When the new term starts this August, Chulalongkorn University students will be witnessing more tangible, digital developments taking shape as the "pillar of the nation" edges towards its ambitions of producing more worldly students and digitised resources. Now two years into his administration as president of the university, Professor Bundhit Eua-Aporn is continuing onward with his "CU Transformation" and the fruits of his plans are starting to take shape.
Set to launch this autumn will be CU Nex, an application and smartcard which will serve as a single portal for students to do everything: from registering for courses, paying tuition fees, asking for transcripts and receiving customised news feeds down to paying for food at the canteens. The one-stop database, created with Kbank, will shift the campus population towards a more digital lifestyle and cash-free environment.
Already up and running, however, are two other initiatives. The online learning website, Chula MOOC (Massive Open Online Course), is currently offering approximately 100 topics that anyone can apply to learn -- and all for free. From Basic Russian, Law for Business to Products for an International Market, the range of topics offered from various faculties can be of practical use for real life.
