Institutionalization of Researchbased Community Engagement in
Thai Universities: Lessons Learnt
from Thailand
The Regional Conference on Higher Education-Community-Industry
Engagement forging Meaningful Partnerships across ASEAN & Asia
& The Official Launch of AsiaEngage
7th-9th May 2012
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Avorn Opatpatanakit
Email: avornopat@gmail.com
Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension
Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University
Outline
• Definition of Community-based
research (CBR)
• Concept, Principle and Process
• Installation of CBR management
system in Thai Universities
• Institutionalization of CBR
management system
• Factors contribute to success
• Lessons learnt
Managing high cost of funeral ceremony
Participatory garbage management
Effective water management
Air
Community-based Research: CBR
Initiated by the Thailand Research
Fund (TRF) in 1998
Underlying Concept:
• Research for human development
• People-centered development
• Empowerment / Participation
Principle
1. Research questions
come from community
2. Participatory process
3. Before action…think
first, thinking of
practical action
4. Design activity based
on collected data
Process of Community-based Research
Concept/
worldview

activity

principle
• research
questions come
from community
• Participatory
process
• Design activity
on data collected
• before action…
think first,
thinking of
practical action
activity

Research team
formation
Identification of
research questions
research design
activity
activity

activity

Build up common
understanding
Data management
activity

Utilization of
research findings
(I)
Research
type
(II)
Research
issue
(III)
Research
discipline
Dualcharacteristics
flexibility
rigidity
activity
Step can be
switched
Go multi-step,
back and forth

Analysis of
Lesson learned
Flexibility
Minor steps can be
added, if needed
Steps can be
re-organized
กลไก
TRF-CBR Coordinator (as of 2011)
Nonacademicians
(45)
Academicians
(11)
North
Northeast
Central
South
8
25
12
11
(56)
Social
Impact
Project
KM of
CBB in
Rajabhat
Uni.
10 years CBR
2013
Criteria
Institutionalization
CBR
for
promotion
ทดลอง
in Thai Universities
2012
เสนอ
CBPUS
2011
CBMAG
CBR by
academics
Promotion
of CBR
By
TRF-CBR
PhD
Thesis
1995
2008
ABC-PUS
ABC-MAG
2000
1998
2010
2007
2005
ผลงาน
Capacity
Building
program
Areabased
Research
Project
MOU ก ับ
TRFCBR
Feasibility
of PLoT
Develop
Internal
Evaluation
Body
ฐานข้อมูล
ผูท
้ รงคุณวุฒ ิ
วิชาการร ับใช ้
ั
สงคม
ฐาน
ข้อมูล
วิชาการ
ร ับใช ้
ั
สงคม
Institutionalization CBR in Thai Universities
10 years CBR
Criteria
for
promotion
CBPUS
Promotion
of CBR
By
TRF-CBR
PhD
Thesis
1995
2008
2010
2007
2005
ABC-PUS
ABC-MAG
2000
1998
RM Unit
KM of
CBB in
Rajabhat
Uni.
Capacity
Building
program
Areabased
Research
Project
MOU ก ับ
TRFCBR
2013
2012
ทดลอง
เสนอ
ผลงาน
Feasibility
of PLoT
ฐาน
ข้อมูล
วิชาการ
ร ับใช ้
ั
สงคม
2011
CBMAG
CBR by
academics
Social
Impact
Project
Develop
Internal
Evaluation
Body
ฐานข้อมูล
ผูท
้ รงคุณวุฒ ิ
วิชาการร ับใช ้
ั
สงคม
University / Colleges
North
 CMU
 CM Rajabhat
 CR Rajabhat
 UD Rajabhat
 Lanna RM
 ม.แม่โจ้
 มรภ.พิบล
ู
สงคราม
 ม.โยนก
 ม.พาย ัพ
 ม.นอร์ท
ี งใหม่
เชย
 มทร. ลาปาง
 วษท. แพร่
12 (5)
Northeast
 Ubon U.
 Mahasarakam
U.
 Loey U.
 ม.ขอนแก่น
 มรภ.อุบล
5 (3)
Central
Southern
 Walailuck
ม.สงขลา
หาดใหญ่
 ม.สงขลา วิทยา
Agri.
เขตปัตตานี
college
 ม.สงขลา วิทยา
 ม. เกษตร
เขตตร ัง
ศาสตร๋
 มรภ.
 ม.มหิดล
สุราษฏร์ธานี
มรภ. อยุธยา  ม. อิสลามยะลา
 วษท.เพชรบุร ี  วชช. นราธิวาส
 Rampaipunnee
Rajabhat
 KMITL
 Singburi
7 (3)
8 (1)
Institutionalization CBR in Thai Universities
10 years CBR
Criteria
for
promotion
CBPUS
Promotion
of CBR
By
TRF-CBR
PhD
Thesis
1995
2008
2010
2007
2005
ABC-PUS
ABC-MAG
2000
1998
RM Unit
KM of
CBB in
Rajabhat
Uni.
Capacity
Building
program
Areabased
Research
Project
MOU ก ับ
TRFCBR
2013
2012
ทดลอง
เสนอ
ผลงาน
Feasibility
of PLoT
ฐาน
ข้อมูล
วิชาการ
ร ับใช ้
ั
สงคม
2011
CBMAG
CBR by
academics
Social
Impact
Project
Develop
Internal
Evaluation
Body
ฐานข้อมูล
ผูท
้ รงคุณวุฒ ิ
วิชาการร ับใช ้
ั
สงคม
Institutionalization CBR in Thai Universities
10 years CBR
Criteria
for
promotion
2011
CBMAG
Promotion
of CBR
By
TRF-CBR
PhD
Thesis
1995
2008
2010
2007
2005
ABC-PUS
ABC-MAG
2000
1998
RM Unit
KM of CBB
Mgt. in
Rajabhat
Uni.
2012
CBPUS
CBR by
academics
Social
Impact
Project
Capacity
Building
program
Areabased
Research
Project
MOU ก ับ
TRFCBR
Coaching to
prepare the
document for
promotion
Develop
University
Evaluation
Body
Data-base of
RBCE
researchers
/mentors
/reviewers,
etc.
Feasibility
of PLoT
2013
Submit the
application
for
promotion
Factors contribute to success
• Initially, financial support and CBR
mentors from TRF-CBR
• CBR researchers who become
mentors in the university
• Later, the research and development
institute that become RM mechanism
that forging the CBR ecosystem
Lessons learnt
• Starting up:
 Do it yourself, CBR project
 Writing research article and publish
 Practicing in managing the CBR
programme
• Installation to Scaling up:
 Facilitating to Utilize the existing
research funding agency, RM system
and mentoring system to establish the
system in the Universities
Lessons learnt
• Manage emerging Challenge:
Initiation of recognition and
rewarding mechanism
 Participation as the “task force”
 Facilitate academicians to be ready,
coaching the writing up process
Don’t give up,
keep going
because we all
do not want to
be the
“Social defects”