KU LEUVEN AND THAMMASAT UNIVERSITY SIGN A DUAL DEGREE AGREEMENT

NIEUWS UIT DE FACULTEIT

On Thursday 11 January 2018 Prof. Luc Sels, Rector of KU Leuven, Prof. Gasinee Witoonchart, Rector of Thammasat University, and Prof. Bert Lauwers, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering Technology and Prof. Thira Jearsiripongkul, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering signed in Bangkok an agreement on a dual degree in Engineering Technology. The ceremony was attended by H.E. Philippe Kridelka, Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium in Thailand and many dignitaries and representatives of both universities.

Frans Baron van Daele, Minister of State; Prof. Luc Sels, Rector of KU Leuven; Prof. Gasinee Witoonchart, Rector of Thammasat University; Prof. Bert Lauwers, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering Technology; Prof. Thira Jearsiripongkul, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, H.E. Philippe Kridelka, Ambassador of Belgium in Thailand

Founded in 1935, Thammasat University (TU) is one of the oldest institutes of higher education in Thailand. Since its founding TU has evolved from an open university for law and politics to an international comprehensive university offering more than 240 academic programmes in 23 colleges at 4 campuses. Today, TU has more than 36,000 students in the bachelor’s, master’s and PhD programmes and 7200 faculty members and supporting staff.

Milestone

The official signing ceremony of the Dual Degree Agreement was opened by Prof. Bert Lauwers, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering Technology of KU Leuven. He called the ceremony a milestone in a period of 15 years of collaboration and friendship. “During this period our Faculty and Group T Leuven Campus in particular welcomed dozens of exchange students from TU in our International Engineering and Postgraduate Programmes. At our campus in Leuven, they gained not only expertise in science, technology and engineering, but they also learned and experienced how to be creative in their thinking and endeavors. They developed distinct entrepreneurial skills and – last but not least – they discovered a new continent and a different culture”.

Quality label

Research based curricula, practice based courses, teamwork in interdisciplinary projects and collaboration with regional and international high-tech companies and organisations. Prof. Lauwers called them the key cards of the education and the research at the Faculty of Engineering Technology. These key cards will also be played in the Dual Degree Programmes.

Prof. Bert Lauwers, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering Technology

Prof. Lauwers is convinced that this Dual Degree will be considered as a quality label by the students, the professors, the researchers and by the industry. Moreover, it will encourage and reinforce the collaboration between both universities.

Gateway

“The Faculty of Engineering Technology has familiarized itself with international co-operation and exchange of both students and staff”, Prof. Lauwers concluded. “Students of Thammasat quickly find themselves at home at our campus in Leuven which is the home of a truly international community of outstanding engineering students. More than 20% of our students at our campus in Leuven are international students representing 60 different nationalities from all continents. For many students, our faculty is a gateway to Europe and to the world”.

Yves Persoons