Private universities to get ear of new undergraduate education minister

[webfact]

Private universities to get ear of new undergraduate education minister

By The Nation

 

 

Undergraduate Education, Research, Science and Innovation Minister Suvit Maesincee will hold a meeting with the management of private universities later this week to learn of their concerns and to try to provide help accordingly.

 

Suvit said he would hold a meeting with representatives of the Association of Private Higher Education Institutions of Thailand (APHEIT) on August 1 to hear about issues related to private universities.

 

Suvit said he had learned that private universities have a lot of concerns, including a declining student enrolment. They also faced competition from foreign institutions that have moved in to seize certain universities.

 

“Let me hear their problems first and I’ll find measures to help,” Suvit said.

 

Kasem Bundit University rector Dr Wallop Suwandee, president of APHEIT, said he would speak with Suvit about how to amend the private higher education act to be in accordance with the new public higher education act, as well as the new structure of the Undergraduate Education, Research, Science and Innovation Ministry.

 

Wallop said APHEIT is hoping that with the setting up of the new ministry, the issues of what he sees as the double standards and unfair practices burdening private universities would be tackled.

 

The association had found that there were several double standards built into the regulations that affected private universities while leaving public universities exempt, he added.

 

Wallop said APHEIT would like the new undergraduate education minister to do away with all regulations that are enforced only on private universities in order to create a level field for both private and state institutions.

 

He said he had heard that the minister would lift certain restrictions on qualifications for state universities, and APHEIT would like him to do the same for private universities.

 

The association would also consult with Suvit over the declining number of students, he added.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30373866

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-07-30

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[PatOngo]

3 minutes ago, webfact said:

They also faced competition from foreign institutions that have moved in to seize certain universities.

Maybe there's hope yet!

[tominbkk]

Some great programs opening that are mostly managed by foreign unis and also bringing many instructors.  Can't blame students and parents going for the quality choice against lackluster Thai programs.

[zydeco]

1 hour ago, tominbkk said:

Some great programs opening that are mostly managed by foreign unis and also bringing many instructors.  Can't blame students and parents going for the quality choice against lackluster Thai programs.

You mean like Stamford and Webster? Are you joking? There may be some third and fourth rate British colleges operating here, too. All of them are just in it for the money. Instruction is trash. Any real university trying to operate on American or European standards will fail, here. Heck, even NYU's branch in Singapore failed. If a school like NYU can't make things work in a place like Singapore, nobody is going to make it work in Thailand.