Partnerships for the Goals
From 2000 – 2022, Siam University has signed MoU with 113 higher education institutions. The higher educational institutions that we have an agreement with in 2021 are St. Petersburg state university of economics (UNECON) (Russia), RUDN University (Russia), Guangxi University of Science and Technology (GXUST) (China), Institute of Beijing University of Technology (China), Shandong Business Institute in Shandong (China), Hebei Finance University (China), Beijing Language and Culture University (China) and the latest one in 2022 is MERI Group of Institutions (India).
As for international organizations, Siam University is an active member of International Association of University (IAU) where our President, Dr. Pornchai Mongkhonvanit, was elected Vice President and Chairperson of the IAU Global Cluster on Higher Education and Research for Sustainable Development (HESD). We also have been a member of the International Association of University Presidents (IAUP) of which President Pornchai was the IAUP President between 2005 – 2008. In addition, we have been a member of Global University Network for Innovation (GUNI) for a number of years. During 2020-2021, we joined the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) “Green Nudges” programme for universities. It should also be noted that Siam University was accepted as member of the United Nations Sustainable Solutions Network (UNSDSN) in April 2021 and even we are the 12th member from the country but we are the first as university member. We have since participated in the 9th and 10th Annual International Conference on Sustainable Development (ICSD) of the UNSDSN and participated in the event of SDG Move of the Faculty of Economics, Thammasat University which is the national SDSN host. Furthermore, we are the only Thai university that become signatory university of the Magna Charta Observatory of which we signed the 2020 Magna Charta Universitatum on May 14, 2021. Academically, Siam University is also a member of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). In 2021, Siam University was the sole contributing partner from Southeast Asia for the THE Campus+ and we are now working with Arizona State University on quality education and sustainable work. Besides, we have been accepted as an associate member of the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CoNGO).
Regionally, Siam University is an active member of the Association of Southeast Asian Institutions of Higher Learning (ASAIHL) and ASAIHL Thailand, of which the latter, President Pornchai Mongkhonvanit and Vice President Professor Emeritus Dr. Chanita Rukspollmuang were appointed to the governing board. In addition, we are the co-founder and the present Secretary-General of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue University Network (ACD-UN) and are member of Association of Universities of Asia and The Pacific (AUAP).
Nationally, we are the first private university member of Sustainable University Network or SUN Thailand since 2017 and we also are a member of the Central Region of Thailand chapter of the ASEAN University Network – Health Promotion Network (AUN-HPN).
We also have collaboration with UNESCO Bangkok, SEAMEO-ESD Network, SEAMEO SEPS and SEAMEO STEM and are active in activities of the Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM), Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) for their academic conferences and workshops besides participating in Times Higher Education (THE) for submitting data on IMPACT Rankings. Siam University has participated very actively in UI GreenMetric World University Rankings and International Workshop on UI GreenMetric (IWGM), International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN), International Conference on Sustainable Development (ICSD) and has been selected as one of the 2021-2022 International Green Gown Award (IGGA) Judges organized by the Alliance for Sustainability Leadership in Education (EAUC) in partnership with The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), L’Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), International Association of Universities (IAU), the Higher Education Sustainability Initiative and Allianz Global Investors and are supported by the UN Environment Programme.
In 2022, Siam University was the only Thai university invited to UNESCO World Higher Education Conference (WHEC) 2022, “Reinvening Higher Education for a Sustainable Future” at Barcelona, Spain during May 18-20. President Pornchai Mongkhonvanit was invited by IAU (International Association of Universities) and UN SDSN (Sustainable Development Solutions Network) in the roundtables on “Protecting professors: barnishing burnout and enhancing engagement” hosted by International Association of University Professors and “Higher Education role in securing the future: a more equitable, peaceful, and sustainable society” hosted by IAU, UNESCO, UN SDSN. In the same event, Vice President, Professor Dr. Chanita Rukspollmuang was invited by UNESCO IESALC (International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean) to share her thought as an IESALC expert of UNESCO Futures of Higher Education 2050 in the roundtable on “Transforming the Futures of Higher Education” with students from China and Venezuela.
For further Information:
https://sustainability.siam.edu/index.php/51-news-and-activities/157-whec-2022
https://www.iau-aiu.net/List-of-IAU-Members
https://www.unsdsn.org/sdsn-members
https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/education-environment/what-we-do/little-book-green-nudges
https://www.guninetwork.org/institutional-members?page=8
http://www.magna-charta.org/magna-charta-universitatum/signatory-universities
https://asaihl.stou.ac.th/page/Showdata.aspx?idindex=19552
http://auap.sut.ac.th/auap-directory/
https://acd-un.aeu.edu.my/
https://www.aacsb.edu/members
https://sunthailand.net/th
https://sustainability.siam.edu/index.php/51-news-and-activities/157-whec-2022
Siam University was the only Thai university invited as speakers and panelists
in UNESCO- WHEC 2022, Barcelona, Spain
Education for the SDGs
Siam University has announced our policy on July 6, 2018 to integrate SDGs in our academic, research, and engagement activities and has started to do a survey on the integration of sustainability and SDGs in courses offered by our faculties since 2020. In 2020, data from 43 programs of 13 faculties and a general education (GE) program showed that number of courses relating to sustainability increased from 313 in 2018 to 2,023 out of 2,152 in 2020 (94.01%). In 2021, with the establishment of Faculty of Political Science, it was found that among 45 programs of study, 2,103 out of 2,228 courses (94.39%) have given importance to sustainability by integrating one or more of the 17SDGs in their teaching and learning activities. As for 2022, our survey in October showed 2,092 courses out of the total of 2,207 in 45 programs of 14 faculties and GE program (97.79%) with SDGs.
| Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) | # of courses with SDGs | |||
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | ||
| SDG1 | No poverty | 114 | 92 | 89 |
| SDG2 | Zero hunger | 58 | 50 | 48 |
| SDG3 | Good health and well-being | 281 | 273 | 250 |
| SDG4 | Quality education | 602 | 646 | 642 |
| SDG5 | Gender equality | 158 | 301 | 277 |
| SDG6 | Clean water and sanitation | 44 | 50 | 44 |
| SDG7 | Affordable and clean energy | 77 | 69 | 77 |
| SDG8 | Decent work and economic growth | 1,085 | 1,053 | 1098 |
| SDG9 | Industry, innovation and infrastructure | 733 | 767 | 821 |
| SDG10 | Reduce inequalities | 344 | 361 | 368 |
| SDG11 | Sustainable cities and communities | 100 | 214 | 165 |
| SDG12 | Responsible consumption and product | 186 | 237 | 236 |
| SDG14 | Life below water | 28 | 29 | 64 |
| SDG13 | Climate action | 32 | 27 | 28 |
| SDG15 | Life on land | 35 | 30 | 28 |
| SDG16 | Peace, justice and strong institutions | 182 | 226 | 172 |
| SDG17 | Partnerships for the goals | 319 | 330 | 353 |
SU Sustainability Literacy Test
Siam University has initiated a sustainability test on our students during February 5-6, 2022. The 1,067 respondents included 999 undergraduate and 68 graduate students. Concerning their understanding about SDGs, the results showed that the top 5 SDGs that students had understanding and knowledge about were SDG5 Gender equality (80.6%), SDG4 Quality education (78.2%), SDG3 Good health and well-being (77.8%), SDG16 Peace, justice and strong institutions (76.2%), and SDG10 Reduce inequalities (76.2%). These responses were related to their answers regarding their participating in the SDG activities which showed that most of the activities they attended were SDG5 Gender equality (79.2%), SDG4 Quality education (77.4%), SDG3 Good health and well-being (76.8%), SDG16 Peace, justice and strong institutions (75.2%), SDG12 Responsible consumption and product (75.0%), and SDG17 Partnerships for the goals (75.0%).
Knowledge and understanding about SDGs
Student participation in SDGs activities
Education for SDGs in the wider community
Siam University has employed the “Triangle of Living Learning Lab (SU-LLL)” and the “UPC4Local SDGs Action Model” as our learning model for sustainability in the coursework and engagement activities in the communities that are our social living labs. Two initiatives are the “Youth for Community Development Project” supported by Government Savings which we have signed MOU on April 11, 2019 and the U2T (University to Tambon or subdistrict) of Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI) starting in 2022 (see SDG1 and 11). In addition, our Research Center for Community Development (RCCD) has been working with on the “Healthy Space” and “Time Bank” projects for a long time. Recently, on July 2, 2022, Siam University hosted an event with Health Promotion Foundation, Bangkok Metropolitan Authority and Ministry of Social Welfare and Human Security on the “Time Bank of Phasi charoen Project for the Silver Society”. The model will be Jointly developed so that it can be scalable at the National and Regional levels using our district as the living lab.
Hosting “Time Bank of Phasi charoen Project” for the Silver Society Project
See: https://partnership.thaihealth.or.th/?p=4624 and https://www.lokwannee.com/web2013/?p=434245