Research News

On Monday, 19th June 2023 the Center for International Affairs (CIA) organized a zoom meeting with Prof. Dr. Sepalika Sudhasinghe, Director General, National Science Foundation, (Ministry of Education), Sri Lanka. The objective of this meeting was to continue her wishes to collaborate with Walailak University where Prof. Dr. Sombat Thamrongthanyawong, a current president of Walailak University (WU) has been her inspiration leader since her Ph.D study at the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) in the program of Development Administration specialized in Public Policy Management. Her great success after graduation remind her thought to collaborate with WU in one day, and School of Political Science and Public Administration is the closest to her expertise and self-interest.

The discussion was great in a friendship atmosphere. Honored participants presented at the meeting from Walailak University were Prof. Dr. Wanna Choorit, Acting Vice President and Acting Dean of the School of Political Science and Public Administration, Asst. Prof. Dr. Siriporn Somboonboorana , Mr. Pacharapong Kumjumpa, Miss Natthanan Puenbonthananan, Mr. Maytapat Pararaman and Mrs. Pafun Nilsawas Duhamel, lecturer from the school  while from the CIA side, we had Dr. Chirawat Wattanapanich, Acting Director, Miss Sukanlaya Thavonpon, Administrative officer and Mrs. Jiraporn Kanwan who monitored the meeting.

After the presentation of the two parties, a fruitful discussion brought into several key feasibility of future collaborations. Some possibility was raised by Prof. Dr. Sepalika Sudhasinghe were in the following;

1. Public policy management and analysis
2.Policy formulation
3.Supervisor/ advisor in policy research for Master and PhD
4.Public management
5.Research reviewer
6.Curriculum development
7.Training program for senior executive’s/ government personnel

For Walailak University, a key dimension to collaborate were in the following areas: 
1.Sufficiency economy, Buddhism and labor mobility
2.Economic and tourism in collaboration with the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka (THE-WUR 601-800)
3.Women empowerment
4.Food Security and Anthropocene
5. Internship collaboration, visiting professor, guest lecturer/ speakers

Further details discussion is need to implement the above discussion in real practice.