article last May,  three out of four Thai universities risk closure over the next decade because of low student enrollment and increased competition from overseas rivals.

 

Nearly 40 per cent of all job seekers coming on to the market here have bachelor degrees and the number unable to find work to match their talents has risen steadily since 2013, reaching a high of 220,000 at the start of this year. 

 

One of the main factors behind the stubbornly high unemployment rates for young graduates is what the National Economic and Social Development Board acknowledges as "a mismatch between their qualifications and the needs of employers". Innovation Hub will go some way to address this worrying situation.

 

However, similar ground-breaking initiatives are needed at all levels of the Thai education system. Otherwise prospects will remain bleak not simply for the ailing universities, but for future generations whose latent talents need to be nurtured and harvested in the national interest.

Edited April 6, 20188 yr by Krataiboy

If they don’t embrace outside information and expertise, the country will b doomed.  The education system is pathetic 

Here we go: hub, hub, hub again. Even the very fact that they keep churning out this silly word shows that they CANNOT THINK WITH ANY DEGREE OF ORIGINALITY AND CANNOT INNOVATE! They are just repeaters - and stealers of other nations' research and technology. But of course, in Thailand 'innovation' would only be allowed to go so far anyway - cannot have those nasty things called 'independent thoughts and challenging ideas' to upset the top-down mediaeval hierarchy here!

 

Edited April 7, 20188 yr by Eligius

Even if they use foreign technology they still don't know how to do it.

 

Just spent 15 minutes in Tops to pay for the shoppings, they have scanners, e-payment systems , loads of staff, but still it goes slow as BKK-traffic.

Can anybody think of one original Thai invention ever?

I've often wondered why universities here don't do any research.  There are tens of thousands of journal studies begging for replication.  Surely there are important problems in need of solutions.  Agri-tech stands out as an obvious opportunity.  Medical research (into potential herbal remedies) is another area that could do well here. I know the students are, on average, not the best.  But at least the top 10% should be able to accomplish something.

13 minutes ago, Orton Rd said:

Can anybody think of one original Thai invention ever?

coca cola in a plastic bag.

 

soup in plastic bag but the trick is the use of the small rubber band...they're really good with those.

 

Empty green plastic bottle hanging on the motobike, to repel ghosts.

 

500 zebra horses along the road for good luck.

 

icecubes in the beer and beer-gelly (pour beer in a glass with 3cm ice at the bottom of it).

 

icecream sandwich.

 

 

 

 

23 minutes ago, Orton Rd said:

Can anybody think of one original Thai invention ever?

The Ebola cure ?

 

Ok, let me get my coat.

16 minutes ago, janclaes47 said:

The Ebola cure ?

 

Ok, let me get my coat.

Yes, the Thais found the cure for Ebola - and don't forget AIDS, cancer, environmental pollution, Alzheimer's Disease, heart attacks (from being surprised by a ghost) ....!

Can you start creating "education hubs" to push intelligence surge?

1 hour ago, Orton Rd said:

Can anybody think of one original Thai invention ever?

Somdtam ?

Edited April 7, 20188 yr by djayz

Can anybody think of one original Thai invention ever?

Bar fines

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