SUT PhD Scholarship Program for ASEAN Students in Thailand, 2016

SUT-PhD SCHOLARSHIP
PROGRAM FOR ASEAN (Phase II)

BACKGROUND

The beginning of the year 2016 marks
a very important milestone for all ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian
Nations) countries because we shall be integrated into one single community.
The ASEAN Community consists of three pillars, namely the ASEAN
Political-Security Community (APSC), the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and
the ASEAN Socio-Cultural C

ommunity. Higher education has an important role in
supporting the establishment of the ASEAN Community and preparing the ASEAN
people and countries for regional integration. Knowledge of science,
technology and innovation is one of the key factors in sustaining economic
growth, enhancing community’s well-being and promoting integration into
ASEAN. To build a strong science and technology base for ASEAN as a single
integrated economy, and to ensure ASEAN remains globally competitive, ASEAN
member countries have to move up the technology ladder and focus on enhancing
their capability for technological innovation in many areas.

Since its establishment, Suranaree University of Technology (SUT) has constantly proved itself to be
in the forefront of higher education institutions in the country and in the
Asia-Pacific region. With its careful development and fast and steady
progress, it has produced numerous outstanding achievements, well recognized
both nationally and internationally. Highlights of these concrete
achievements include its designation as one of the nine National Research Universities
by the Royal Thai Government and its ranking at the highest level among the
research and teaching universities in Thailand by the Office of National
Education Standards and Quality Assessment in 2009, which placed SUT
as No. 1 in the Public University category and No. 2 in the All University
category. Furthermore, the 2006 assessment by the Office of the Higher
Education Commission placed SUT in the “Outstanding Research” and “Excellent
Teaching and Learning” groups due to its remarkable performance in research
and teaching. The Thailand Research Fund has bestowed frequent commendations
on the University and its Schools. It ranked SUT in the Outstanding Group
among the science and technology universities in 2007, and it has
continuously ranked the School of Physics as the country’s top physics
department for six years now and the School of Chemistry as “excellent”
during the same period. It also ranked another eight Schools, namely the
Schools of Mathematics, Biochemistry, Electrical Engineering,
Telecommunication Engineering, Civil Engineering, Animal Production
Technology, Biotechnology and Food Technology as either “excellent” or “very
good” in the year 2010. SUT is one of the 14 Thai universities that maintain
substantial international research output to be included in the SCImago
Institutions Rankings (SIR) World Report.

To respond to the establishment of
the ASEAN Community and to celebrate the auspicious occasion of His Majesty
the King’s 84th birthday anniversary, SUT has launched the SUT-Ph.D.
Scholarship Program for ASEAN to promote student mobility and Ph.D. degree
program development in the region. Future employment in ASEAN will require
graduates to possess additional skills apart from their professional skills,
such as proficiency in English and other languages used in ASEAN, as well as
inter-cultural skills which can best be achieved by mutual cooperation. The
SUT-Ph.D. Scholarship Program for ASEAN is one definite step toward greater academic
collaboration in the ASEAN Community. Nine scholarships will be granted to
students or faculty members of higher education institutions in ASEAN
countries to further the study of doctoral degrees at SUT in the fields of
Science, Engineering, Agricultural Technology and Social Technology in the
Academic Year 2016.

SUT
Video Presentation