Cabinet approval will be sought for an application by National Taiwan University (NTU) to set up operations in Thailand, Education Minister Teerakiat Jareonsettasin said yesterday.
Dr Teerakiat said the request by NTU will go before the cabinet on Tuesday after a committee responsible for managing the education provided by overseas institutes approved the move.
The government previously rejected NTU's application as the suggested curriculum was not considered a good fit for the direction in which Thailand wanted to move. However, it was told to make adjustments and try again.
The committee was set up by a Section 44 order issued May 26 last year under a government scheme that allows "overseas higher education institutes of high calibre" to operate in Thailand.
One of the aims is to provide teaching support in fields crucial for the government's Thailand 4.0 vision and its flagship Eastern Economic Corridor project.
The latter covers the three eastern provinces of Chon Buri, Rayong and Chachoengsao and is designed to accommodate next-generation industries.
The government expects foreign universities will help improve the expertise of Thai workers whom it hopes will become a key force behind economic reforms.
Despite shrinking attendance levels at Thai universities, more foreign schools have shown interest in offering international and bilingual courses at newly set-up Thai campuses geared to students from Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.
Dr Teerakiat said yesterday if the cabinet gives the nod it can start operating this year.
NTU plans to offer master's degree courses in engineering, taught in both English and Mandarin. Also in the pipeline are courses dealing with industrial robots and future-generation vehicles, Dr Teerakiat said.
