Volume 19 Number 3 (September - December 2012) - Mahidol ...

Mahidol University - A Focus on ASEAN,
Internationalization and Social Responsibility
The launch of the ASEAN Community
in 2015 will bring major changes to
countries across the region including
dramatic changes in higher education.
For instance, the internationalization of
the region will create more opportunities
for staff and student exchange as well
as research collaboration. This in turn will
influence the structure and timing of degree
programs, as ASEAN universities begin
to align themselves with their regional
counterparts. As a long-standing advocate
of the internationalization of higher
education, and with its commitment to
achieving world-class learning, teaching
and research, Mahidol University will be
at the forefront of any such developments.
Mahidol University views unprecedented
global connectivity as an opportunity and
the motivation to bring about positive
changes. In order to guide the university
through the establishment of the ASEAN
Community, Mahidol University’s latest
ten-point Development Plan initiated by
Prof. Rajata Rajatanavin, President of
Mahidol University; includes details of
how it intends to “make internationalization
a fundamental component of all University
activities”.
Of course, the establishment of
ASEAN is only one of several issues that
Mahidol University will face over the next
few years. Other important areas include
– identifying novel sources of fund-raising,
exploring new types of partnerships, and
promoting university-wide social responsibility.
Therefore, the development plan also
incorporates the following:
• Guide the formulation of public policies
to benefit society
• Advance the quality of its research,
and tackle the major challenges facing
Thai society
• Support excellence in teaching and
learning through the use of transformative
education
• Use its position as a public autonomous
institution to become more efficient
and flexible in its personal and financial
management
• Create partnerships with government
agencies, the private sector, international
organizations and local communities,
and harness the power of these networks
for the greater public good
• Encourage good governance,
greater transparency and the sharing of
knowledge and opinions on major policy
initiatives
• Help realize Mahidol University’s
determination to become the “Wisdom
of the Land”
• Encourage greater alumni support
in promoting the university within Thailand
and internationally, and
• Make efficient use of the government’s
financial support and promote additional
fundraising efforts.
These ten guiding principles have
led to the creation of Mahidol University
Strategy 2013 - 2016 consisting of
nine dimensions: Research Excellence,
Transformative Education, Health Care
Services Excellence, Internationalization,
Social Responsibility, ICT-based University,
Harmony in Diversity, Management for
Sustainability, and Human Resource
Excellence. It is envisioned that
improvement of human resource and
ICT management and harmonization of
diverse aspects of running a modern
comprehensive university will form a
foundation that enhances the effectiveness
of the four main missions – learning,
research, health care services, and
social responsibility. These four pillars
will in turn support engagement with
national, regional, and global stakeholders.
Clearly, the next few years will be an
exciting and challenging time for universities
throughout the region including Mahidol
University. However, every member
of Mahidol University including its
administration and executives remain
committed to the internationalization of
higher education through the creation
of strong and long-lasting relationships
with national agencies, the public and
private sector, and leading academic
institutions from the ASEAN region and
beyond.
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