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(Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education, March 27, 1998) 1.2 Thai Students in the U.S.: The U.S. has always been the favorite destination of Thai students seeking higher education degrees. Since at least 1960, Thai students have contributed significantly to the Asian presence on American campuses. For the past thirty years, Thailand has been one of the top 15 providers of foreign students studying in the U.S. According to Open Doors, IIE's annual report on international educational exchange, during the 1996-1997 academic year, there were 457,984 foreign students attending U.S. colleges and universities, up from 453,787 in 1995-1996 academic year. The largest number of international students enrolled in U.S. higher education institutions come from Asia. In 1996-1997 academic year, there were 260,743 students (57% of total international students) from Asian countries. Of this number, there were 13,481 Thai students studying at U.S. educational institutions, an increase of almost 11% from a year earlier. Scoring the highest growth rate, Thailand overtook Indonesia as the eighth largest sender of foreign students. Table 2 shows Thailand=s position among the leading places of origin of students in the U.S. Table 2: Leading Places of Origin of Students in the U.S.
(Source: Institute of International Education, Open Doors 1996/1997) 1.3 What Thai Students Study in the U.S.: According to Open Doors 1996/1997, more than half of the Thai students at U.S. universities are studying at graduate level. There are 8,373 students at graduate level; 3,806 at undergraduate level; and 1,302 in other category such as certificate, diploma, etc. As shown in Table 3, Business continues to be the most popular field of study among Thai students, followed by Engineering.
Table 3: What Thai Students Study in the U.S.
* Includes fields such as general studies, communications and law (Source: Institute of International Education, Open Doors 1996/1997)
1.4 Thai Students and English: The official language of Thailand is Thai. At present, in public schools, English is taught as an elective from the elementary grades onwards. In many private schools it is taught as a compulsory foreign language from first grade. There is an on-going debate of when English should be taught in public schools. The English-learning population has been rapidly increasing. At higher education level, with the exception of some international courses which are conducted in English, the media of instruction is Thai. Thais have less facility in English compared to people in neighboring countries. The average score of TOEFL among Thais is 494, among the lowest in the Asian region along with the Japanese (499). However, with Thai economy becoming part of global economy, English has become an indispensable requirement for those working or interested in business as well as other fields. Until July 1997, the number of Thai students who participate in intensive English programs (IEP) was on the increase in the U.S. as well as in U.K., Australia and Canada. In the U.S., Thailand ranked third among the leading home places of IEP students. II. IMPACT OF ECONOMIC CRISIS ON THAILAND=S HIGHER EDUCATION AND ON THAI STUDENTS: Since the onset of Thailand=s economic crisis in July 1997, which led Asia into its eight-month-old economic crisis, the economic down-turn has not only ruined many adults= hopes for a prosperous economic future but has hit the educational futures of many youngsters as well. Although this paper will not discuss Thailand=s economic crisis in details, it will address several issues as background for discussion on direct and indirect impact of economic crisis on Thailand=s higher education as well as the impact on Thai students. Experts give various explanations to the causes of economic crisis in the Asia region. But most agreed that the region=s financial distress is caused by the misallocation of cheap foreign capital to mainly speculative assets, projects of dubious value and the creation of excess capacity in the automobile and petrochemical industries, and in the property sector. These were considered economic wastage. For Thailand, the primary objective of the rescue package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is to shore up central bank reserves drained by the sustained but unsuccessful bid to defend the Baht prior to the Baht managed flotation in July 1997. The results are government budget cuts, raising of value-added tax (VAT) from 7% to 10%, causing rising prices in consumer goods, reduced social services, and more unemployment. Corporate bankruptcies cause unemployment to soar. In Thailand, unemployment is expected to rise from 1.3 million to almost three million people by the end of 1998. The economic meltdown, or as called ABubble Burst Syndrome@ by some, has caused hardship to Thailand=s higher education as well as Thai students. It is expected that it will take at least six more months of hardship and pain, with further bankruptcies, layoffs, and rising prices, before things hit bottom and turn around. The good news is that experts believe that Thailand=s approach to the crisis is producing results. Although it will take some time for Thailand to bounce back from the slump, there are signs showing that Thailand will be soon on the road to recovery. This is due mostly to Thailand=s demonstration that it will stick with the IMF=s tough rehabilitation program. Confidence among investors has returned. The Baht value is somewhat stabilized. Stocks are doing better. Thailand has abundant natural resources and a long tradition of export orientation. With Thailand=s great labor-market flexibility, it is expected that the export sector will recover quite soon. On the political front, the Thais have taken a big step toward ending money politics and endemic corruption. It is believed that the new Constitution which was passed just before the economic crisis will bring into public life less corrupt and more professional politicians. The financial system is also getting an overhaul.
2.1 Impact on Higher Education: The government=s financial collapse led to 4 budget cuts which affected all ministries. Although the Ministry of University Affairs (MUA) confirmed that there is no change in policies under the Eighth National Higher Education Plan, due to budget cuts, almost all projects have been postponed or scaled-back. The development of a quality assurance system has slowed down. The government banned civil servants including faculty members from traveling abroad, and scholarships, short-term training, and participation in international academic fora have all been curtailed. Both University Network (UniNet) and Information Technology (IT) Campus Projects have been delayed. Realizing that many students abroad would be forced to return home and will seek to attend compatible programs in Thailand, either temporarily or permanently, MUA has urged both public and private universities to expand their international education programs. To give students and parents an opportunity to explore Thailand=s international education programs, the AInternational Program Fair@ was organized by MUA on February 25, 1998. Thailand=s international programs currently have capacity to absorb up to 7,253 students into both undergraduate and graduate programs. However, Thailand=s international education is not yet able to meet the needs of students and parents both in terms of quantity and quality. The MUA also encourages all forms of collaboration between Thai and foreign higher education institutions. It is expected that joint-degree programs will increase substantially in response to the needs of students and parents for international education programs in the homeland.
2.2 Responses to Impact of Economic Crisis on Thai Students: Thai students continue to look forward to education overseas, and many are expecting secure futures as a result. However, such hopes and expectations have almost vanished following the hard-hitting economic slump. What should be done about it? What should we do to keep the education hopes of the Thai younger generation alive while dealing with economic realities? What hope do students currently attending educational programs abroad have in completing their study? Several approaches have been launched by different parties to assist current and new students. Thai Government, through the OCSC, has asked higher education institutions in countries where Thai scholarship students are studying to provide assistance to Thai students. Several responses were received from the U.S., U.K., Australian, Japanese and Canadian governments. In the U.S., beside direct responses from universities and colleges, additional responses were received as follows: - The Fulbright Scholarship Program provides additional 6 scholarships to Thai students for the freshman year. It is expected that Thailand will soon recover from financial slump, and OCSC would be able to provide funding for these six students to complete their study in the U.S. - During his March 1998 visit to the U.S., Thailand=s Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai received a pledge from U.S. President Bill Clinton that the U.S. government would give 165 scholarships, one for each of the years of friendly relation between the two countries. The scholarships, worth $3 million, are earmarked to increase student flows of Thai students to study in the U.S. - On March 12, the Association of International Educators (NAFSA) received pledges of support from Unocal Corporation and the Starr Foundation for a program to aid students from Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines in completing their studies. The ASEAN Student Assistance Award Program (ASAAP), scheduled to begin in the 1998/99 academic year, will provide grants of $2,000-$5,000 to U.S. higher education institutions on behalf of students they nominate for the program. All awards will be tied to matching funds from the institutions and community. The program will focus on upper division undergraduates and MA students enrolled at accredited four-year institutions. - On March 13, Deputy Under Secretary of State Stuart Eizenstat announced that the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) will have a temporary change in the regulations to permit Asian students adversely impacted by the Asian economic crisis to reduce their course load and to be able to work additional hours so that they don=t have to be full-time students in order to work and support themselves. The regulation change became effective in May 1998. - On April 28, IIE announced a $7.75 million initiative supported by the Freeman Foundation, called ASIA-HELP (Asian Students in America - Higher Education Loan Program). Through ASIA-HELP, up to 1,000 students from Thailand, Korea, Indonesia and Malaysia will receive zero-interest loans of $2,000-$5,000 to help them complete their undergraduate or MA degrees at U.S. colleges and universities. These loans must be matched by funds from the host campus and other sources. The Thai government (and the governments of the other three participating countries) will each be invited to nominate an additional 50 students per year for two years to receive loans of up to $10,000 (matched by loans or grants from the home country, host campus or other sources) to complete their officially-sponsored degree programs in the U.S.
III. NEW DIRECTIONS OF THAILAND=S HIGHER EDUCATION AND THAI STUDENTS BEYOND THE CURRENT ECONOMIC CRISIS YEARS: Thais are known to be survivors. Most Thais believe that with hard work and determination, even during hard times yet to come, they will weather the country=s economic troubles. On the higher education front, with increasing pledges of assistance, the immediate future for Thai students does not look as gloomy as just a few months ago. However, with or without the economic crisis, the paradigm in Thailand=s higher education has shifted, opening prospects for new international education partnerships. Below are outlined several new directions in Thailand=s higher education now opening. It is hoped that U.S. higher education institutions will identify areas for cooperation and collaboration, and take this unique opportunity to get more directly involved in Thailand=s higher education future. 3.1 Higher Education Reform: The Commission on Thailand=s Education in the Era of Globalization: Toward National Progress and Security in the Next Century, a special non-governmental commission was set up in 1996 as a think tank to explore prospects of a desirable future for Thailand and the educational strategies needed to achieve it. The commission is a new form of private initiative in education that has made an unprecedented effort in identifying critical policy issues for national educational development. The commission=s report described the successful educational reform in present-day Thailand as requiring a new paradigm of thought in which families, religious institutions, business establishments, mass-media enterprises, and non-governmental organizations must be brought into a holistic view of lifelong educational process. It is an Aeducation-for-all@ and also Aall-for-education@ way of educational thinking. This far-reaching goal requires two major strategic components: the reform of learning, and the reform of management. This paper will discuss both strategic components only in relation to higher education. a) The strategies for reform of learning in higher education include enhancing international competitiveness, with establishment of technology extension centers, a research network and a comprehensive research training program in basic science areas, social sciences and humanities; enrichment of post-graduate study programs in higher education institutions through networking arrangements with other educational institutions, business sectors and academic institutions; and improvement of academic programs in higher education institutions by strengthening the general education component with emphasis on enhancing analytical skills and broadening cultural and global perspectives of students. Greater emphasis is on an experience-based program of specialized study to ensure the practicality and applicability of the curriculum. b) The strategies for reform of management in higher education include re-engineering of administrative systems and practices; reform of the higher education budgeting system and personnel management system; and creation of a networking and cooperative arrangements with private enterprises, as well as foreign academic institutions, as a means to enhance their teaching and research programs. It should be noted that foreign educational institutions are welcome to provide consultancy in all aspects of both strategies.
3.2 A Growth in ALocally-made@ International Degree Programs or Joint International Degree Programs: Foreign institutions will have more opportunities to play a role in Thailand=s higher education. The aim would be to provide a more cost effective way of delivering higher education at the international level for students in Thailand. There are several collaborative projects being developed with U.S. higher education institutions. Most of the U.S. institutions active in Thailand are working with Thai universities to set up or expand academic faculties, and training faculty members, i.e. professors from University of Oregon are now helping Kasetsart University to establish a master=s program in business administration. In addition to what has been described above, several U.S. universities are collaborating with Thai business community to establish English-language universities. The new institution that the University of Connecticut has been helping to develop is to be called Sinirsiam International University. It is expected to open in a year to offer mainly English-language training. Undergraduate programs in business, communications, engineering, and liberal arts, as well as a master=s program in business administration will be added later. Duke University is also assisting the development of an English-language university, to be called the Asian International University, in Thailand. There is therefore more room for collaboration between Thai and foreign institutions than ever before. Information on collaboration regulations is available through the MUA=s International Cooperation Division and the Bureau of Private Higher Education.
3.3 New Opportunity for Community Colleges: Thailand has also recognized a growing need for vocational training. A few years ago, the University Foundation of Thailand, a policy group, sent a delegation to visit U.S. community colleges. The California system is now helping the MUA to establish a network of eight community colleges, where all instruction is to be in English. The first college opened last summer and enrolled about 200 students in intensive English-language classes. A special curriculum is being developed for students who hope to transfer to a university after two years.
3.4 State Universities to Become Independent: In response to the IMF bailout package restricting government spending, all state universities will become independent as Anon-government-owned@ or Apublic universities@ over the next five years. Under the program, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank have agreed to lend money to Thailand to restructure the higher education system. The government budget allocations to the country=s 20 state universities will be halted. Instead, the concerned universities will receive government subsidies (or block grants) which will be less than previous state funding. This means that each university will have to increase the tuition fees, which may double the current rate to make up the shortfall. Each university will be free to build up and make use of its property for commercial purposes in order to obtain necessary revenue for educational promotion and curriculum development. This change should see increase in competition among universities to provide better education programs to attract students. Value-added components such as courses taught by foreign faculty, international programs, and Asandwich@ degree programs should become in demand.
3.5 Growth in Study-abroad and Exchange Programs in Thailand: As a way to increase competitiveness as well as in response to internationalization of their campus and programs, universities will be more aggressive in promoting Thailand as study-abroad destination. According to Open Doors 1996/1997, only 189 U.S. students went to Thailand and earned academic credit there in 1994-1995, and 207 students went in 1996-1997, an increase of 9.5%. Collaboration between Thai and U.S. institutions to develop more study-abroad and exchange programs will certainly be enhanced. IIE=s Academic Year Abroad 1998/99 lists 11 semester/year long study abroad programs in Thailand for U.S. students, and Vacation Study Abroad 1998/99 lists 7 shorter programs.
3.6 Increase in Innovative Learning Technology: In order to increase visibility of international education on campuses, arrangements such as distance education programs, employing advanced communication technologies such as satellites and computer networks; individual distance tutorials; special Asandwich@ degree programs with in-country universities, etc. will be promoted. It is a good opportunity for U.S. institutions to find partner Thai institutions to launch innovative learning technology.
3.7 An International Research Collaboration: To tackle the severe shortage of highly qualified researchers in the country, the Thailand Research Fund (TRF) in cooperation with MUA and the National Science and Technology Development Agency is launching an innovative program to support production of 25,000 international quality research work and Ph.D. graduates in the next 25 years. The government approved the project in 1996 as a program to commemorate His Majesty the King=s Golden Jubilee year, hence the project is called AThe Royal Golden Jubilee Ph.D. Project.@ Grants are being allocated to potential Ph.D. advisors in some 150 doctorate programs in 18 Thai universities. To encourage the internationalization of the program, the potential Ph.D. advisors are seeking their research collaborators in recognized universities abroad. This is a good opportunity for U.S. researchers to make trips to Thailand to give lectures and co-advise dissertation research, and to allow Thai Ph.D. candidates to have experience in graduate studies and research in the collaborators= institution for up to 12 months.
3.8 Regional Collaboration: Thailand and her ASEAN counterparts are also actively exploring ways to enhance educational collaboration in the Asian region. In his article on ALearning a Lesson from ASEAN=s Economic Woes,@ Amornwit Nakornthap suggested that ASEAN countries could jointly develop a ARegional Human Resources Development (HRD) Scheme@ in which joint degree, distance education, and student exchange programs can be pursued. He noted that many ASEAN members such as Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Brunei have been internationalizing their higher education. Other ASEAN countries such as Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar would soon join this endeavor. With such cooperation, it may prove three to four times less expensive than buying education from the U.S., Europe or Australia. More importantly, Nakornthap proposed, it would be a good thing to have educated regional citizens learning to understand and trust each other.
CONCLUSION Thailand has been hit hard by the current economic crisis. But by most measures it is making a steady recovery. The economic crisis has had an immense impact on Thailand=s higher education and on Thai students at home and abroad. With assistance Thai students will hopefully soon be availing themselves of education abroad again in increasing numbers. However, we have to look beyond the current economic crisis to see that Thailand=s higher education is now going through a fundamental paradigm shift, that was already under way before the economic crisis, and will certainly accelerate in the period of economic recovery. While Thai students will continue to go abroad for education, there will be more options for them in the country as the education system is reformed and reorganized. U.S. higher education institutions should see the opportunities to position themselves as partners in this new Thai higher education system. Whenever there is change, there are always opportunities for those who are willing to be more creative and do not adhere to only Abusiness as usual@ approaches. With this attitude, we all can help forge the collaboration in higher education between Thailand and U.S. institutions in a more meaningful way.
REFERENCES - Desruisseaux, P., Economic Crisis in Asia: the Impact on Enrollment in 4 Countries, in The Chronicle of Higher Education, March 27,1998. - Educational Testing Service, TOEFL: Test and Score Data Summary, 1996-1997 edition. - Institute of International Education, Open Doors 1996/1997. - Institute of International Education, Recruitment Guide for Thailand, 1998. - Lawley, Meridith & Blight, Dennis, International Students: Reasons for Choice of an Overseas Study Destination, research paper presented to the 11th Australian International Education Conference, 1997. - Ministry of University Affairs, Thai Higher Education in Brief, 1996. - Ministry of University Affairs, International Programs in Thai Higher Education Institutions, 1997. - Ministry of University Affairs, Thai Higher Education Policies in the Eight Plan (1997-2001). - Nakornthap, Amornwit, ALearning a Lesson from ASEAN=s Economic Woes@, in the Bangkok Post, March 7, 1998. - The Chronicle of Higher Education website, http:// chronicle.com - The Commission on Thailand=s Education in the Era of Globalization: Towards National Progress and Security in the Next Century, Thai Education in the Era of Globalization: Vision of a Learning Society, 1996. - Interview with Dr. Chantavit Sujatanond, Director, Bureau of Private Higher Education, Ministry of University Affairs. - Interview with Ms. Porntip Kanjananiyot, Director, International Cooperation Division, Ministry of University Affairs. - Interview with Ms. Kanda Vajarabhaya, Director, Education and Training Abroad Branch, Office of the Civil Service Commission. - Interview with Ms. Doris Wibunsin, Executive Director, NTU/Thailand.
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