|
Thai Government Sponsors New University of Maryland
Thai American Business Study Program
College Park, Md. – March 13, 2008
– The University of Maryland’s Robert H.
Smith School of Business today announced
the launch of the Thai American Business
Study Program, sponsored by the Royal
Thai Embassy and the Foreign Ministry of
Thailand. The Smith program is
Thailand’s first partnership with an
American business school and awards a
three-year, $100,000-per-year grant to
create a student club and a course on
U.S.-Thailand/Southeast Asia business
interaction, sponsor student and faculty
exchanges, and support student study
trips to Thailand. The program also
includes plans for Smith to collaborate
with the Thai government and
universities to explore initiatives that
expand business education in Southeast
Asia, including numerous guest speakers
and professional conferences.
“The university thanks the Royal Thai
Embassy for providing our business
students with an authentic exposure to
Thai culture and business practices,”
said University President C.D. Mote Jr.
“The Smith School is very excited that
its students and faculty will have more
opportunities to work and study in
Thailand. This agreement builds on more
than a decade of university partnerships
with Thailand, an increasingly important
economic and cultural force in Southeast
Asia and friend of the University of
Maryland.”
Thai Ambassador Krit
Garnjana-Goonchorn joined Mote, Smith
School Senior Associate Dean G.
Anandalingam, and Smith Associate Dean
for Undergraduate Programs Patricia
Cleveland to kick off the program at the
Smith School yesterday. The event
included a reception and a Thai
classical dancing performance.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to
educate our students about Thailand and,
conversely, share our knowledge with
Thai people, too,” said Cleveland. “The
Smith School strives to offer our
students global experiences, and this
program introduces both undergraduate
and MBA students to the dynamic business
environment in Southeast Asia — a
vitally significant piece of the global
economy.”
The United States continues to be a
global center for business and business
studies while Thailand has been emerging
as a hub for business and business
studies in Southeast Asia. The program
capitalizes on these strengths and
creates a student and faculty exchange
program between Maryland and top Thai
universities and is behind the founding
of a Thai American Club at the Smith
School. Club activities and
program-sponsored study trips to
Thailand for undergraduate and graduate
students will expose Smith and Maryland
students to Thai culture, experiences
and business. The program also provides
a platform for future Thai-based
executive education initiatives — a
Smith School faculty member will attend
the first sponsored trip next January
and present a four-day, non-credit class
to Thai professionals working in the
field of logistics and supply chain
management.
The Thai government initiated a plan
in 2005 to forge educational
collaborations between Thai and American
universities to increase the number of
Thai researchers and encourage
knowledge-sharing. Currently, the
Foreign Ministry of Thailand sponsors
three similar programs at U.S.
universities — Georgetown University,
the University of Michigan and the
University of Wisconsin-Madison — though
no other is solely focused on business.
About the University of Maryland’s
Robert
H. Smith School of Business
The Robert H. Smith School of
Business is an internationally
recognized leader in management
education and research. One of 14
colleges and schools at the University
of Maryland, College Park, the Smith
School offers undergraduate, full-time
and part-time MBA, executive MBA,
executive MS, PhD and executive
education programs, as well as outreach
services to the corporate community. The
school offers its degree, custom and
certification programs in learning
locations on three continents — North
America, Europe and Asia.
|
