When the World Changes Faster Than Ever: Crisis or Opportunity? Unveiling MHESI’s Policy Vision for Thailand’s Future — Transforming Education to Build People and New Economic Engines

At a time when technology is changing at breakneck speed, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping the world of work, while Thailand faces challenges across the economy, society, and demographic structure. The key question, therefore, is not merely how we can keep pace with the world, but how Thailand can develop its people, create opportunities, and transform change into a driving force for national progress.

The perspective of Prof. Dr. Yosanan Wongsawat, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI), reflects the crucial direction for Thai education, which must move beyond old frameworks and integrate research, innovation, and human capital development together, in order to build a future in which Thai people can grow and compete on the global stage.

From a special interview on the topic “When the World Changes Faster Than Ever: Crisis or Opportunity — MHESI Policy and the Future of Thai People,” held on Friday, September 11, 2026 (2569 B.E.), at The Heritage Grand Khon Kaen Hotel and Convention Centre, Khon Kaen Province, the discussion illuminated key issues facing Thailand’s higher education system — from building new economic engines and coexisting with AI, to addressing an aging society and declining birth rates, and the role of universities as an intellectual force helping the country navigate change.

Human Capital and New Economic Engines: The Foundation for Thailand’s Transition to a High‑Income Country

Prof. Dr. Yosanan reflected that one of the major challenges facing Thailand at this critical juncture is the management and development of Human Capital alongside the creation of a New Growth Engine, in order to enhance competitiveness and elevate the country toward becoming a high‑income nation. The heart of the matter is not merely increasing people’s capabilities, but building a system that links human development with the needs of the future economy and labor market. Universities and MHESI play a critical role in driving this process — from basic research, to translating knowledge into innovation, to adapting the education system to accommodate new forms of work.

Creating new jobs with added value that can compete in the global market therefore requires an ecosystem that concretely connects research, innovation, and workforce development, so that knowledge from universities does not remain confined to classrooms or laboratories, but can be applied to create new economic opportunities for the country.

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When the World Changes Faster Than Ever: Crisis or Opportunity? Unveiling MHESI’s Policy Vision for Thailand’s Future — Transforming Education to Build People and New Economic Engines

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