Category: International Partnerships

On 12 March 2025, Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University (STOU) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with SEAMEO SEAMOLEC officially. The MOU was signed by Asst. Prof. Dr. Phanompatt Smitananda, Acting President of STOU and
Dr. Wahyudi, Director of SEAMEO SEAMOLEC. The MOU signing ceremony took place at the Administration Building of STOU in Nonthaburi, Thailand.

The MOU signing ceremony was witnessed by Ms. Cahya Kusuma Ratih, Deputy Director of SEAMEO SEAMOLEC,
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gan Chanyawudhiwan, Acting Vice-President for Academic Services, Cultural Preservation, and International Affairs, Asst. Prof. Dr. Worrawit Nakpan, Acting Director of the Department of International Affairs, Mrs. Rattip Phukkeson, Head of International Development, and Miss Warakanya Thanarak, Acting Head of Protocol and Strategic International Initiatives.

This collaboration focuses on building educational cooperation networks, with the objective of exchanging knowledge in distance education, organizing workshops for faculty members, staff, and high school students, exchanging experts and human resources, as well as promoting joint research and development projects.

SEAMEO SEAMOLEC is a leading regional center recognized in ASEAN for open and distance learning, with expertise in research, training, and educational information technology development. The signing of this MOU will help expand educational opportunities and establish a concrete cooperation network between the two organizations.

From 19-23 November 2024, Asst. Prof. Dr. Phanompatt Smitananda, Member of the University Council and Acting President of Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University (STOU), led a delegation of researchers and staff to the 2024 OU5 Meeting in Manila, Philippines, hosted by the University of the Philippines Open University.

The purpose of the meeting was to foster collaboration among the five ASEAN open universities (known as OU5) in the areas of distance learning and research. The member universities include Hanoi Open University (HOU), Vietnam; Open University Malaysia (OUM), Malaysia; University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU), Philippines; Universitas Terbuka (UT), Indonesia; and Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University (STOU). The host institution for the meeting rotates among the member institutions.

The researchers from STOU who attended this year meeting were Assoc. Prof. Gan Chanyawudhiwan (Office of Educational Technology), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pithak Srisuksai (School of Economics), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Anothai Ngamvichaikit (School of Management Science), Asst. Prof. Dr. Songlak Sakulwichitsintu (School of Liberal Arts), and Dr. Supamas Chumkaew (Office of Registration, Records and Evaluation.

The 2024 OU5 researches include the following topics:

• Technology Trends in Education: Nano Learning, Authentic Online Assessment, Gamification, Blockchain and Others
  (and How AI Will Impact These Technologies)
• Open University Infrastructure for a Sustainable Future: A Design in View of Fulfillment of SDG 11
• Roles of ASEAN Open Universities in Enhancing Entrepreneurship and Global Presence
• Roles of Open Universities in STEM Education (Way Forward with a Focus on the State of Gender Equality in ASEAN)
• Student-Lecturer Ratio as a Parameter of Quality in OFDL Context (What Are the Factors that Determine the Quality
  of Open Universities?)

The meeting was attended by 35 participants, including Presidents, OU5 coordinators, and researchers from the five universities. The 2025 meetings are scheduled for April in Penang, Malaysia, and October in Phuket, Thailand.

On 19-22 November 2024, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Narathip Sriram, Acting Vice President for Education, Learning Support,
and Research, Asst. Prof. Janenarong Tiensawang, Dean of the School of Agriculture and Cooperatives,
and Asst. Prof. Dr. Parichat Dittakit, Director of the Department of Rajamangalaphisek Education Park, attended the ASAIHL Conference on “University’s Role in Advancing Climate Crises Reduction” in Surabaya, Indonesia, hosted by Universitas Airlangga.

Country reports were presented during the conference, including:

• “The Pentahelic Model of Community Service to Mitigate the Effects of Climate Change on Marginalized Rural Communities” (Indonesia)
• “Sustainability Studies in Thailand Higher Education: From Objectives to Program Structure” (Thailand)
• “Regional Hub for Climate Crises and Natural Disaster Research and Education” (Iran)
• “Shaping Climate Education for the Futures: IIUM’s Communiversity and Usrah in Action Models” (Malaysia)
• “Philippine HEIs Role in Advancing Climate Change Adaptation” (Philippines)
• “Global warming in Japan and emergency transportation of elderly people due to heatstroke” (Japan)
• “Universities, industrial TVET, and the climate change: can lessons be learned from COVID?” (France)
• “AI and Satellite Remote Sensing: The State-of-the-art Technology to Map the Most Abundant Atmospheric Greenhouse Gas – Water Vapor” (Hong Kong)

The purpose of the ASAIHL conference is to support member institutions in strengthening and collaborating with each other, exchanging knowledge and experiences on an international level in teaching and research, and fostering relationships between member institutions and regional and international organizations. The ASAIHL conference also provides a platform for academics and faculty to present their research on an international stage.

On 14 October 2024, a delegation from Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University (STOU), led by Acting President Asst. Prof. Dr. Phanompatt Smitananda, visited Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) in Islamabad, Pakistan. The purpose of the visit was to strengthen academic cooperation between the two institutions. The STOU delegation met with AIOU administrators and held discussions with the Faculty of Education and the Faculty of Sciences and Humanities (SS&H).

AIOU, established in May 1975, is the largest open university in Pakistan, with over 1 million enrolled students. The university offers more than 300 programs and over 3,500 courses, and it has 54 regional campuses.

Both STOU and AIOU share a long-standing relationship of over 30 years and were among the founding institutions of
the Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU). This visit aimed to further solidify the existing partnership and explore new opportunities for collaboration.

A delegation from Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University (STOU), led by Acting President Asst. Prof. Dr. Phanompatt Smitananda, participated in the 37^th Annual Conference of the Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU 2024) held in Islamabad, Pakistan from 15-17 October 2024. The theme of the conference was “Expanding Horizons: Innovation in Open and Distance Learning.”

The conference aimed to provide a platform for researchers and practitioners to present and discuss a wide range of topics related to open learning and distance education as well as foster collaboration and knowledge sharing among members of
the Asian Association of Open Universities. The key topics discussed at the conference included:
– Increasing access and quality in ODL
– Innovative delivery modes
– The impact of rapidly evolving educational technologies such as Generative AI
– Learner support systems
– The effects of Covid-19 period on open and distance learning practices
– Management of ODL
– New pedagogical approaches
– Re-considering the roles of open universities
– Online assessment and evaluation

Among over 270 participants from 22 countries attended the AAOU 2024 conference, STOU administrators have involved in the following events in conference: Asst. Prof. Dr. Phanompatt Smitananda, Acting President, and Mrs. Rattip Phukkeson, Acting Director of the Department of International Affairs, represented STOU at the AAOU General Board Meeting.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gan Chanyawudhiwan, Acting Vice-President for Academic Services, Cultural Preservation, and International Affairs, was honored by the AAOU as the Chair of the Adjudication Committee for the AAOU Young Innovator Award 2024.
He also chaired a session on “Increasing access and quality in ODL.” Assoc. Prof. Dr. Khajornsak Sitthi, Director of the Office of Educational Services, served as a Member of the Adjudication Committee for the Best Paper Award 2024.
 

On 17-21 September 2024, Asst. Prof. Dr. Phanompatt Smitananda, Acting President of Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, attended the 27^th Governing Board Meeting and International Seminar (GBM), which was hosted by SEAMEO Regional Open Learning Centre (SEAMOLEC) and Sekolah Vokasi Universitas Gadjah Mada. The seminar was held
in the historic city of Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

During the meeting, Asst. Prof. Dr. Phanompatt Smitananda presented a paper titled “Using Power AI to Enhance Student Retention: A Hybrid Recommendation System for Reducing Dropout Rates at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University.” He was selected as the Chairperson of the SEAMOLEC GBM and exchanged valuable experiences with administrators and representatives from other countries.