Walailak University (WU), founded in 1992, is located in the province of Nakhon Si Thammarat, in the upper south of Thailand, a historical province with multi-cultural society, around 2.30 hrs. by car from Samui Island in Surathani and 5 hrs away from Phuket, 2 world’s popular tourist attractions in the south of Thailand. The university is an autonomous public research-intensive university; all lecturers are working annually to contribute to quality research publication in Q1 and Q2 Scopus-indexed journals. The university aims at improving her quality in all institutional facets: academics, research productivity and quality, healthcare, and environment.
Academic Excellence
International Rankings Achievements
In her persisting attempts for world-quality education, Walailak University, one of nineteen universities among the total of about 200 universities in Thailand, has achieved several world rankings: 1201-1500 for Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2024, 501+ for THE Young University Rankings, and 801-1000 for THE Subject Rankings for Clinical and Health and for Life Sciences and 1001+ for Physical Sciences.
Leading National Educational Quality
At the national level, WU, adopting ASEAN University Network Quality Assurance standard as the institute quality assessment criteria in 2022, achieved the overall academic administration score of 5 (indicating the better performance than the standard score of 4) from the highest score of 7. Moreover, in terms of the university strategic enforcement for world excellence, WU was awarded the score of 6.47.
World-class Quality Teaching
Valuing the significance of high quality teaching, since 2018 Walailak University has been working closely with the UK-based Advance Higher Education (AdvanceHE) to have all her lecturers internationally certified as high-quality higher education professionals. Currently, 650 (97.01%) WU faculty members have now been awarded varying levels of the United Kingdom Professional Standard Framework fellowship (UKPSF) – 1 Principal Fellow (PHEA), 71 Senior Fellows (SFHEAs) and 578 Fellows (FHEAs).
On world-certified professional basis, our lecturers now emphasize in their teaching, attention to individual learning of students, formative assessment and feedback, and analytical and critical thinking. The university believes in the strong relationship between high-quality teaching and high-quality graduates.
Nearly 150 small and hi-tech “smart” classrooms, currently ready to serve both students and lecturers, will further enhance the quality of teaching and learning.
Work-integrated Cooperative Education
One of WU outstanding quality education feature tailored for the 21st century, where creativity, critical thinking, digital and media literacy, global mindedness, communication efficiency are keys, is the 8-month long work-integrated cooperative education of students’ choices worldwide during their senior year. The work-integrated experiences promote WU students’ professional opportunities after their graduation.
International Programs
WU is offering international programs both at the bachelor’s degree and at the graduate level. BA degree programs include Walailak University International College of Dentistry, Akkhraratchakumari Veterinary College, Walailak University International College (WUIC) and Medical Technology Program under the School of Allied Health Sciences. International graduate programs include several fields in health sciences, science and technology and social sciences. More information can be reached at College of Graduate Studies. To promote international education as well as post graduate fellowships, WU also supports several scholarships for international students; information is available at scholarships for BA degrees and scholarships for graduate studies.
Opportunities for short international exchanges are also available; information can be reached by contacting Walailak University International College Homepage and by contacting the Center for International Affairs via the email interaffairs.wu@gmail.com or interaffairs.wu@mail.wu.ac.th .
World Research Leadership
Among all peer higher education institutes in Thailand, WU has achieved the highest volume of quality Q1 and Q2 research publications in Scopus-indexed journals. Additionally, WU international research collaboration is currently 42.5 percent. WU is home for 5 researchers listed in 2023 World’s Top2% Scientist named by Stanford University in Materials, Tropical Medicine, Electrical & Electronic Engineering, and Food Science. Besides, as part of the leading global and frontier research universities, classified by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, WU focuses on 4 main areas of research: high-valued agriculture and processed food production, herbal medicine, tourism and creative economy, and digital and artificial intelligence technologies. 24 WU research excellence centers are open doors for all enthusiastic researchers around the world; should you intend to join our research teams, please contact the Center for International Affairs at interaffairs.wu@gmail.com or interaffairs.wu@mail.wu.ac.th .
Healthcare
To promote quality healthcare both for WU community members and for the locals in the upper south of Thailand, in 2021 WU established a teaching hospital named “Walailak University Hospital,” (WUH) a healthcare facility of 426 inpatient units with advanced medical devices.
International medical students and professionals interested in short medical rotation opportunities can also contact the Center for International Affairs at interaffairs.wu@gmail.com or interaffairs.wu@mail.wu.ac.th.
Best Green Environment
WU also focuses on transforming the physical environment both to make it eco-friendly and to turn it into the most beautiful university in Thailand. As evidence of WU’s attempt to be the best green university, UI Green Metric World University Ranking 2023 awarded WU the best among universities in the southern Thailand for four consecutive years, the 6th in the country and the 83rd in the world.
Additionally, WU has also achieved 2023 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, attesting WU’s efforts to enforce the United Nation’s sustainability development goals, at the band of 401-600. Four of the leading goals among the top 100 of the world rank WU is proud of include zero hunger, clean water and sanitation, sustainable cities and communities, and life below water.
