On 9 June 2025, Dr. Surachai Sathitkunarat, President of NXPO, was invited to deliver a presentation on “National Policies and Programs on Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation and MHESI’s Support Mechanisms” at the Academic Council Meeting of King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT).
In his presentation, Dr. Surachai outlined the core mission of NXPO as a policy agency under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI), tasked with supporting the operations of the National Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Policy Council, while providing policy formulation and planning support to partner agencies such as the Thailand Science Research and Innovation (TSRI). NXPO’s scope covers both higher education and science policies.
The current policies emphasize five strategic priorities: 1) Elevating Thailand’s global competitiveness in science and technology to rank among the world’s top 30, 2) Enhancing a grassroots economy and reducing inequality, benefiting at least one million people, 3) Supporting the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 10 million tons of CO₂ equivalent, 4) Increasing the proportion of high-skilled workers to 25%, in line with developed countries, and 5) Advancing Thai higher education institutions into the Top 20 of the World University Rankings.
Dr. Surachai also addressed emerging trends and challenges facing higher education. He noted that the APEC Center for Technology Foresight (APEC CTF), hosted by NXPO, is applying foresight methodologies to analyze global, social, organizational, and technological shifts to guide national policy directions. These changes are reshaping the landscape of higher education, requiring universities to adapt by introducing new learning models such as non-age group, non-degree programs, personalized education pathways, and programs aligned with future labor market trends and skill demands.
He further discussed a significant challenge facing Thai education — the declining youth population, which is expected to reduce the number of students pursuing higher education. Findings from Thailand Talent Landscape 2025–2029, conducted by NXPO, forecast a demand for 1,087,548 skilled professionals in ten key industries over the next five years, with the highest demand in the aviation and logistics, electronics and robotics, and digital sectors.
Dr. Surachai noted that the highest unemployment rates are currently among university graduates, numbering around 220,000. At the same time, certain engineering fields face future labor shortages, including logistics engineering, civil engineering, electronics and telecommunications engineering, and computer engineering.
Dr. Surachai shared international case studies of educational innovation, such as Zhejiang University in China, which has aligned itself with national strategies to build technological capabilities and foster industries of the future. Its success is driven by three factors: (1) serving as a hub for innovation and entrepreneurship, (2) a location favorable for business growth, and (3) strong support from local government and a startup-friendly ecosystem. Duy Tan University (DTU) in Vietnam emphasizes experiential learning and integrates theory with practice through collaborations with domestic and international companies for internships and job placements. The university also benefits from a team of young, high-skilled professionals who work effectively alongside faculty members.
On workforce policy, Dr. Surachai presented MHESI’s initiatives to enhance industrial workforce development. These include Reskill/Upskill programs, the GenNX Model, the STEMPlus Platform, Cooperative and Work Integrated Education (CWIE), Work-Integrated Learning (WiL), Hi-FI and RDI Programs, and the Higher Education Sandbox initiative. To date, 19 sandbox curricula have been approved, targeting the production of 25,905 skilled workers. Additionally, NXPO actively supports the establishment of University Holding Companies (UHC), enabling universities and public research institutes to co-invest with private sector partners. The next phase will involve building networks to share knowledge and foster collaboration in setting up UHCs, developing investment-friendly policies and mechanisms, and removing regulatory barriers.
“The strategic framework for advancing higher education institutions must balance workforce development with research excellence. This requires effective management systems, supportive regulations, personnel capacity building, and strong networks,” said Dr. Surachai. He also outlined four targeted measures to close the future skills gap: 1) rapid competency enhancement programs for graduates, 2) innovative higher education programs for high-skilled talent production, 3) intensive upskilling short courses to improve employability, and 4) workforce development platforms promoting high-skilled human capital.
Following the presentation and discussion session, Dr. Surachai visited student research showcases featuring projects in Physical AI and industrial robotics and toured the personalized medical device production facilities of OsseoLabs Co., Ltd., located at the Institute of Field Robotics (FIBO).
