Thammasat University Spearheads Cross-Sectoral Dialogue for Sustainable Development: Mobilizing Multi-Stakeholder Action on SDG Progress and Policy (2025)

HIGHLIGHTS

University-Led Multi-Sectoral Dialogue: Thammasat University actively initiates and participates in cross-sectoral dialogue about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), establishing dynamic collaborative platforms where government ministries, international organizations, corporate leaders, and civil society pool resources and knowledge to provide tangible solutions to pressing sustainability challenges.
National Policy Alignment on Climate Action: Through a collaborative national workshop hosted by the Faculty of Architecture and Planning in partnership with the Department of Climate Change and Environment and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the university unites multidisciplinary experts from over 34 organizations to harmonize Thailand’s NDC 3.0 targets with the SDGs.
Strategic Partnerships for Workforce Transition and Social Solidarity: From co-convening high-level dialogues with Global Compact Network Thailand (GCNT) to prepare future-ready sustainability professionals, to addressing intergenerational solidarity with the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security at the UN Conference Centre, Thammasat bridges academia with business and civic governance.

Thammasat University consistently advances the United Nations 2030 Agenda by serving as a national convener of cross-sectoral dialogue about the SDGs. Guided by the conviction that complex societal and ecological challenges cannot be addressed in silos, the university actively initiates and participates in multi-stakeholder conferences, forums, and consultative symposiums where academia, public institutions, private sector innovators, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) pool resources and multidisciplinary expertise to provide sustainable solutions to SDG-related issues.

1. Convening Nationwide SDG Reflections: SDSN Thailand Public Forum 2025

To mark the pivotal 10th anniversary of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Sustainable Development Solutions Network Thailand (SDSN Thailand)—spearheaded by the Centre for SDG Research and Support (SDG Move) at Thammasat University—hosted the landmark “SDSN Thailand Public Forum 2025: 10th Year of the SDGs: Reflections, Realignments, and the Way Forward” at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok.

Organized in strategic collaboration with Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC), and Thailand Science Research and Innovation (TSRI), this premier cross-sectoral forum convened leading policymakers, international delegates, academic experts, and civic organizations. The conference served as a collaborative platform to review national implementation gaps, reflect on empirical progress, and deliver actionable policy recommendations across critical areas, including Climate Resilience and Local Adaptation (SDG 13), Energy Transition and Just Decarbonization (SDG 7), Sustainable Finance and ESG Transformation (SDG 8 & 12), and Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (SDG 14 & 15).

2. Harmonizing National Climate Commitments: Workshop on Thailand’s NDC 3.0 and the SDGs

Demonstrating direct academic leadership in climate governance, the Faculty of Architecture and Planning at Thammasat University hosted the high-level national workshop titled “Interlinkages Between Measures in Thailand’s NDC 3.0 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)” at the Swissôtel Bangkok Ratchada.

Conducted under the initiative “Enhance NDC 3.0 through data analysis for future projections and outlook,” this workshop was supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Department of Climate Change and Environment (DCCE), Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. The forum convened technical leaders and researchers representing more than 34 public agencies, academic institutes, and environmental bodies. Participants engaged in deep analytical dialogue to construct robust methodological frameworks linking national greenhouse gas mitigation measures directly with broader sustainable development targets, ensuring that climate policy accelerates inclusive economic resilience.

3. Partnering with the Corporate Sector: GCNT Expo 2025 and Sustainable Management Transition

Bridging higher education with corporate sustainability leadership, Thammasat University Rector Prof. Dr. Supasawad Chardchawarn and the university executive leadership participated in the opening of GCNT Expo 2025, organized by the Global Compact Network Association of Thailand (GCNT)—the local network of the UN Global Compact.

Centred on driving the concept of Forward SDGs Faster, the expo united prominent industry leaders, academic pioneers, and youth delegates in interactive dialogues and workshops. During the event, Thammasat University formalized a milestone partnership with GCNT to launch the multidisciplinary Bachelor of Science program in Sustainable Management, co-developed across five faculties (Interdisciplinary Studies, Social Administration, Puey Ungphakorn School of Development Studies, Science and Technology, and Engineering). University leaders joined GCNT executives in an insightful panel discussion examining corporate labor trends, ESG employment trajectories, and the specialized sustainability skills demanded by today’s evolving markets.

4. Fostering Inclusive Social Protection: World Social Work Day 2025 at UNCC

At the international policy interface, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Archanya Ratana-Ubol, Dean of the Faculty of Social Administration at Thammasat University, served as a keynote speaker at World Social Work Day 2025, held at the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC) in Bangkok under the theme “Intergenerational Solidarity: Building a Sustainable Future.”

Presided over by the Minister of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS), the conference brought together the Social Work Professions Council, the Thailand Association of Social Workers, the National Council on Social Welfare of Thailand, international delegates, and academic institutions. Thammasat academic leaders emphasized the strategic role of social workers in bridging generation gaps, facilitating cross-sectoral social pacts, and co-creating policies that reduce entrenched inequalities (SDG 10) and promote social justice and institutional accountability (SDG 16) across all age groups.

Through these coordinated platforms, Thammasat University actively translates the mandate of SDG 17 into practice, demonstrating sustained leadership in convening cross-sectoral dialogues that mobilize collective resources and drive meaningful sustainability transformations across Thailand.