On 28 January 2023, NXPO Assistant to the President Ms. Nirada Werasopon gave a lecture to participants of University Holding Company Directorship Certification Program (UHCDP) Year 2 organized by CU Enterprise and CU Innovation Hub of Chulalongkorn University. The opening ceremony was attended by Prof. Dr. Bundit Eua-arporn, President of Chulalongkorn University and Prof. Kaywalee Chatdarong, Vice President for Strategic Planning, Innovation and Global Engagement.

Ms. Nirada’s talk focused on the policy to promote university holding company scheme as a strategy to accelerate the research to market process. A policy and measure to promote the establishment and operation of university holding company have been introduced. The policy allows universities to make an investment in innovation businesses, and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation is now supporting the revision of university regulations to facilitate the investment process. The policy also promotes the creation of spin-off and startup companies based on university research and allows university faculty members and researchers to take up positions of CTO and CEO in those spin-off and startup companies. Universities are encouraged to nurture startups by allowing access to university’s infrastructure at special-rate fees while the companies have yet to make a profit. 

The University Holding Company Directorship Certification Program is designed for management teams and personnel of university holding companies. The program covers essential topics such as intellectual property management, investment in innovation businesses that bring research work from university faculty and students to real-world applications for commercial purposes and/or public benefits, and helps participants understand relevant rules and regulations, and the roles and responsibilities of company’s board of directors in corporate governance to bring about business sustainability.