Abstract
Sustainable development is being integrated into higher education through diverse mechanisms. This paper describes a process that combines both the introduction of sustainable development and its use for a change process in an evolving environment. Thaksin University, located in the south of Thailand near the Malaysian border, is continuing its academic development through an international standard research-based Ph.D. program that spans all disciplines in the university. Beginning with the objective of strengthening the academy in an environment where Ph.D. programs are usually coursework-based and conducted in the Thai language, a strategic plan was developed to include engaging staff of international universities to assist in supervision and examination of research theses prepared in English. Research topics include sustainability within the subject and discipline being researched and so assist discussion within the wider university through candidate seminars and publications. Through this process, the university seeks to further embed sustainability principles in its other courses while further strengthening its regional image. In combination with other field-based activities, the approach has borne fruit in the form of commendations from national reviews and in university rankings. The paper describes the process of establishment of the university-wide Ph.D. in Sustainable Development in a manner that may be of value to other institutions with autonomous governance.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Davies M, Devlin M (2007) Interdisciplinary higher education and the Melbourne model. Creativity, enterprise, policy: new directions in education. Open Polytechnic of New Zealand, Lower Hutt, N.Z., pp 1–16
Falvey L (2016) Understanding Southeast Asia: syncretism in commonalities. Thaksin University Press, Thailand, pp 187, 166p
Haigh M (2010) Greening the university curriculum: Appraising an international movement. In: Chalkley B, Haigh M, Higgitt D (eds) Education for sustainable development. Routledge, 320p
Hall KR (1992) Economic history in early South East Asia. In: Tarling N (ed) The Cambridge history of South East Asia Volume 1: from early times to c.1880. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 358p
Hallinger P (2011) A review of three decades of doctoral studies using the principal instructional management rating scale: a lens on methodological progress in educational leadership. Educ Adm Q 42(2):271–306
Hegarty K, Thomas I, Kriewaldt C, Holdsworth S, Bekessy S (2011) Insights into the value of a ‘stand-alone’ course for sustainability education. Environ Educ Res 17(4):451–469
Kanchanamukda W (2014) Budgeting for a Thai Autonomous University: the case of Thaksin University. Thaksin University Press, Thailand, p 285p
Leal Filho W (2010) Teaching sustainable development at university level: current trends and future needs. J Baltic Sci Educ 9(4):273–284
Liu L (2011) Where in the world of sustainability education is US geography? J Geogr High Educ 35(2):245–263
Sachs J (2015) The age of sustainable development. International Growth Centre public lecture, 4 Feb
Sterling S (2001) Sustainable education: re-visioning learning and change. Green Books/The Schumacher Society, Schumacher Briefing No. 6, 94p
Thaksin University (2017) International doctoral program by research. http://thaksinuni.org/
United Nations (2016) http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/
Wongsothorn T (1997) A Southeast Asian initiative in higher education: SEAMEO-RIHED. International Higher Education, Center for International Higher Education, Boston College, Summer
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Kanchanamukda, W., Falvey, L. (2020). Academic Strengthening Through a Multi-disciplinary Ph.D. in Sustainable Development. In: Leal Filho, W., et al. Universities as Living Labs for Sustainable Development. World Sustainability Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15604-6_30
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15604-6_30
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-15603-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-15604-6
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)