42 / 2015-04-21 10:12:41

Transnational Education Policy and Trends in the Globalized Age: Thailand as cas study

TRANSNATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY AND TRENDS IN THE GLOBALIZED AGE: THAILAND AS A CASE STUDY

Assoc. Prof. Chanita Rakspollmuang, Ph.D., Assist. Prof. Fuangarun Preededilok, Ph.D., Assist. Prof. Suwithida Charungkaittikul, Ph.D., Sornnate Areesophonpichet, Ph.D.,

Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

e-mail: drchanita@gmail.com, Chanita.R@chula.ac.th, fuangarun.p@chula.ac.th, msornnet@gmail.com, suwithida@yahoo.com, suwithida.c@chula.ac.th



Abstract
The globalization of higher education manifests itself in various forms, of which
transnational education (TE) is perhaps the most visible. It is noteworthy that TE is an inevitable trend as we can see increasing number of both inbound and outbound student mobility. Also, various kinds of programs and courses are provided to the learners who are located in a county that is different from where the awarding institution is based, for example, offshore degree courses and training, international branch and offshore campus, as well as online courses delivered through information and communication technologies. Nevertheless, TE poses a number of challenges to educational providers, including higher education institutions, and ministries since it has both positive and negative effects in the same way as globalization. After examining TE in higher educational institutions of the U.S., England, Australia, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia, the researchers explore the state and problems concerning TE policies and practices in Thailand. Document research, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussion with experts were employed. It was found that Thailand has engaged in policies relating to the promotion of TE for a long time, starting from the first National Economic and
Social Development Plan or NESDP (1961 - 1966) until the present 11th Plan (2012-2016). In the beginning, internationalization has been a slow movement. But a significant shift in the country’s development planning has taken place since the Eighth Plan (1997-2001) when both internationalization and regionalization projects had been launched to meet the expected economic and social demand. The underlying strategies then were to promote international education programs and encourage staff and student exchange programs with foreign institutions. Recently, the government envisioned Thailand to become an educational hub and TE has regained its importance. It was hoped that TE will bring not only economic benefits and income
to the country but also make various forms of academic collaboration possible. This policy along with the GATS agreement and other factors resulted in growing number of international programs, online courses, and increasing annual number of outbound and inbound exchange students and scholars. Nonetheless, number of outbound students still exceeds the inbounds. Thailand has many weak points and obstacles especially that the country lacks aggressive policies to attract inbound exchange students.

Keywords: Transnational Education, Education in Thailand, Educational Policy