UC Santa Cruz Collaborates With University In Thailand

SANTA CRUZ, CA–In an agreement that will expand opportunities for international collaborative research and education, the University of California, Santa Cruz, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand.

Thailand’s first and most prestigious institution of higher learning, Chulalongkorn University is a model of internationalization with strong affiliations with American universities, including UC Berkeley, Northwestern University, the University of Pennsylvania, and many leading European universities.

The agreement between UCSC and Chulalongkorn was signed in December by UCSC Chancellor M.R.C. Greenwood and Chulalongkorn President Tatchai Sumitra. The MOU was instigated by the UCSC Psychology Department as a result of efforts by Per Gjerde, associate professor of psychology.

"This agreement has the potential to foster relationships for all of our students and faculty, but it will be of particular value for those in psychology, engineering, economics, and Southeast Asian studies," said Greenwood.

The agreement between UCSC and Chulalongkorn was signed in December by UCSC Chancellor M.R.C. Greenwood and Chulalongkorn President Tatchai Sumitra. The MOU was instigated by the UCSC Psychology Department as a result of efforts by Per Gjerde, associate professor of psychology.

"This agreement has the potential to foster relationships for all of our students and faculty, but it will be of particular value for those in psychology, engineering, economics, and Southeast Asian studies," said Greenwood.

Gjerde’s affiliation with Thailand’s leading university began in 1996 when he evaluated Chulalongkorn’s psychology department as part of an Education Abroad Program review of psychology programs at Southeast Asian universities. His visit followed closely a visit by President Bill Clinton, who received an honorary doctorate in economics.

"The idea is to facilitate student and faculty exchanges and research collaborations," said Gjerde, adding that the MOU is similar to UC Berkeley’s agreement with Chulalongkorn, which UCB’s engineering program initiated.

Gjerde, a developmental psychologist who has collaborated with colleagues in Japan, Singapore, and Korea, as well as Thailand, said Chulalongkorn’s faculty are unique because they have all earned their doctorates from leading universities in the United States or the United Kingdom.

"This is the most impressive example of internationalization I’ve seen," said Gjerde, noting that Chulalongkorn’s business school is affiliated with the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, as well as with the J. L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. "Students cross-register, and there are about 50 American professors at Chulalongkorn each year, as well as a similar number of Thai professors at Wharton and Northwestern," he said.

Similarly, Thai students in the school’s new psychology doctoral program, which Gjerde helped develop, will be required to meet the same English-language standard that UC requires of its foreign students, and they will write their doctoral theses in English, said Gjerde. "Chulalongkorn is not an isolated university in any way, shape, or form," he added. "It is a large, prestigious place that offers collaborative opportunities for American scholars in many fields."

As it was being considered, the MOU also received enthusiastic support from Craig Haney, chair of the UCSC Psychology Department, and Martin Chemers, dean of the Division of Social Sciences at UCSC.

Chulalongkorn’s standing reflects its significant role in Thai history. Thailand embraced higher education in the late 19th century in an effort to avoid being colonized by Western powers. The only Southeast Asian country that successfully resisted colonialism, Thailand, known as Siam until 1939, continues to support education as a means of strengthening and improving its government and providing opportunities for all Thai citizens. Chulalongkorn University’s predecessor, the Civil Service Training School, was established in 1899 by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), who was portrayed in the film The King and I.