UNIVERSITY–COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THROUGH THE PHILOSOPHY OF SUFFICIENCY ECONOMY: THE STRATEGIC ROLE OF RAJABHAT UNIVERSITIES IN THAILAND
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Abstract
Rajabhat Universities are recognized as "Universities for Local Development" and are instrumental in advancing sustainable community development in Thailand. Nevertheless, scant attention has been afforded to the role of the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP) as a strategic framework for university-community cooperation and local development. Current research on university-community interaction predominantly emphasizes Western contexts, but the incorporation of SEP into university missions and community engagement methods is insufficiently examined. This study seeks to evaluate the strategic function of Rajabhat Universities in promoting university-community engagement via SEP and to investigate the impact of strategic local development initiatives on sustainable community development. This research utilized documentary analysis using theme content examination. Data were gathered from higher education policy documents, strategic plans of Rajabhat Universities, reports on local development projects, and pertinent scholarly publications. SEP functioned as the analytical framework for elucidating university missions and community engagement activities.
The results demonstrate that Rajabhat Universities facilitate sustainable local development through three interrelated functions: knowledge dissemination, community empowerment, and collaborative network formation. The incorporation of SEP into pedagogy, research, and academic services enhances university-community interaction by fostering participatory learning, community-oriented problem-solving, and local creativity. Moreover, strategic local development initiatives function as effective means for implementing SEP principles into sustainable economic, social, and community development results. This study enhances the literature by illustrating the integration of SEP into university missions to fortify university-community collaboration and promote sustainable local development. The results offer practical insights for higher education institutions and politicians aiming to improve community engagement and sustainability-focused development strategies in Thailand.
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