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J. Jung et al. (eds.), Researching Higher Education in Asia, Higher Education in
Asia: Quality, Excellence and Governance, DOI 10.1007/978-981-10-4989-7_15
Chapter 15
Higher Education Research in Thailand:
Current Trends and Development
Nopraenue Sajjarax Dhirathiti
Abstract To understand the current trends and development of higher education
research in Thailand, it is vital to examine the role of higher education in promoting
teaching, learning and research in higher education institutions as well as the gov-
ernment policy in steering research directions of the country. On the one hand,
research on higher education in Thailand, by itself, is a product of the courses and
programmes provided by HEIs. On the other hand, the trends of higher education
research itself are seen to be navigated by the national government and funding
agencies in the country which have played parts in promoting the research in this
area. In this chapter, apart from assessing the trends and development of higher
education research through the lens of teaching courses and programmes, the
national policy framework on education and higher education research, the current
fields of research interests in higher education and the nature of higher education
publication in Thailand are also examined.
The Role of Higher Education in Promoting Teaching,
Learning and Research
The re-engineering of Higher Education provision and services, in accordance with
the 1999 Education Act in Thailand, has impacted the restructuring of higher educa-
tion institutions (HEIs). This re-engineering has also refined the aim of Higher
Education provision and services to focus on promoting academic and research
excellence (OHEC 2008a). The Bureau of Cooperation and Promotion, which falls
under the purview of the Office of Higher Education Commission (OHEC), is the
unit directly responsible for research financing and the development of innovation
and for knowledge transfer. The other organisation that is deemed by its role to sup-
port, enhance and assure the quality of Higher Education is the Bureau of Standards
and Quality. The OHEC is presumably the main policy engine that provides
N.S. Dhirathiti (*)
Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
e-mail: [email protected]