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Walailak University Set to Expand Research and Educational Collaboration with Regional Universities in Australia

Walailak University (WU), with the support of the Australian Embassy in Thailand and the Regional Universities Network (RUN) in Australia, is set to expand research and educational collaboration with regional Australian higher education institutions. Beginning with Charles Sturt University, the initiative aims to extend to all seven regional universities under RUN.

An Australian delegation visiting WU from 4 – 6 March 2025 includes Ms. Freya Kaine, Counsellor (Education and Research) for Vietnam and Thailand at the Australian Embassy in Thailand; Ms. Watinee Kharnwong, Director of the Department of Education at the Australian Embassy in Thailand; Mr. Alec Webb, CEO of the Regional Universities Network, Australia; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ivor Stuart, Fisheries Ecologist at the Gulbali Research Institute, Charles Sturt University; and Ms. Chelsea Schlink, Director of Business Development at the Gulbali Research Institute, Charles Sturt University.

Associate Professor Dr. Surin Maisrikrod, Vice President of WU, who presided over the collaboration discussion held yesterday at the Chorpradu Chamber, WU Hospital, highlighted the university’s strong commitment to advancing research and enhancing education quality. As one of Thailand’s 19 Global and Frontier Research Universities, as categorized by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, WU prioritizes research that benefits society while fostering internationalization both “at home” and “abroad” to align with global academic standards.

Vice President Surin emphasized that internationalization is “the only way” forward, underscoring WU’s strategic initiatives, including implementing the internationally recognized United Kingdom Professional Standards Framework for teaching and learning, promoting English as a Medium of Instruction, and facilitating collaborative activities for students and staff with international institutions.

On this occasion, Ms. Freya Kaine, Counsellor at the Australian Embassy in Thailand, expressed her appreciation for WU’s projects that have made meaningful contributions to communities. She highlighted the strong educational ties between Australia and Thailand, stating: “Australia and Thailand have a really strong educational relationship. We are lucky enough to have over 23,000 international students from Thailand in Australia and over 160,000 Australian alumni in Thailand. That shows just how much connection already exists.”

Ms. Kaine also pointed out that Australia and Thailand share common challenges, including fisheries management, climate change, and the advancement of new technologies to support local communities. Additionally, she reaffirmed the Australian government’s commitment to fostering new research collaborations between Australian and Thai regional universities, recognizing Southeast Asia as a key partner.

During the discussion, WU’s schools and colleges proposed various potential collaborations with their Australian counterparts, including the School of Pharmacy for internship opportunities in Australia; Akkhraratchakumari Veterinary College for the development of double degree programs and student and staff mobility initiatives; the School of Allied Health Sciences for student exchanges, both inbound and outbound; the School of Nursing for nursing practice opportunities in Australia as well as joint seminars; the School of Management for the development of double degree programs and joint research projects; the School of Education for student mobility programs, joint online activities, and research such as AI in education; the School of Languages and General Education for joint activities such as English edutainment and research in languages and the environment; and, lastly, Walailak University International College for one-semester student exchanges.

Earlier on Wednesday, the WU Center for Academic Services, led by Assistant Professor Dr. Amonsak Sawusdee, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ivor Stuart from Charles Sturt University’s Gulbali Research Institute, shared knowledge on sustainable fisheries, aiming to enhance food security and preserve marine biodiversity. The event brought together over one hundred students, researchers, and staff.

Following this visit, the WU Center for International Affairs will serve as the central hub for connecting WU’s schools and colleges with regional universities in Australia, with continued support from the Australian Embassy and the Regional Universities Network.

Source: Settaboot Onphakdee, Division of Corporate Communication

SOLGEN Exchanges Knowledge and Builds Academic Networks with Dr. Allison Creed from the University of Melbourne, Australia

On February 20, at 1:30 p.m., lecturers from the Thai Language Group, General Education Department, held a meeting with Dr. Allison Creed from the University of Melbourne, Australia, at the Professor Dr. Sombat Thamrongthanyawong Meeting Room. The meeting aimed to exchange ideas and foster academic collaboration, with discussions focusing on teaching and research, particularly in the fields of cognitive linguistics and critical metaphor analysis.

The session was attended by lecturers led by Associate Professor Dr. Surin Maisrikrod, Acting Dean of the School of Languages and General Education, along with Ms. Pawirasa Praditsorn, Acting Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, and members of the Thai Language Group. The academic insights gained from this exchange will be applied and further developed to enhance future scholarly work.

SOLGEN Supports Cultural Diversity with an Exhibition on Arabic Language and Culture

On February 14, 2025, the School of Languages and General Education organized an exhibition on the 1st floor of the ST Building to inspire the learning of language and culture. The event showcased the learning outcomes from the elective course GENF67-001 Arabic Language and Culture, offered in Semester 2/2025. The objective was to encourage students in the course, as well as other Walailak University students, to appreciate and understand cultural diversity, fostering coexistence and mutual respect in society.

The exhibition featured student activity booths highlighting different aspects of Arabic language and culture, including food, clothing, and language, along with topics related to Islamic culture, the predominant religion in the Arab world.

The Arabic Language and Culture course has attracted strong interest from students across multiple schools and will be open for registration again in the next academic year.

Walailak University launched the co-curricular English activities under the theme “Play and Learn: PlearnEnglish.”

On January 31, 2025, Prof.Dr. Sombat Thamrongthanyawong, President of Walailak University, presided over the official opening ceremony of the “Play and Learn PlearnEnglish” activity at Lecture Building 6, Walailak University.

The activity was organized by Assoc.Prof.Dr. Surin Maisrikrod, Vice President and Acting Dean of the School of Languages and General Education, together with lecturers and staff of the school. It aims to encourage and develop students’ English skills in a free environment, not limited to only classroom learning.

Today’s highlights included the Storytelling Competition, which allowed students to show their abilities and creativity through telling stories in English. There were also English skill-building activities in listening, speaking, reading, and writing, such as Crossword, Jenga, and role-play of buying ice cream in English.

The “Play and Learn PlearnEnglish” activity is held every Friday from 11:00 a.m. onwards at the activity area of ST Building. Today, more than 300 students and lecturers joined the event. The atmosphere was lively and engaging. The evaluation score was 4.83 out of 5, which is at a very good level, showing the success of promoting effective English learning.

This activity is part of Walailak University’s proactive English learning approach, aiming for students to naturally develop their English skills in daily life and to inspire continuous learning.

The School of Languages and General Education would like to thank the Division of Corporate Communication for the photos.

SOLGEN invites everyone to join the exhibition on Arabic language and culture

The School of Languages and General Education, in the elective course GENF67-001 Arabic Language and Culture, invites everyone to join the exhibition that inspires learning about the Arabic language and culture. The event includes a special lecture on “Arabic Language in the Modern World,” a demonstration of Arabic cooking, and an exhibition about Arabic language and culture from the course. If you are interested, you can join at the Hall, 1st floor, ST Building, Walailak University, from 1:30 p.m. onwards.

In this activity, students presented artworks and organized many kinds of activities, such as art exhibitions in different visual art styles, art activity booths for physical and mental well-being, art media screenings, and art workshops. Each project was designed using Inquiry-Based Learning, starting from questions that came from the students’ interests and developed into topics to create works that were shared with the public.

SOLGEN organized an art exhibition and creative activity booths to promote students’ creativity

On Wednesday, February 5, 2025, the School of Languages and General Education organized an art exhibition project under the theme “Art for Aesthetic Appreciation and Understanding Diversity.” This event served as a learning showcase from the course GEN 133 Aesthetics for Quality of Life, a general education course in the social sciences group.
The course aims to help students use art as a tool to promote aesthetic awareness and enhance physical and mental well-being. In the second semester of academic year 2024 (2/2567), over 300 students from the School of Informatics, Engineering, Science, and Political Science and Public Administration enrolled in this course.

During the event, students presented their work through various types of art and activities, including
– Visual art exhibitions   
– Art activity booths focused on promoting well-being   
– Screenings of media artworks   
– Art workshops   
Each project was designed using an Inquiry-Based Learning approach, which started from students’ personal interests and questions. These questions were then developed into creative themes and turned into meaningful works shared with the public.

SOLGEN Organizes “Beautiful Beach with Our Hands” Activity

On February 1–2, 2025, lecturers from the School of Languages and General Education, together with students from the elective course GED65-147 “Camping for the Conservation of Nature and Environment,” organized the project “Beautiful Beach with Our Hands.” The activity involved collecting litter and marine debris along Tha Sung Beach, Tha Sala District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province.

This initiative aimed to raise awareness among students and the public about the problem of single-use plastics in nature—rivers, seas, and oceans—and to promote upcycling as a means of reducing environmental impacts and mitigating global warming. Through participation, students developed greater awareness of environmental conservation, contributing to a balance across economic, social, and environmental dimensions for sustainable growth.

The beach cleanup activity, focused on reducing marine debris and plastic waste, represents a meaningful step toward sustainable living. It also supports environmental protection, helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and contributes to slowing global warming, thereby creating long-term benefits for future generations.

SOLGEN organized the “Camping for the Conservation of Nature and Environment” project for students.

The General Education Department of SOLGEN organized a camping project for natural resources and environmental conservation for students enrolled in the free elective course “Camping for Conservation.” A total of 88 students joined the activity, which was held from January 24 – 26, 2025.

During this trip, students experienced real camping life by setting up tents at Khao Phanom Bencha National Park, located in Mueang District, Krabi Province. The main activities included:

– 3-hour nature trail hike at Huai To Waterfall   

– 21st-century skills development activity: an 8-station walk rally   

– Campfire night activity featuring guest speakers, led by Police Lieutenant

Colonel Phasin Sangkhara and the team of group facilitators from Border Patrol Police Division 42, Srinakharindra Camp   

The highlight on the last day was a study tour to Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park in Krabi Province. Students had the opportunity to go snorkeling and explore Thailand’s beautiful marine environments, including Railay Beach, Talay Waek (Separated Sea), Chicken Island, and Poda Island.

This course, run by the General Education Program at Walailak University, focuses on helping students learn and improve their quality of life through the concept of 4C skills from The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21):

Critical Thinking – Encouraging students to ask questions and search for the truth   
Creativity – Helping students think differently and innovatively   
Collaboration – Supporting teamwork and achieving more together
Communication – Training students to express their ideas clearly and effectively

These 4C skills are essential learning tools that help equip students to face global challenges with awareness and responsibility, especially in terms of valuing and conserving natural resources.

SOLGEN organized the 5th Personality Development Workshop on the theme “Good Speaking and Good Personality for Success.”

On January 29, 2025, from 1:00-5:00 p.m., at Sritammarat Meeting Room, Architecture and Design Building, the Thai language teaching group under the General Education Department organized 5th Personality Development Workshop on the theme “Good Speaking and Good Personality for Success.”

The guest speaker was Ms. Saifon Cheechang, a news anchor from Channel 3, who has expertise and real experience in personality development and public speaking. She led the session and shared her knowledge and experiences from working in the field.

The objective of the workshop was to help students improve their inner and outer personality, enhance their presentation skills, and build a positive self-image that suits modern society. A total of 182 students and staff from Walailak University attended the event.

During the activity, students showed high interest and actively asked questions, reflecting their motivation to develop themselves — to speak confidently, express themselves, and apply new knowledge effectively in their personal development, careers, and life success in today’s changing world. The satisfaction rating from participants was 4.82 out of 5.00, which is considered very good.

SOLGEN Participates in the 44th Thailand TESOL International Conference 2025

Bangkok, Thailand – Representatives from SOLGEN attended the 44th Thailand TESOL International Conference on January 24–25, 2025, at Swissôtel Bangkok Ratchada. The delegation, including Assoc. Prof. Dr. Surin Maisrikrod, Asst. Prof. Junifer Leal Bucol, and Mr. Ronaldo Reyes, participated in the event to explore the latest innovations in English language teaching (ELT).

The conference, themed “Exploring the New Frontiers of ELT for a Better Tomorrow: Innovative Curriculum, Pedagogy, and Assessment,” provided a platform for educators, researchers, and practitioners from around the world to exchange ideas, collaborate, and discuss the future of ELT.

The event began with an inspiring welcome by Dr. Thanakorn Thongprayoon, President of Thailand TESOL, followed by a keynote from Assoc. Prof. Dr. Surin Khomfoi, who shared a quote from Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, emphasizing the irreplaceable role of good teachers. Dr. Pichet Phophakdee, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Education, also delivered a keynote on enhancing English proficiency and teaching standards in Thailand, addressing current challenges and proposing strategies for improvement.

Plenary speakers included Dr. Ewan MacRae of the British Council Thailand, who discussed the integration of research into education, and Prof. Emerita Dr. Leslie Barratt, who focused on the brain’s development of language. These talks emphasized the importance of evidence-based practices, innovative teaching methods, and a deeper understanding of language development.

Over the course of two days, participants engaged in dynamic discussions, workshops, and presentations on progressive ELT approaches. Key topics included the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in teaching, gamification for learner engagement, extensive reading strategies, fostering intercultural competence, sustainability in education, equity in education, and language assessment reforms.

Asst. Prof. Bucol, Head of the Languages Department, and Prof. Beniko Mason presented “Story-Listening: A New Approach to Vocabulary Acquisition for Thai University Students,” demonstrating how Story Listening enhances vocabulary development and language proficiency through engaging, context-rich stories that promote natural language acquisition.

By participating in international conferences, such as the Thailand TESOL International Conference, SOLGEN demonstrates its commitment to innovating and delivering high-quality, globally relevant education.