‘Thammasat’ Hosts a Training to Develop Students with Disabilities in Higher Education
Thammasat University, in collaboration with the Office of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI), organized a training program titled “Project to Promote the Potential Development of Students with Disabilities in Higher Education” at the Social Sciences Building 3, Thammasat University, Rangsit Campus. A network of 31 institutions from across the country participated in the program.
Dr. Pechdao Tohmeena, Advisor to the Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, presided over the opening ceremony. She said that this project is a collaboration between the Office of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, which supports the budget for education for people with disabilities in higher education, and Thammasat University, which is responsible for conducting the training program. The objective is to develop essential skills for learning, living, and working for students with disabilities in higher education. This is important to enhance the potential of students with disabilities and enable them to become quality graduates after completing their studies. Additionally, the project aims to provide opportunities for students with disabilities to exchange knowledge and experiences within the higher education network.
“I sincerely hope that this training program will be the starting point for a sustainable platform for developing the potential of students with disabilities in higher education. It will also serve as a guideline for developing the potential of students with disabilities for the network of universities participating in this training to be strengthened.”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Danupun Visuwan, Vice Rector for Planning and Quality Development of Thammasat University, stated that Thammasat University recognizes the importance of this project. Under the intention of being a university of the people (People University), it is committed to creating educational equality by providing opportunities for all groups in society to be able to study and learn at Thammasat University.
“As a higher education institution, we prioritize the development of our students with disabilities. We offer various training programs and workshops to enhance their skills, under the supervision of the Disability Student Services Center and the Student Affairs Division. Our goal is to produce graduates with disabilities who possess desirable attributes as defined by the university and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We aim to produce quality graduates with disabilities who will be a valuable human resource and a driving force in the development of our country.
During the program, there were relationship-building activities and lectures on interesting topics that provided insights and inspiration, such as ‘Skill Development through Music Therapy Activities’ and ‘Ikigai’ which is to discover self-worth and purposes in life. Additionally, there were lectures on topics that helped promote and develop the potential of students with disabilities, such as ‘Hard skill & Soft skills Development’ and ‘Promoting the Well-being of Students with Disabilities.’
On the last day of the training, there was also a ‘Networking’ activity to exchange knowledge and present approaches to promoting the development of potential for students with disabilities. The host for organizing the project for the following year was also announced.
