From 19-23 November 2024, Asst. Prof. Dr. Phanompatt Smitananda, Member of the University Council and Acting President of Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University (STOU), led a delegation of researchers and staff to the 2024 OU5 Meeting in Manila, Philippines, hosted by the University of the Philippines Open University.
The purpose of the meeting was to foster collaboration among the five ASEAN open universities (known as OU5) in the areas of distance learning and research. The member universities include Hanoi Open University (HOU), Vietnam; Open University Malaysia (OUM), Malaysia; University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU), Philippines; Universitas Terbuka (UT), Indonesia; and Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University (STOU). The host institution for the meeting rotates among the member institutions.
The researchers from STOU who attended this year meeting were Assoc. Prof. Gan Chanyawudhiwan (Office of Educational Technology), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pithak Srisuksai (School of Economics), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Anothai Ngamvichaikit (School of Management Science), Asst. Prof. Dr. Songlak Sakulwichitsintu (School of Liberal Arts), and Dr. Supamas Chumkaew (Office of Registration, Records and Evaluation.
The 2024 OU5 researches include the following topics:
- Technology Trends in Education: Nano Learning, Authentic Online Assessment, Gamification, Blockchain and Others
(and How AI Will Impact These Technologies) - Open University Infrastructure for a Sustainable Future: A Design in View of Fulfillment of SDG 11
- Roles of ASEAN Open Universities in Enhancing Entrepreneurship and Global Presence
- Roles of Open Universities in STEM Education (Way Forward with a Focus on the State of Gender Equality in ASEAN)
- Student-Lecturer Ratio as a Parameter of Quality in OFDL Context (What Are the Factors that Determine the Quality
of Open Universities?)
The meeting was attended by 35 participants, including Presidents, OU5 coordinators, and researchers from the five universities. The 2025 meetings are scheduled for April in Penang, Malaysia, and October in Phuket, Thailand.
