Thammasat University has the commitment of providing meaningful education around SDGs issues for all students across the university through General Education Courses (GE Courses). The GE Courses of Thammasat aim at educating all Thammasat Students to be ready for the 21st Century, and having characteristics of GREATS, i.e. Global mindset, Responsibility, Eloquence, Aesthetic, Team leader, and Sprit of Thammasat (democracy, justice and social dedication).
SDGs in general and aspects of Education for Sustainable Development have been embedded in Thammasat GE Courses since the 2013 curriculum and revised again in the 2018 curriculum, each curriculum covers 5-year period (2018-2022).
The followings are the GE courses that provide education on SDGs as well as Education for Sustainable Development.
Course Titles
Its relation to SDGs and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
TU100 Civic Engagement
SDG 4.7 and ESD on Global Citizenship Education (all issues)
TU101 Thailand, ASEAN, and the World
SDG 4.7 and ESD on Global Citizenship Education (Cultural diversity and tolerance, Human Rights, Peace and anti-violence)
TU109 Innovation and Entrepreneurial Mindset
SDG 4.4, 8.3
TU103 Life and Sustainability
SDG in general, ESD on GCED and ESD (gender equality, human rights, climate change, environmental sustainability, human survival and wellbeing, Sustainable Consumption and Production.
TU312 Social project and campaign
SDG 4.7
TU143 Man and Environment
SDG 4.7 and ESD (climate change, environmental sustainability, Sustainable Consumption and Production)
AE106 Sustainability of Natural Resources and Energy
SDG 4.7 and ESD (climate change, environmental sustainability, Sustainable Consumption and Production)
TU Law Centre cooperates with the Clear and Create Foundation in establishing the “Debt Resolution for the Public” project which gives legal consultation and advice about debt problems to the general public via online channels or via phone calls.
This project is also a volunteer program for law students to give advice via online channels or via phone calls to help the project participants find a way to lighten or restructure their debt. The volunteer students also have a chance to work with professional lawyers and paralegals.
TU Law Centre organizes academic discussions and seminars with lecturers who are experts from various fields from government organizations, private sectors, independent organizations, and university faculty for them to comment and discuss on controversial issues in society or on law enforcement issues. The aims are to make the participants understand various views on the legal issues that happen in the society and to serve as a guideline on access to justice. Participants who suffer from legal issues related to the discussion topic can ask the lecturer for a general guideline.
Examples of academic discussions organized by TU Law Centre:
August 17, 2019 — TU Law Centre and Civil Law Centre of the Faculty of Law, Thammasat University organized an academic discussion on the subject “Legal lesson learned from the 2010 accident case on Uttaraphimuk Elevated Tollway” between 09.00-12.00 at the Marut Bunnag court simulation room, Faculty of Law, Thammasat University Tha Prachan Campus.
More details at https://www.law.tu.ac.th/seminar_tollway_accident_17august19/
Read the summary at https://www.law.tu.ac.th/seminar_tollway_accident_summary/
Other academic seminars/discussions organized by TU Law Centre are as follows:
In 2018
1. Academic seminar on “Contract Agriculture and the Development of Thai Farmers”
Thammasat University is committed to full inclusion of people with disabilities to maximise their ability and opportunity for full participation at the university. According to the notification on “Disability and Reasonable Accommodation” policy, Thammasat University Notification on Disability and Reasonable Accommodation Policy, every student with disabilities in the university who wants to stay in the university dormitory will be arranged into the dormitory without any exception. The students were also able to request a helping buddy or volunteer staff to stay with them in the dormitory.
The Property and Sports Management, who is the agency that manages the university dormitories, will allocate rooms to all students with disabilities. The University gives students with disabilities the freedom to choose their roommate to serve as a buddy or assistance volunteer within the dormitory and a privilege to occupy the room without entering the dormitory “room reservation” process with other students. ข้อมูลการจองหอพักเพื่อศูนย์บริการนักศึกษาพิการ (DSS Facebook)
For dormitory applications at the Rangsit Campus, students can apply online and fill out your details through online registration. Disabled students can fill out the dormitory reservation form with the necessary information so that the appropriate dormitories could be allocated for them.
Students can specify their gender (Gender) according to their preference, and this will not affect the selection process. However, the office will assign dormitories based on the student’s biological gender.
Scholarship to cover the cost of room and board
The admission program also provides scholarships to students in need. Each year the service center gives around 25 scholarships with 55,000 baht ( approx. US$ 1,600) per year which could cover the cost of room and board, depending on the type of scholarship and the terms & conditions.
Equipped facilities with assistive devices
Every student with disabilities who wants to stay in the campus will be arranged into the dormitory without any exception. Buddy or volunteer staff (by request) as well as assistive devices matching with their disabilities will be allocated to them.
Disability Support Services (DSS) Center together with Property and Sports Management had made the additional Improvements in the dormitory such as holding rails in bathroom, kitchen sink and closet. Various parts of the Asian Games Dormitory Building – C8 have renovated the bathrooms, kitchen sink, closet accordingly and rebuild the two ramps.
The rooms are allocated in the full equipped facilities building for the disabilities. Every student with disabilities in Thammasat has the rights to every assistive device they need. Everyone will receive a laptop computer and a voice recorder. Each student also receives the devices according to their needs. For a blind student, they will receive the white cane. For students with visual impairments, they receive an image enlarging devices. For students with mobility impairment, they can borrow both normal and electric wheelchairs to use for the whole time they study in the university and then return when they graduated. For the students with hearing disability, there are hearing and speaking aids and they also can request a class coordinator from the service center to help communicate with the faculty staff and the teachers. The center also takes care of the maintenance cost of all the devices.
Among all students with disabilities, the students with visual impairment are the group that may experience more difficulties comparing to other groups. Hence, the university has organized several groups of volunteers to produce learning materials for visually impaired students as well as to read books for them. The materials include e-books, audiobooks and braille books for class materials or textbooks.
Volunteers are invited and recruited through Facebook, LINE, and banners advertised around the campus area. The volunteers will receive a free lunch, receive the community service hours, and can choose a date and time as convenient to them. Those who are good in typing will rewrite the class materials or textbook in braille. Those who are good in reading will read and produce audiobooks for visually impaired students.
Thammasat University is regarded as the first higher education institution to establish “Students with Disabilities Project” to expand educational opportunities for people with disabilities to receive equal education. Thammasat has established Disability Support Services (DSS) Center to ensures that Thammasat is an accessible, equitable, and inclusive learning and living environments for all students with disabilities.
The key access schemes for students with disabilities are such as:
1. Pre-university counseling program, admission and course registration
In addition to the key support and services and accessible facilities that the DSS center at Thammasat University provided, the center has organized a mentoring program called “Pre-university Preparation Program for Students with Disabilities” support and access schemes to help students with disabilities to prepare themselves prior to attending the university. The skills require in their daily life such as using all assistive devices and instructional materials, learning equipment, supporting technologies, accessing to all facilities and dormitory are essential. The “Preparation Program for Students with Disabilities” include the orientation on all university’s facilities, coordinate with faculties, courses registration, how to use learning equipment, computers, internet, audiobooks, how to read braille from computer screens and other electronic supports, and most importantly, what are the facilities, support and services available at the Disability Support Services (DSS) Center.
2. Scholarships, grants, internships, and career mentoring
The students with disabilities that have the disability identification card will receive up to 60,000 baht from the government and up to 70,000 baht if the student study in science-related fields. The money will be used directly only for study fees that the students registered in each year.
The admission program also provides scholarships to students in need. Each year the service center gives around 25 scholarships with 55,000 baht ( approx. US$ 1,600) per year. The students don’t have to pay back to the university, they only have to check in with the service center at least once a week in the first few months and then once a month for the rest of the study years. These check-in session aims to keep track of the students’ study and any other problems being in the university. ทุนการศึกษาโครงการนักศึกษาพิการ ปีการศึกษา 2566
The DSS Center organizes a “mentee meet mentor” program to provide career counseling/mentoring and prepare students with disabilities for the workforce. This program is designed to help current students, soon-to-be graduates, and interested students with disabilities develop their potential, skills, and essential knowledge needed for employment. The goal is to ensure that they are well-equipped and ready in various aspects before applying for jobs
Regarding accommodation, every student with disabilities who wants to stay in the campus will be arranged into the dormitory without any exception. Buddy or volunteer staff (by request) as well as assistive devices matching with their disabilities will be allocated to them.
The admission program also provides scholarships to students in need. Each year the service center gives around 25 scholarships with 55,000 baht ( approx. US$ 1,600) per year which could cover the cost of room and board, depending on the type of scholarship and the terms & conditions.
For dormitory applications at the Rangsit Campus, students can apply online and fill out your details through online registration. Disabled students can fill out the dormitory reservation form with the necessary information so that the appropriate dormitories could be allocated for them.
Students can specify their gender (Gender) according to their preference, and this will not affect the selection process. However, the office will assign dormitories based on the student’s biological gender.
Every student with disabilities in Thammasat has the rights to every assistive device they need. Everyone will receive a laptop computer and a voice recorder. Each student also receives the devices according to their needs. For a blind student, they will receive the white cane. For students with visual impairments, they receive an image enlarging devices. For students with mobility impairment, they can borrow both normal and electric wheelchairs to use for the whole time they study in the university and then return when they graduated. For the students with hearing disability, there are hearing and speaking aids and they also can request a class coordinator from the service center to help communicate with the faculty staff and the teachers. The center also takes care of the maintenance cost of all the devices.
4. Tutoring, buddies, mental counseling and volunteer to support on daily life
Currently, there are English tutoring sessions at the language center available for students with disabilities. A group of volunteers (TU Buddy) that aims to help students with disabilities by giving some tutoring in a specific subject, or any other support such as walking with the students to the building that he or she has never been to, or typing the documents to create the digital version for producing a braille version and even recording for audiobooks. Up until now, there are over 30 volunteers in the program.
The staff of DSS also provides a mental counseling session, talking with the students about their problems, mental, school-related and others.
Screenshot
5. Instructional and online learning materials
Among all students with disabilities, the students with visual impairment are the group that may experience more difficulties comparing to other groups. Hence, the university has organized several groups of volunteers to produce learning materials for visually impaired students as well as to read books for them. The materials include e-books, audio books and braille books for class materials or textbooks. Instructional materials for courses they take will be provided in the forms that match with their types of disabilities, e.g. braille instructional materials for students with vision impairment, audiobooks for those with hearing impairment, textbooks with enlarged text, textbook files that compatible with the voice-over program. There are 4 recording rooms for audiobooks with staff and volunteers help recording the books.
Volunteers are invited and recruited through Facebook, LINE, and banners advertised around the campus area. The volunteers will receive a free lunch, receive the community service hours, and can choose date and time as convenient to them. Those who are good in typing, will rewrite the class materials or textbook in braille. Those who are good in reading, will read and produce audio books for the visually impaired students.
6. Other supports on rights, freedom and dignity of people with disabilities
The Office of the Constitutional Court, in collaboration with the Disability Support Center of Thammasat University, has organized a training program titled “Constitutional Law Education for People with Disabilities.” The objective of the program is to ensure that students with disabilities in higher education institutions are made aware of their rights, freedoms, and human dignity as guaranteed under the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand, B.E. 2560 (2017), with equality. The training was held on Monday, March 13, 2023, at Thammasat University, Rangsit Campus.
The “May I Have Your Hand” Project (Health Promotion Program for People with Disabilities) led by students from the Sports Training Program, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences offered to all students and staffs with disabilities to join the exercise and various recreational activities designed to promote health and well-being for people with disabilities in campus.
To promote the awareness of gender equality, diversity and inclusion, this “All Genders Restroom” project was created. All gender restroom serves as symbolic and practical expression of the equality of all genders, to create awareness and recognition of gender diversity. The restroom for all genders locates at Gymnasium 7 building. For more information, please refer to: All Genders’ Restrooms
Thammasat University is a pioneer in promoting educational opportunities for individuals with disabilities, being the first in Thailand to implement a comprehensive initiative.
Since 2012, the Disability Support Services Center has completed 21 projects to enhance physical accessibility, including ramps and tactile sidewalks.
The university supports 70 students and 14 staff members with disabilities in various roles.
Thammasat University was honored with the ‘Accessible Place 2023’ excellent award during the International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2023.
Key improvements include elevators with braille buttons and voice announcements and dormitory upgrades with grab rails for safety.
Thammasat University is a leader in promoting educational opportunities for individuals with disabilities in Thailand. As the first higher education institution to implement a comprehensive initiative in this area, the university currently supports 70 students and 14 staff members with disabilities, serving in various roles such as technical officers, analysts, practitioners, and educators.
Aligning with the SDG 10 “Reduce Inequality”, the university has implemented structural improvements across various areas such as adapted its EV Shuttle Bus system on campus to be fully accessible for wheelchair users and remodeled buildings to meet universal design standards, with the construction and renovation of ramps, restrooms, parking spaces, signage, and classrooms, all aimed at making life easier and more inclusive for everyone especially people with disabilities.
Accessible facilities for people with disabilities at Thammasat University:
Thammasat University was honored with the ‘Accessible Place 2023’ excellent award during the International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2023. This recognition was given by the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, in collaboration with the Association of Persons with Disabilities Council of Thailand. Thammasat University was the only organization to receive the highest-level award this year.
Facilities and building renovations (ramps, parking space and walkway) with “universal design” concepts
Since 2012, the Disability Support Services Center has been dedicated to transforming the university into a “universal design” environment, ensuring equal access for all community members. Currently, more than 25 projects have been completed which include the improvement of the facilities for the students with disabilities such as ramps, accessible toilets, handicap parking, signs, braille block on sidewalks for visually impaired students, elevators, etc. The renovation of the elevators in several faculties are done by adding braille numbering buttons and voice announcements, the additional supports in the dormitory such as holding rails in bathroom, kitchen sink and closet.
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Other examples are at the Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Social Sciences and Faculty of Sciences. All elevators are specially designed to accommodate students with disabilities by adding braille numbering buttons and voice announcements. Braille map is available for visually impaired students.
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Dormitory and ramps for wheelchairs
Regarding accommodation, every student with disabilities who wants to stay in the campus will be arranged into the dormitory without any exception. Buddy or volunteer staff (by request) as well as assistive devices matching with their disabilities will be allocated to them.Dormitory Reservation for Students with Disabilities_Thammasat University Rangsit Campus
For dormitory applications at the Rangsit Campus, students can apply online and fill out your details through online registration. Disabled students can fill out the dormitory reservation form with the necessary information so that the appropriate dormitories could be allocated for them.
Students can specify their gender (Gender) according to their preference, and this will not affect the selection process. However, the office will assign dormitories based on the student’s biological gender.
The Thammasat University Property and Sports Management Office follows the international standard of “Universal Design,” which aims to make spaces fully usable and equally accessible to everyone, particularly individuals with disabilities or mobility challenges. This concept, often referred to as “Accessible Architecture,” ensures that all areas managed by the office are designed to promote fairness and equality for everyone, regardless of their physical abilities. Ramps are constructed in all dormitory buildings for those who use wheelchairs.
Library with ramps and blind blocks
The Thammasat University Library prioritizes all user groups, including individuals with disabilities or impairments. It has installed walkways for the visually impaired and ramps for wheelchair users, allowing them to access the library and learning center. Additionally, the spaces between bookshelves are wide enough for wheelchair users to independently find books. หอสมุดป๋วยฯและศูนย์การเรียนรู้ฯ จัดทำทางเดินสำหรับผู้พิการทางสายตาและทางลาด (Aug, 2023)
Ramps are available at the side and front entrance of Puey Library, and front & rear entrance of the Learning Center. For the visually impaired, blind blocks have been installed from the library entrance to the interior, including up to the study rooms or meeting rooms.
Restroom for disabilities
The Puey Ungphakorn Library has renovated its restroom facilities for individuals with disabilities to promote equal access to amenities and ensure fairness for all users, located on the 1st floor.
Museum and Exhibition for Visually Impaired Persons
One of the key “universal design” projects is the external and internal building structure of museums to facilitate blind visitors such as elevator and braille block. For exhibition design, sound and touch were used as means to present and describe objects in the exhibition. The audio description is the basic source of data that museums provided to blind visitors through individual guide or audio guide. The sound and touch in the exhibition allow blind people to increasingly gain information and participate in the museums.
Service center common room
The service center also provides other miscellaneous services like the office area for the staff and the common room for the students. There are 4 recording rooms, 28 computers set with the screen reader program, and the image enlarging devices for the staff to produce the instructional media. The service center opens Monday through Saturday exclusively for students with disabilities. Students can use the common room for both academic purposes and for relaxing in their leisure time.
For more information regarding the accessible facilities for people with disabilities, please refer to:
Political Science Association, Thammasat University, together with the Governor of Khon Kaen Province, gave houses to the poor and underpriviledged people of Ban Na Kham Noi, Village No. 3, Wang Hin Lat Subdistrict, Chum Phae District, Khon Kaen Province. The Political Science Association donate funds for the amount of 100,000 baht to support the home renovation project for Chum Phae District on September 10, 2022. With the additional support from the military engineers from Mahasak Phonsep Camp, 8th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion and other local volunteers, the total funds raised were 133,000 baht which could complete the renovation of two houses in Chum Phae District.
Thammasat University has appointed The Board of Directors for the Disability Support Services since the launch of the Disability Support Service Center in 2005. The board is responsible for planning, recommending, supervising the operations of the Disability Support Service Center, improving the physical environment and managing the allocation of funding to maximize the benefits of students with disabilities.
