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Walailak University held a memorial service to commemorate the passing of founding President and former Council Chaiman Professor Dr. Wichit Srisa-an, who passed away due to heart failure on Saturday morning (30 September 2022) at the age of 88. The event took place on Wednesday evening at the main auditorium of Thaiburi building. In attendance were the university's senior administrative team, staff, students, members of the university's co-founding committee, and the public.

The event was led by WU President, Professor Dr. Sombat Thamrongthanyawong, who was joined by Dr. Buncha Pongpanich, a founding Vice President of the university.
 
Professor Dr. Wichit was a beloved and highly respected figure, known for his more than half a century and unparalleled devotion to the development of Thailand’s higher education, including founding three universities: Sukhothai Thammathirat, Suranaree, and Walailak University. 

The three universities serve as a testimony of Dr. Wichit’s novel approach to Thai higher education. Sukhothai Thammatirat University was set up with the aim of providing higher education to all; it has been a truly open university, where every self-motivated citizen including prisoners can get degrees. Suranaree University of Technology in a northeast province of Nakhon Ratchasima, and Walailak University in Nakhon Si Thammarat province in the upper north of Thailand’s South were set up with a new model of publicly funded but autonomous universities – it was an effort to “debureaucratize” Thai university system. 

Professor Dr. Sombat Thamrongthanyawong, President of Walailak University, expressed his deep condolences saying “We deeply mourn the passing of Professor Dr. Wichit Srisa-an. He is revered as a seminal figure who laid the foundation for Thai education; he was the founding president of Walailak University, one of the earliest autonomous universities in Thailand. He served as the university's first president and held the position of University Council Chairman continuously for several terms. His passing is a significant loss for the higher education community in Thailand.”

Born on 22 December 1934 in the eastern province of Chachoengsao, Prof. Wichit entered the higher education community in 1961 as a lecturer at Chulalongkorn University. He achieved full professorship and became a top administrator at Chulalongkorn before moving on to the then Ministry of University Affairs where he served as the ministry’s Permanent Secretary until retirement as mandated by government bureaucracy. 

Prof. Wichit continued his active public life, serving on board of management of several public organizations, particularly those related to higher education, and policy-making councils of several universities, including chairmanship of the university councils. He chaired Walailak University's council from 2008 to 2021. He once ventured into politics as well, serving as a member of Thai Parliament from 2001 to 2004 and a Minister of Education from 2006 to 2008. 

Associate Professor Dr. Surin Maisrikrod, Vice President for Global Engagement at Walailak University, said “We would like to extend our heartfelt condolences on the passing of Professor Dr. Wichit Srisa-an. He played a pivotal role in the development of Thai higher education for over 50 years. He was instrumental in founding the autonomous universities, which brought flexibility to education management to keep pace with global changes. Walailak University is one of the institutions established based on his vision. Professor Dr. Wichit pioneered the implementation of the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF) and introduced Cooperative and Work-Integrated Education (CWIE) to Thailand, raising the standards of Thai higher education to a global level.”

Prof. Wichit was the first Thai to receive Principal Fellowship from Advance HE based on UKPSF in 2019 before more Thai lecturers gained the certificate, totaling 642 at Walailak University at present.

Prof. Wichit was also the first to pioneer Cooperative Education in Thailand initially at Suranaree and later at Walailak, in order to enhance student’s practical work experience in real-world business settings and mold skills and competencies required for the workforce; Cooperative Education is now implemented in over 90 Thai universities. He also received WACE Special Award from World Association for Cooperative Education (WACE) in 2001 and served as the chairman of the World Association for Cooperative and Work-Integrated Education Satellite Office at Suranaree University of Technology.

Also at the memorial service, Dr. Bancha Pongpanich delivered a heartfelt speech in recognition of Professor Wichit’s contributions to the university and society. Participants stood in silence for 1 minute to offer condolences and sang Love for Walailak together to express their respect and love for Prof. Wichit.

Prof. Wichit will be remembered not only for his contributions to higher education but also for his mentorship and dedication to the betterment of the nation. As once he said, according to Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University’s memorandum, “I am a teacher by profession, and I am dedicated to and passionate about being a teacher. Currently, I haven't stopped teaching, yet I find happiness and enjoyment in this line of work. I have never felt discouraged because I see that the work I do contributes to the betterment of society and Thai education. Education, in itself, is the foundation for development in all aspects. Therefore, if education is not good, we cannot progress as a society."





















News by Division of Corporate Communication