KKU, PSU, and CMU Exchange Academic Service Best Practices to Drive SDGs and THE Impact Rankings for Sustainable Social Impact

15 September 2026
13:36

Three leading regional universities collaborate under the “Three Powers for the Land” initiative to enhance academic services, evaluate SROI, and drive global sustainability metrics.

Khon Kaen University (KKU), Prince of Songkla University (PSU), and Chiang Mai University (CMU) have advanced their partnership under the “Three Powers for the Land” framework through the 9th Knowledge Exchange Project, part of their Memorandum of Understanding. Held from 10 to 11 September 2026 at The Heritage Grand Khon Kaen Hotel & Convention, the event brought the three universities together to exchange expertise in societal academic services and advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It also aimed to strengthen university operations to generate measurable social impact reflected in THE Impact Rankings.

The KKU delegation was led by Prof. Thidarut Boonmars, D.V.M., Ph.D., Vice President for Enterprise and Societal Sustainability, alongside university representatives and participants from Working Group 3 on Academic Services. Together with representatives from CMU and PSU, the panel worked to improve academic service mechanisms that address community needs while establishing measurable, verifiable outcomes.

The knowledge-sharing sessions covered evaluations of Social Return on Investment (SROI), alignment strategies for the SDGs, and institutional best practices focused on SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure). Delegates engaged in interactive workshops to formulate sustainable social projects and apply SROI methodologies – encompassing stakeholder analysis, outcome identification, and social value mapping – to evaluate project impacts systematically.

Synthesising the findings of Working Group 3, Assoc. Prof. Adisak Tantiworawit, M.D., Vice President for Strategy, Planning and Budgeting at Chiang Mai University, presented key outcomes, strategic frameworks, and collaborative proposals to raise the value and social footprint of university academic services.

A central proposal titled “Uniting Three Universities in Academic Services for Sustainable Society” advocates for knowledge integration, joint project development, and standardised SROI evaluations. This initiative marks a strategic shift in academic services from standard knowledge transfer to deliberately creating measurable outcomes, value, and lasting societal impact across all regions.

This collaboration reinforces the role of higher education institutions in integrating cross-institutional knowledge, resources, and expertise to address local challenges while aligning with international benchmark standards. The “Three Powers for the Land” network also strengthens inter-university cooperation, paving the way for joint regional projects and sustainable national development.

The initiative directly supports SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) through targeted academic service initiatives. Crucially, it exemplifies SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) by building strong institutional synergy among Khon Kaen University, Prince of Songkla University, and Chiang Mai University to achieve long-term, sustainable societal impact.