On 27 November 2023, NXPO and APEC Center for Technology Foresight (APEC CTF), in collaboration with Kasetsart University Faculty of Engineering, hosted the World Café for Strategic Planning at Asawin Grand Convention Hotel in Bangkok. This marked the third workshop convened as part of a joint project aimed at designing strategies and future direction for the KU Faculty of Engineering. 

Prof. Dr. Wanchai Yodsudjai, Dean of KU Faculty of Engineering, delivered welcome remarks and presented information of KU Faculty of Engineering and background of this project. He emphasized the importance of foresight exercises in shaping strategies and future directions for KU Faculty of Engineering, enabling it to fulfill its mission of manpower development, research and innovation, and academic services amid global uncertainties. 

Following the welcome remarks, Dr. Surachai Sathitkunarat, NXPO Vice President and APEC CTF Executive Director, introduced the project and outlined the scenario-building process conducted in collaboration with KU Faculty of Engineering. The exercise generated various scenarios for the next ten years, serving as a framework for brainstorming and subsequent policy design. The information gathered from this workshop will contribute to the formulation of policy options for KU Faculty of Engineering. 

During the workshop, NXPO Policy Developer Dr. Sujin Poonboon summarized key findings from the first and second workshops held on 6 June and 5 September 2023, respectively. The summary covered metaphors and myths identified from the Causal Layered Analysis (CLA), issues contributing and impacting the faculty over the next ten years, and uncertainties. This information provided inputs for creating four different scenarios, ranging from worst- to best-case scenarios. In this workshop, the World Café format was employed to facilitate the exchange and discussion of policy issues and prioritizations for high-impact quick wins. 

The workshop was a success, providing the team with key information and issues for developing policy options that will contribute to the preparation of KU Faculty of Engineering’s strategic planning to enhance its global competitiveness.