A memorandum of understanding was signed today (25 July) at La Trobe University between the three universities and Nurture Higher Education, with an ambition to enrol 2,000 students over the next five years at the newly established Global University Academy in Siam University, Bangkok.
As well as giving local students the opportunity to complete a foreign qualification at home, it will also provide access to Sheffield Hallam and La Trobe University degrees for international students from the broader Asian region such as Myanmar and Cambodia.
Students will have the option to complete their full program in Thailand or come to Sheffield Hallam or La Trobe to complete part of their degree, where there will be opportunity for them to engage with industry partners in Australia or the UK. Programs offered will be in sectors for which there is high workforce demand, such as computer science and hospitality.
Professor Sir Chris Husbands, Sheffield Hallam University Vice-Chancellor, said: “Sheffield Hallam has a range of Transnational Education Partnerships with institutions across the world. We are delighted to be able to expand our offer in Thailand, working closely with our strategic partner La Trobe University and a new partner in Siam University. We are looking forward to building on our existing track record of global collaboration and exchange.”
La Trobe University Vice-Chancellor, Professor John Dewar AO, said the partnership will build on the University’s existing transnational education programs and will contribute to both the local and global workforce in Thailand and South-East Asia.
"La Trobe has a long history of transnational education programs in partnership with international institutions in China, Vietnam, Singapore, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and now Thailand," Professor Dewar said.
"We're excited to expand our global footprint with our established partner, Sheffield Hallam University, to deliver unique, high-quality programs for local students and, at the same time, deepening our engagement with Thailand's higher education institutions.
"We are looking forward to a long and successful collaboration with Siam University, our strategic partner Sheffield-Hallam University, with Nurture Higher Education Group and, most of all, we are looking forward to successful outcomes for our students.”
Dr Pornchai Mongkhonvanit, President of Siam University, said:"We are delighted to be working with Nurture Higher Education Group to be the launch partner for their Global University Academy concept. The opportunity to work deeply with La Trobe University and Sheffield Hallam University under this model is not only unique and innovative but will create transformational study and career opportunities in Thailand.
"Through the international dual degree programs in the Academy, we will develop global citizens ready to thrive in our interconnected world. By enabling student mobility across Thailand, Australia, and the UK, we can create graduates prepared to apply their diverse, international experiences wherever their careers take them.
"The initiatives and partnerships considered under this MOU will serve to enhance our mission to become Thailand's leading University for transforming the futures of students and aligning to our sector-leading commitment to sustainability in Thailand."
Stephen Healy, Co-Founder and CEO Nurture Higher Education, said: "We are delighted that our Global University Academy concept will be launched in Thailand, where we launched our first Two-degree Program in 2019. Since then, we have curated University partnerships that serve our mission to bring accessible world-class credentials to students, which are aligned and attuned to the needs of the modern workplace through Nurture's employer engagement, mentoring and internship program.
“Our investment into the Academy at Siam University will be driven by a step change in our presence in Thailand, building the capacity to enable Siam University to work in collaboration with La Trobe University, Sheffield Hallam University, and employers, to transform the lives and opportunities for students within Thailand, taking our activities to new levels of scale, student success and employer engagement."
Sheffield Hallam and La Trobe entered a Global Strategic Partnership in 2019 to provide opportunities for student mobility and bring together international perspectives on teaching, learning and research.
Since the launch of the partnership in 2019, the universities have co-launched a unique collaborative degree course in international hospitality and tourism management, as well as establishing a joint PhD programme which currently has 13 funded PhD students working on new research projects.
Last month the two universities launched a new Global Security and Society Institute, to help to address major global security challenges such as cybercrime, the growth of AI and modern slavery.
