Associate Professor Dr. Kannika Thongkhao, Acting Assistant Dean for International Affairs, Associate Professor Dr. Taweeluck Pollachom, Acting Head of the Department of General Education, and Miss Pavirasa Praditsorn, Acting Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, visited Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) in Penang, Malaysia, from August 13-15, 2024. The purpose of the visit were to strengthen academic cooperation in international affairs and student affairs, and to meet with the administration of the School of Languages, Literacies, and Translation (SOLLAT).

In terms of teaching, the two institutions discussed exchanging faculty members. They also explored the development of joint online courses. SOLLAT offers several foreign language courses, including English, Thai, and Spanish. However, they only have one Thai language teacher with a full workload. The faculty exchange program will play a crucial role in expanding opportunities to teach Thai. The exchange will require at least 14 days and must involve onsite teaching.

For student affairs, SOLLAT plans to organize activities to improve English skills for students at Walailak University. SOLGEN will send a group of students to Penang in September 2024 to practice English, and they requested SOLLAT’s cooperation in organizing a buddy system for student participation. Regarding research, SOLLAT expressed interest in collaborating on research projects and encouraged faculty members from SOLGEN to contact staff at SOLLAT.

Additionally, SOLLAT introduced the IJOLLT journal, encouraging researchers to consider publishing in the journal. SOLLAT also recommended the USM’s Centre of Excellence in Feminize to Associate Professor Dr. Taweeluck Pollachom for further study through related websites. This collaboration marks an important step in strengthening academic networks between the two institutions, focusing on sustainable development in education and research.