Publication: Thailand - Towards a Competitive Higher Education System in a Global Economy
Date
2009-01-01
ISSN
Published
2009-01-01
Author(s)
World Bank
Abstract
The global economy has become
increasingly complex and competitive. Many countries have
turned to knowledge-based growth to transition from
labor-intensive sectors to new and emerging economic
activities that require higher skills and intellectual
capital. In Thailand, higher education increasingly plays an
essential role in enabling greater opportunities for
economic growth and attractiveness to foreign investment.
This social monitor provides a snapshot of the current state
of the higher education sector in Thailand by examining its
key characteristics, latest developments, strengths, and
weaknesses. It also focuses on the extremely important
relationships between higher education, research and
development, innovation policies, and the private sector. In
short, Thailand can rightfully point to major achievements
in the development of its higher education system, including
the establishment of autonomous universities and increasing
access through innovative open universities such as Rajabhat
and Rajamangala. However, the higher education system faces
many challenges in the areas of governance, financing,
quality, access, and its relationship to the private sector.
Without significant changes in both policies and attitudes
in these areas, Thailand's future vision as a
knowledge-based economy relying on highly skilled labor and
technological advances to drive growth and productivity will
be extremely difficult to achieve.
Citation
“World Bank. 2009. Thailand - Towards a Competitive Higher Education System in a Global Economy. © World Bank. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/3133 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”