{"id":46975,"date":"2026-06-26T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nxpo.or.th\/th\/?p=46975"},"modified":"2026-06-30T12:00:13","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T05:00:13","slug":"nxpo-advances-social-science-policy-to-drive-inclusive-and-sustainable-development","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nxpo.or.th\/th\/en\/46975\/","title":{"rendered":"NXPO advances Social Science Policy to drive inclusive and sustainable development"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Science and technology alone cannot address today’s increasingly complex challenges. From digital transformation and population ageing to climate change and widening social inequalities, Thailand’s future development must also be grounded in a deep understanding of people, society, culture, and human behavior, according to Asst. Prof. Dr. Suppakorn Poonyarith, Vice President of NXPO.<\/p>\n\n\n

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“This is why NXPO places equal importance on advancing knowledge in the social sciences, humanities, and the arts alongside science, technology, and innovation. Only by integrating these disciplines can public policy effectively respond to the realities of society in a comprehensive manner,” Dr. Suppakorn said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He likened the social sciences and the natural sciences to the nation’s two legs\u2014both are essential for moving Thailand forward. Future development, he noted, is not simply about advancing technology or expanding the economy; it also requires understanding people, social contexts, and the impacts that policies and innovations have on citizens. Accordingly, NXPO’s work in this area encompasses policy research and recommendations on key national priorities, including social and educational inequality, human capital development, demographic change, area-based economic and social development, social mobility, and the use of cultural capital, the creative economy, and the arts as drivers of national development. A key initiative is the advancement of Social Science Policy, a concept that positions the social sciences and humanities as integral to shaping Thailand’s future. Rather than only studying or explaining social issues, this approach applies social science knowledge to design development pathways that expand opportunities, reduce inequalities, enable people to reach their full potential, and address structural inequalities.<\/p>\n\n\n

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From NXPO’s perspective, the role of the social sciences, humanities, and the arts extends well beyond analyzing problems or interpreting social phenomena. These disciplines must become integral to public policy design, the promotion of social justice, and the establishment of a strong foundation for the country’s long-term development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Sustainable national development must place equal emphasis on quality of life, inclusiveness, and equity alongside economic growth. Ultimately, the true goal of development is not economic indicators, but improving people’s lives,” Dr. Suppakorn emphasized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also pointed out that inequality today extends far beyond income disparities. It includes unequal access to education, technology, future skills, and opportunities for individuals to shape their own futures. In response, Thailand’s higher education, science, research and innovation system must evolve beyond its traditional role as a producer of knowledge to become a societal transformation platform that connects universities, research institutions, government agencies, the private sector, and local communities to address national challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n

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“The defining mission of the higher education, science, research and innovation system in the future is to create opportunities, not merely to generate knowledge,” Dr. Suppakorn said. To support this vision, NXPO has been advancing grassroots economic development and upward social mobility through several key mechanisms. These include expanding educational and lifelong learning opportunities for children and youth; promoting social enterprises and social entrepreneurs; and developing a Social Enterprise Incubation Platform to nurture social entrepreneurs and create new economic opportunities for communities. NXPO also promotes the adoption of appropriate technology to improve quality of life while ensuring that development is tailored to the unique needs and contexts of local communities. Together, these initiatives seek to ensure that all people\u2014particularly children, youth, and vulnerable groups\u2014have greater access to education, knowledge, technology, and economic opportunities, ultimately improving quality of life while reducing structural inequalities across Thai society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NXPO is also promoting area-based development by positioning universities as anchors of local innovation ecosystems. Drawing on their research capabilities, academic expertise, skilled personnel, and regional partnerships, universities can serve as neutral space that brings together government agencies, businesses, civil society organizations, and local communities to collaboratively address local challenges and drive sustainable regional development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One notable initiative undertaken in collaboration with higher education institutions is the development of the Thailand Social Innovation Index, a tool designed to assess the social impact of universities and their local partners. The Index provides a systematic framework for evaluating social innovation outcomes, demonstrating tangible impacts, and strengthening the use of evidence in public policymaking. In addition, NXPO has developed a policy proposal on area-based development and inequality reduction through the higher education, science, research and innovation system, which seeks to reposition the system from a supporter of research and innovation to a strategic intermediary connecting knowledge, research, and innovation with grassroots and regional economic development. Under this approach, universities and research institutions play a central role in transferring knowledge, developing workforce skills, supporting local entrepreneurs, and creating innovations tailored to the specific needs of each locality.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Looking ahead, Dr. Suppakorn envisions Thailand’s higher education, science, research and innovation system evolving into a strategic engine for societal transformation over the next three to five years. He identified four key priorities: building a more inclusive society, strengthening the capabilities of Thai people throughout every stage of life, enhancing the effectiveness of public policymaking through data and advanced technologies, and fostering a society that is more resilient and adaptable to future change.<\/p>\n\n\n

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“Ultimately, true national development is not simply about generating new knowledge. It is about ensuring that knowledge creates opportunities, reduces inequality, and genuinely improves people’s quality of life,” Dr. Suppakorn concluded.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Science and technology alone cannot address today&#8217 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":46976,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-46975","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-en"],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.nxpo.or.th\/th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Policy-Council-approves-four-strategic-agendas-to-transform-Thailands-future-1.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/www.nxpo.or.th\/th\/author\/adminsti\/"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.nxpo.or.th\/th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Policy-Council-approves-four-strategic-agendas-to-transform-Thailands-future-1.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nxpo.or.th\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46975","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nxpo.or.th\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nxpo.or.th\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nxpo.or.th\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nxpo.or.th\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46975"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nxpo.or.th\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46975\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46987,"href":"https:\/\/www.nxpo.or.th\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46975\/revisions\/46987"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nxpo.or.th\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46976"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nxpo.or.th\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46975"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nxpo.or.th\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46975"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nxpo.or.th\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46975"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}