Khon Kaen University presents its interdisciplinary research progress at the FAR12 conference, launching a national online curriculum to drive Thailand’s creative economy through local festival development.
The university has announced significant progress in the second phase of its landmark research initiative, “Development of a Curriculum for Cultural Festival Innovators Using Fine and Applied Arts Processes to Present Local Values and Diversify Thailand’s Cultural Festivals”. The project team presented its latest milestones at the 12th National and International Academic Conference on Fine and Applied Arts (FAR12) on 7 August 2026.
Asst. Prof. Burin Plengdeesakul, Ph.D., Dean of the Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts and principal investigator, led the presentation, outlining the project’s overarching strategy, methodologies, and achievements across Phase 1 and Phase 2. A primary feature of this phase was the official launch of the “Cultural Festival Innovator” (CFI) online learning platform on 27 July 2026. Within its first week of operation, the platform registered over 700 applicants, with more than 250 learners completing the beginner-level course and 60 progressing through the intermediate module. The project aims to select 20 outstanding participants from the intermediate tier to advance to an intensive higher-level programme. This next stage will pair hands-on workshops led by festival experts with real-world festival curation in local communities.
The research team – comprising Asst. Prof. Pachaya Akapharam, Ph.D., Assoc. Prof. Tharanat Hin-on, Ph.D., and Assoc. Prof. Pongpitthaya Sapaso – elaborated on the Research and Development (R&D) framework underpinning the project. By integrating fine and applied arts with complementary academic fields, the project encourages creators to move beyond traditional artistic boundaries and to apply multidisciplinary knowledge to modern festival management. The event concluded with an interactive forum that brought together public sector representatives, private industry stakeholders, and the general public to exchange perspectives.
Participants commended the CFI curriculum for offering a structured, comprehensive approach to festival organisation and fostering new perspectives among professional festival creators. Meanwhile, public sector agencies voiced strong interest in promoting the CFI platform among government personnel to strengthen local cultural administration across the country.
Closing the session, Jitti Mungkalasiri, Ph.D. – Deputy Director of the Program Management Unit for Human Capital and Technology, Capacity Development, Higher Education, Research and Innovation (PMU-B) – offered strategic insights into the project’s impact. Dr. Mungkalasiri highlighted that combining fine arts research with targeted human resource development is essential for raising the value of local heritage. It also builds the high-potential creative talent needed to support Thailand’s national development strategies.
Further updates on the research initiative are available via the official “Cultural Festival Innovator” Facebook page. Free registration for the online curriculum is open at http://cfi-thailand.com
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