The briefing aimed to align institutional operations and communicate key administrative directions for the upcoming fiscal years amidst shifting landscapes in higher education.
Khon Kaen University, through its Planning Division, organised an official briefing and dissemination session for the revised Khon Kaen University Strategic Administrative Plan (2026–2029) and the Action Plan for Fiscal Year 2027. Associate Professor Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, M.D., President of Khon Kaen University, presided over the ceremony and delivered a keynote address on the university’s corporate driving directions. Assistant Professor Tala Thammaroj, M.D., Vice President for Administration, along with senior executives and Vice Presidents from various portfolios, presented details of the strategic plans and operational directions to relevant personnel and departments. The event took place at the Sarasin Conference Room, 2nd Floor, Sirikunakorn Building, Khon Kaen University, on 26 June 2026.
The primary objective of the meeting was to communicate a shared understanding of the administrative directions under the revised KKU Strategic Administrative Plan (2026–2029), ensuring the institution remains responsive to changing circumstances. The session also served to cascade the details of the Fiscal Year 2027 Action Plan, giving all departments a clear picture of the “Key Changes and Administrative Directions of Khon Kaen University” and the “Concepts for Driving Khon Kaen University.” This shared understanding is expected to support the integration of workflows and the attainment of institutional goals.
Assistant Professor Tala Thammaroj, M.D., Vice President for Administration, detailed the “Key Changes and Administrative Directions of Khon Kaen University during 2027–2029”, highlighting the focus points for Fiscal Year 2027 across four core pillars:
- Academic Excellence and Innovation: Developing new curricula to meet societal and economic demands, with attention to AI, global citizenship, and mental well-being. This pillar also covers the use of advanced technology to support the bioeconomy in Isan 4.0 and the Northeastern Special Economic Zone, alongside frontier research and an innovation environment.
- Optimization of University Resources for Growth and Sustainability: Advancing the transition to a Digital University and building AI literacy across the organisation. This includes improving asset management for revenue generation, adopting an agile HR system to attract high-potential talent, and increasing revenue from research and professional services to commercialise intellectual property.
- Smart Campus and ESG Integration: Integrating ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) principles with smart campus development to advance towards a green university and establish governance standards that exceed general criteria.
- Societal Contribution via Cultural Involvement and Community Integration: Supporting the preservation of Isan culture and delivering academic services focused on actual community needs.
Associate Professor Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, M.D., President of Khon Kaen University, subsequently delivered the concept for “Driving Khon Kaen University during 2027–2029”, emphasizing key focus areas for the 2027 strategic plan:
Education Transformation: Shifting towards a new learning paradigm, introducing the President’s Awards, and establishing the College of Arts and Sciences to nurture undergraduate through doctoral students in digital entrepreneurship and culinary science and technology. The university will also expand international collaborations via double degree programmes and the X@KKU project, increase the proportion of international curricula and students, refine the Net-SAT system, and implement a systematic mental health care framework ranging from early detection to professional care by psychologists and psychiatrists.
Research Transformation: Developing infrastructure and a research environment, establishing institutes and research centres with mechanisms supporting targeted research funds and doctoral scholarships, and linking research with graduate studies and international research networks to support new entrepreneurs under KKU Startup.
Human Resource Management Transformation: Restructuring salary scales and performance evaluations for academic staff, supporting professional staff to attain higher professional positions using actual workplace outputs through competency and performance-based evaluation systems, and building executive capability.
The President also addressed the university’s path towards becoming a High Performing University through the deployment of an institution-wide Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system and business process redesign. This initiative aims to increase revenue from education, medical services from affiliated hospitals, academic services, and enterprise management through KKU Enterprise and various startups. A Pay for Performance (P4P) system will also be implemented to improve overall operational efficiency.
The KKU Strategic Administrative Plan (2026–2029) remains committed to the university’s vision of becoming a “World-Leading Research and Development University” and its role in community engagement. Under its mission as a higher education institution, KKU focuses on education, research, development, and technology transfer to provide academic services and preserve arts and culture. Guided by its four pillars — Academic Excellence and Innovation, Smart Campus and ESG Integration, Optimisation of University Resources for Growth and Sustainability, and Societal Contribution via Cultural Involvement and Community Integration — the university aims to sustain progress in a period of ongoing challenges for Thai higher education.
แผนยุทธศาสตร์การบริหาร มหาวิทยาลัยขอนแก่น พ.ศ. 2569 – 2572
