Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand has been presented with an honorary degree from The University of Queensland (UQ) for improving education in Thailand.
Her Royal Highness received a Doctor of Philosophy honoris causa at a special ceremony at The Dusit Palace, Bangkok, on Friday, September 9.
UQ, based in Brisbane, Australia, is Queensland’s oldest and largest University which consistently ranks as one of Australia’s most outstanding research and teaching and learning universities.
During her only visit to Australia in 1984, Her Royal Highness visited UQ and published a book on her trip.
UQ Vice-Chancellor Professor John Hay AC said the degree recognised her sponsorship and improvement of schools and development of vocational training and universities in Thailand.
While in Bangkok, Professor Hay briefed Thai university leaders and the Ministry of Higher Education about teaching and learning opportunities in his capacity as Chair of the Carrick Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education in Australia.
The Royal presentation coincided with UQ’s first Thailand graduation ceremony on Saturday, September 10.
The ceremony was one of four held by UQ in south-east Asia in September so graduates could share their triumphs with friends and family.
Bangkok Post Editor-in-Chief Pichai Chuensuksawadi was guest speaker.
Laksi Business and Consulting Centre Managing Director Suganya Boonprasirt who is the 2004 UQ International Alumnus of the Year Award winner, was a guest at the ceremony.
Ms Boonprasirt is a social planner and public administrator who spent the last 25 years working in many Thai government departments and ministries.
More than 700 Thai students, many of whom are older PhD students who studied agriculture, tropical health, nutrition and education, have graduated from UQ.
UQ has 10 agreements with Thai institutions to foster research and academic collaboration and student and staff exchanges.
UQ is a member of the Group of Eight, an elite group of universities which conducts 70 percent of all University research in Australia.
It is also one of only three Australian members of Universitas 21, an international network of comprehensive, research-intensive universities committed to quality through benchmarking against world-best practice and chaired by Professor Hay.
UQ consistently receives the maximum five star ratings for teaching and research and for positive graduate outcomes.
For more ceremony details visit http://www.uq.edu.au/graduations/?page=21124
Media inquiries: Miguel Holland in Thailand (0413 380 012, m.holland@uq.edu.au).
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