The joint initiative deepens academic cooperation, turns university research into practical applications, and strengthens the development of agricultural personnel to meet the sector’s future challenges.
On 28 September 2026, the Faculty of Agriculture at Khon Kaen University (KKU), in collaboration with the Regional Agricultural Extension Office 4 (Khon Kaen Province), hosted the “Agricultural Extension Academic Open House 2026”. Organised under the academic cooperation framework for education, research, and agricultural extension between the Department of Agricultural Extension (DOAE) and Khon Kaen University, the event was staged in Room 5101, AG 05 Building, and the Khun Sap Khun Panya Building at the Faculty of Agriculture. It brought together 100 participants, including faculty members, DOAE personnel from across the Northeastern region, researchers, KKU agriculture students, and local farmers from Khon Kaen Province.
The event provided an academic platform for knowledge exchange between higher education institutions and government agencies. Its objectives were to apply agricultural knowledge, technology, and innovation for the benefit of the sector; to disseminate research findings and innovations for practical use; to transfer modern agricultural technologies from KKU to farmers and extension personnel; and to promote the curricula and research achievements of both organisations.
The programme included a video presentation on the achievements of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Department of Agricultural Extension and Khon Kaen University. Its centrepiece was an academic panel discussion entitled “The Future of Thai Agriculture through Public–Academic Collaboration”. Panellists included Associate Professor Darunee Jothityangkoon, PhD, Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at Khon Kaen University; Mr Kamol Sophat, Director of the Regional Agricultural Extension Office 4 (Khon Kaen Province); Acting Sub-Lieutenant Yuparatt Panomprom, Senior Professional Agricultural Extension Officer at the Khon Kaen Provincial Agricultural Extension Office; and Ms Piyamart Saensunon, Chairperson of the Asparagus Large-Plot Farmers Group, Village No. 8, Wang Sawab Subdistrict, Phu Pha Man District, Khon Kaen Province. Mr Pongsatorn Nampila, Human Resource Officer (Practitioner Level) at the Regional Agricultural Extension Office 4, moderated the session.
During the discussion, Associate Professor Darunee Jothityangkoon, PhD, Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, said it was a great honour and pleasure to welcome the Director of the Regional Agricultural Extension Office 4, agricultural extension officers, representatives from various provinces, faculty members, and students. She noted that Khon Kaen University plays a vital role in agricultural development through its four core missions: education to develop personnel for the sector, research to inform teaching and academic service, academic service to society, and the preservation of arts and culture.
Turning to collaboration between KKU and agencies under the DOAE, the Dean explained that university knowledge had long been applied in the agricultural sector informally, but without a structured framework. That changed in 2022, when the signing of an MOU turned the relationship into a formal partnership and marked a significant milestone in linking academic knowledge directly to agricultural extension practice. Human resource development remains a central pillar of this collaboration. The Faculty of Agriculture has adapted its graduate production models to industry demands, while continuously building the capabilities of DOAE personnel nationwide through master’s and doctoral degree programmes and non-degree certificate courses.
“Today’s event marks the renewal of our initial four-year MOU framework. Our goal continues to focus on exchanging knowledge between the Faculty of Agriculture and the Department of Agricultural Extension, using real challenges encountered in field operations to jointly develop practical, actionable solutions,” Associate Professor Jothityangkoon said. She added that agriculture faces multifaceted challenges ahead, including shifting farmer demographics, an ageing farming population, rapid technological change, and the intensifying impacts of climate change. Agricultural personnel must therefore keep adapting and strengthening their competencies.
Mr Kamol Sophat, Director of the Regional Agricultural Extension Office 4 (Khon Kaen Province), emphasised that the office prioritises academic collaboration with Khon Kaen University. When the previous MOU term ended, joint working committees of DOAE officials and KKU faculty were formed to draft and refine the new framework so that collaboration could continue uninterrupted. Under the initial agreement, 53 DOAE officers pursued advanced studies at KKU: 49 at master’s level and four at doctoral level. The renewed partnership is expected to see more early-career personnel continue their education at KKU, alongside initiatives that support Young Farmer groups in studying at the Faculty of Agriculture.
“Human development remains our ultimate objective,” Mr Sophat affirmed, noting that while the DOAE’s primary duty is to transfer knowledge to farmers, KKU’s strength lies in generating knowledge, research, technology, and innovation that can be put to work in the field. He pointed to the Young Smart Farmer programme as a success story: with support from Associate Professor Yos Borisutdhi, PhD, lecturer in Agricultural Extension and Development, academic guidance, research, and technology have driven the steady progress of young farmers across the Northeast.
The Open House also showcased the outcomes of academic collaboration between the Regional Agricultural Extension Office 4 and KKU, such as a joint research project with the Department of Animal Science to reduce feed costs in cricket farming – a key innovation in insect protein production. The event closed with academic exhibitions of achievements under the joint MOU and a Farmers’ Market, which offered a lively space for transferring technology and research to end users and the public.
