As Thailand’s policy agency for higher education, science, research, and innovation, NXPO aspires to become an academically independent Strategic Intelligence Unit — playing a pivotal role in supporting evidence-based government policy decisions. NXPO President Dr. Surachai Sathitkunarat has outlined six strategic directions to advance this vision:
- Leveraging higher education, science, research, and innovation to drive Thailand out of the middle-income trap and toward developed country status by promoting an innovation-driven economy and strengthening SMEs as key engines of sustainable economic growth.
- Advancing Thailand’s higher education, science, research, and innovation system to achieve international recognition while ensuring its development reflects the country’s unique context.
- Supporting the higher education system through academic freedom and institutional autonomy while fostering mechanisms to produce high-quality graduates aligned with national priorities and labor market demands. This includes both degree and non-degree programs under the Higher Education Sandbox initiative, with active private sector participation in curriculum design.
- Strengthening research and infrastructure development by promoting knowledge creation across all academic disciplines, emphasizing both basic and applied research as essential pillars of the national research system.
- Supporting the development of research and innovation by facilitating the development and transfer of technologies across all stages of the technology cycle – Research, Development, Demonstration, Deployment, and Diffusion (RDDD&D).
- Enhancing the governance and management of Thailand’s science, research, and innovation system.
