SUT signs the first-ever International Charter for Cooperative and Work-Integrated Education at the Birthplace of Cooperative Education
University of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA : August 7th, 2019

      Professor Dr Wichit Srisa-an, Founding Rector and Chairman of SUT Council, and President of Thai Cooperative Education (TACE), led a team of administrators, lecturers, and practitioners from Thai universities and the Office of Higher Education Commission to attend the 21st World Association for Cooperative and Work-Integrated Education (WACE) World Conference, held at University of Cincinnati, Ohio, the birthplace of cooperative education, from August 4th to 7th, 2019. Accompanied by SUT’s Director of Centre for Cooperative Education and Career Development and TACE Secretary-General, Assistant Professor Dr Atit Koonsrisuk and SUT’s Assistant to the Rector for University Council

     Affairs and TACE International Liaison Officer, Assistant Professor Dr Issra Pramoolsook, Professor Wichit attended the WACE Board Meeting and the Executive Board Meeting on August 4th in which the WACE Strategic Plan 2020 proposed by WACE President, Dr Nancy Johnston, was discussed and approved as the blueprint of WACE direction and operation in the next decade.

     Bestowed the title ‘Father of Thai Cooperative Education’ by the Ministry of Education, Professor Wichit was also invited to attend the President’s Summit Session on August 5th in which more than 50 university presidents, education association executives, and high-ranking government officials, including executives of organisations convened to sign the first-of-its-kind Global Charter for Cooperative and Work-Integrated Education. This Charter aims to formalise a commitment among the signatory organisations to grow the number and quality of international cooperative and work-integrated education opportunities for students around the world. At the end of the session, TACE and SUT agreed to sign this global commitment document, along with three other Thai universities; namely, Walailak University, Prince of Songkla University, and Sripatum University, who have strong cooperative education programmes, which is going to uplift and push forward the already vigorous cooperative education in Thailand to the next global level.

      With awe-inspiring keynote addresses and concurrent presentations on a variety of topics, the conference welcomed more than 300 participants from 23 countries around the world. Dr Atit Koonsrisuk, representing TACE, shared a panel discussion on ‘building a national strategy for cooperative and work-integrated education’ where heads of national associations promoting and supporting cooperative and work-integrated education from 5 countries including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and Thailand addressed the challenges and opportunities facing and awaiting cooperative education now and in the near future.

      On a personal side, Professor Wichit Srisa-an paid a personal visit and respect to the statue of Herman Schneider, Dean of Engineering, the Founder of Cooperative Education at University of Cincinnati in 1906. For his introduction of cooperation education to Thailand and numerous contributions in this area for Thailand and international community, University of Cincinnati in 2017 inducted Professor Wichit to the UC Cooperative Education Hall of Fame, the first and only one from Asia. His name is inscribed at the base of the statue among the illustrious previous inductees, which stands as a permanent testimony of his high achievements and vast impacts globally.

     The conference concluded with a global agreement to launch the Charter officially, which will bring about meaningful international work-integrated experiences for our students’ global work readiness.