On 6 August 2026, Khon Kaen University participated in the “Thailand University Presidential Forum 2026” held at the Centara Grand at Central Plaza Ladprao, Bangkok. Professor Yottana Wongswat, Ph.D., Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, presided over the forum, themed “Transforming Thailand, Transforming Universities with AI.” Professor Supachai Pathumnakul, Ph.D., Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, welcomed representatives from the Ministry, public and private sectors, and executive leaders from prominent universities nationwide.
During the forum, Associate Professor Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, M.D., President of Khon Kaen University, delivered a keynote presentation entitled “University Data in Action: AI-Driven Curriculum and Executive Data Analytics for Universities of the Future.” In addition, Assistant Professor Denpong Soodphakdee, Ph.D., Vice President for Education and Digital, was invited to present a model case study, titled “Program Landscape: KKU Curriculum Platform,” on implementing policy into practice. The innovation garnered significant interest from participating institutions, leading KKU to release the platform as an open-source initiative, free of charge to all Thai universities.
Associate Professor Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, M.D., President of Khon Kaen University, stated that KKU prioritises AI-driven transformation, given that graduates must operate in an increasingly AI-integrated professional environment. He observed that higher education institutions are no longer the primary drivers of technological innovation, as large corporate enterprises invest heavily and rapidly advance AI capabilities. Consequently, universities must continuously adapt their curricula to remain relevant.
“Curricula are traditionally revised every five years; however, a five-year cycle is insufficient in the modern era. Universities require continuous data reflecting global trends and current curriculum performance. Khon Kaen University developed an AI-powered curriculum analytics system that integrates data across all university dimensions – including academic structures, student progress, teaching workloads, and financial metrics – by linking with the institutional ERP and external databases. The resulting ‘Program Landscape: KKU Curriculum Platform’ enables systematic curriculum evaluation to keep pace with rapid global changes,” said the President.
Assistant Professor Denpong Soodphakdee, Ph.D., Vice President for Education and Digital, explained that the Program Landscape platform was designed to foster data-driven education. It provides administrators and programme directors with a comprehensive overview of academic offerings. The platform consolidates student enrolment, course structures, teaching loads, and learning outcomes. This enables academic units to identify strengths, target areas for enhancement, and align educational delivery with 21st-century learner requirements and societal needs.
“Every programme must evaluate its readiness for the AI era. As the global employment landscape shifts rapidly, universities must possess accurate data on course content, skill acquisition, and labour market alignment to plan timely, targeted curriculum improvements,” Assistant Professor Soodphakdee added. He noted that the system originated from the University Council’s request for a complete structural “landscape” of KKU’s academic offerings. The development team integrated datasets from the Registrar’s Office, Finance Office, teaching evaluations, TCAS admissions, and emerging global research trends to assess risk factors across 297 academic programmes. This process identified courses at risk of obsolescence or AI displacement. Following KKU’s open-source release, Chiang Mai University, Prince of Songkla University, and King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi have piloted the system. Plans are also underway to integrate the platform into national quality assurance frameworks.
Dr Orachun Udomkasemsab, Head of the Educational Technology Development and Integration Unit at King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, noted that the platform’s embedded analytical logic and open-source codebase enabled seamless adaptation using institutional data. Associate Professor Usanee Kumpakdee, Vice President of Chiang Mai University, shared that her institution built upon KKU’s framework to launch “Curriculum Insight,” linking registry, course recommendation, and quality assurance databases to monitor programme health and graduate employability. Meanwhile, Assistant Professor Takerng Wongsirichot, Ph.D., Vice President for Academic and International Affairs at Prince of Songkla University, highlighted that KKU’s initiative serves as a practical model for consolidating scattered institutional data to enhance administrative reporting efficiency.
The presentation of the Program Landscape platform at the Thailand University Presidential Forum 2026 underscores Khon Kaen University’s leadership in leveraging artificial intelligence and integrated data management for higher education administration. By sharing this technology and expertise without charge, KKU actively strengthens the capacity of Thailand’s higher education sector to adapt sustainably to the demands of the AI era.
