Former government minister Charnchai Chairungreang is using his knowledge, skills and contacts to produce future leaders, writes
After decades in politics, Charnchai Chairungreang has taken on a new challenge in which his inestimable managing skills are being used to produce future business leaders.
As chairman of Bangkok Thonburi University in Thawi Watthana district, he is fully focused on ensuring students and graduates can benefit from the university's "networking", which involves a coterie of successful business people, high-ranking officials and organisation leaders.
The former industry minister and exPuea Pandin Party chief runs the university with his wife, Bang-Orn Benjathikul, who is the rector.
This private university is gaining popularity with students, many of whom attend special courses set aside for businesspeople, company executives and organisation leaders as well as high-ranking officials.
The "Chao Sua" (tycoon) class is open to entrepreneurs aged above 50 who are running businesses with a net worth of at least one billion baht. Graduates obtain a bachelor's degree from this course. The university also runs a "VIP" class for a master's degree and a "President" class for a doctoral degree.
The classes mainly focus on knowledge sharing by leaders in the business arena and state agencies, who have first-hand information in overseeing their organisations.
Lecturers with academic and theoretical knowledge are brought in to teach the classes, which help foster exchanges of views involving theoretical and practical perspectives. Entrepreneurs also cultivate new information which can help improve their businesses in the future.
These classes are run by the Faculty of Public Administration, where students learn about leadership and the integration and multi-pronged developments of Asean, government budget plans, marketing strategies as well as organisational development.
Such curricula have attracted enrollment by several key figures in politics, economics and social spheres.
The popularity of the courses, however, initially spurred doubts about the academic standards of the programmes. However the doubts were cleared after the Office for National Education Standards and Quality Assessment certified the courses.
"These curricula, particular 'Chao Sua', are well-received. There have already been 10 classes set up," said Mr Charnchai, 64, the architect of the programmes.