With a rich history spanning more than a century, Chulalongkorn University has launched an innovative initiative, the School of Integrated Innovation (CSII), aptly referred to as a “speedboat project.” This project successfully reimagines an educational philosophy anchored firmly to these five key pillars—innovation, integration, startup, technology, and entrepreneurship.
“When CSII was established just over four years ago, one of our key mandates was to have a unique curriculum. Our aim was that our students should remain firmly rooted in advanced technologies as well as foundational business principles while cultivating an entrepreneurial spirit,” reflects Professor Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai, Executive Director of CSII. “These formative years inspired a deeper reflection on our foundational philosophy. Moving beyond the conventional teaching approaches that focus merely on job readiness, CSII emphasizes long-term outcomes, and particularly shaping graduates into global citizens.”
According to Professor Worsak, the School’s central educational strategy envisions students who are not only proficient in language, mathematics, and AI but also have a zest for lifelong learning. These students should be resilient and adaptable and ready to tackle any unexpected challenges that may come their way.
“Breaking away from the traditional curriculum, which is supply-driven and often leads students to unpredictable outcomes, we chose to blaze a new trail,” comments Professor Worsak. “We crafted a curriculum that is both dynamic and tailored to specific outcomes and then meticulously selected students who showed the potential to flourish within this framework. Equipped with this adaptable curriculum, we envision that our graduates will be ready to embark on diverse career journeys whether as startup visionaries, innovative entrepreneurs, corporate trailblazers or by pursuing specialized postgraduate studies. Above all, in our rapidly changing world, we make sure that our students are equipped with 21st-century skills, an understanding of global cultures, and a range of literacies that will enable them to excel and make a significant impact on the global stage.”
The progression of our premier program, the Bachelor of Arts and Science in Integrated Innovation (BAScii), reflects this evolution. At its core, the curriculum prioritizes providing students with a strong foundation in both state-of-the-art technologies and essential business principles, all the while fostered by a vibrant entrepreneurial spirit. Drawing from our experiences over the past four years and recognizing the accelerating pace of change, CSII has sharpened its mission to endow its graduates with Universal Basic Competencies (UBC) that will enable them to handle the unpredictable nature of a world marked by Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity (VUCA). Through the lens of CSII, the UBC concept is more than just a label as it encompasses transdisciplinary knowledge, 21st-century skills, global cultural acumen, and future-oriented literacies.
As we stand on the cusp of an era marked by exponential growth in disruptive technologies, the BAScii curriculum integrates contemporary concepts such as Generative AI, design thinking, and social enterprise. The outcome is a comprehensive and forward-thinking curriculum that aligns seamlessly with both our immediate objectives and our long-term vision while encapsulating the School’s broader educational ethos.
