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Walailak University (WU) has demonstrated its capacity for world-class education management, with four of its academic programs recently receiving certification under the ASEAN University Network–Quality Assurance (AUN-QA) framework for the first time — reflecting the university's commitment to outcome-based education and its continued drive to bring additional programs through assessment.

Associate Professor Dr. Surin Maisrikrod, Vice President for Education and Corporate Communications, announced that WU has received AUN-QA Certificate accreditation for four programs: the Bachelor of Science Program in Science; the Bachelor of Science Program in Marine Science; the Master of Science Program in Pharmacy and Health Innovation, International Program; and the Bachelor of Business Administration Program in Digital Marketing and Branding.

Dr. Surin said the achievement carries considerable significance for the university, confirming that its education management systems align with quality assurance frameworks recognized across the ASEAN region and internationally. It also stands as concrete evidence that WU delivers Outcome-Based Education (OBE) — incorporating feedback from stakeholders and industry partners and continuously refining its teaching and learning processes through the PDCA quality cycle. He added that the certification is expected to build confidence among students, employers, and international partner institutions, while creating further opportunities for student and staff exchange.

Dr. Surin explained that AUN-QA certification represents one of four interconnected pillars behind the university's pursuit of international recognition. Alongside AUN-QA accreditation, Walailak University has adopted the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF) to strengthen the quality of its teaching faculty, is working to improve its standing in world-class university rankings and is expanding student and staff mobility while growing its research output in Scopus-indexed Q1 and Q2 journals.

"Together, these four factors complete the picture of Walailak University's drive toward international recognition," Dr. Surin said.

"Looking ahead, the university has a policy of supporting all programs to undergo AUN-QA assessment, with a plan to submit at least eight programs a year for review," Dr. Surin said. " The Division of Educational Quality Assurance under the Center for Learning and Teaching Excellence will take the lessons and best practices from these four certified programs as a model, sharing experience and knowledge with the next group of programs before they apply for assessment — to sustainably raise Walailak University's education quality to international standards."

Associate Professor Dr. Apirak Payaka, Assistant to the President for Educational Quality Assurance, added that the AUN-QA Version 4.0 assessment covers three core dimensions — input quality, process quality, and output quality — evaluated across eight standard criteria. All four of the university's programs were rated at least "Adequate as Expected" on every criterion, he said, reflecting a strong and consistent program administration system that fully and consistently meets the assessment criteria.

"The results reflect clear strengths across the university, particularly in facilities and infrastructure, where three of our undergraduate programs scored as high as level 5 — demonstrating that our laboratories, equipment, and information technology systems exceed the expected standard, rated 'Better Than Adequate," Dr. Apirak said. "We also have strengths in student support services, in teaching and learning approaches that emphasize active learning, and in student assessment systems that are fair, diverse, and aligned with expected learning outcomes."

AUN-QA — the ASEAN University Network-Quality Assurance — is a regional network for higher education quality assurance established to build mechanisms and raise the standard of education across member universities, ensuring comparable quality that is internationally recognized. Walailak University's certification under this framework reaffirms its commitment to advancing toward excellence in international-standard education, positioning the university to compete on the global stage.