On Monday 31th August 2020 at, 9.30 am., in the IAD meeting room on the 10th floor of the Golden Jubilee Administration and Information Center Building, Kasetsart University. Dr. Chongrak WACHRINRAT, President of Kasetsart University along with Assistant Professor Dr. Kampanat PENSUPAR, Vice President for International Affairs, Associate Professor Dr. Chamaipak TAYJASANANT, Assistant to the President for International Affairs, and Assistant Professor Dr. Tanapon CHAISAN, Deputy Director of KURDI, participated in an online meeting with the representative from Standford University namely Mr. Matthew HARVEY, Senior Director of Global Initiatives and Strategy.

The purpose of this meeting was to establish a new collaboration between two universities both in academic and research capability. Hence, Dr. Chongrak WACHRINRAT gave a welcoming remark, and overview information of Kasetsart University depicted the expertise in agriculture, food, and environmental management. Simultaneously, Mr. Matthew HARVEY also mentions that Stanford University is currently gathering information about the education system and universities in Southeast Asia, especially in Thailand to develop a suitable course and project for both student and researcher. Furthermore, Stanford University also shares some similarities with Kasetsart University as emphasizing on the Multidisciplinary similar to the School of Integrated Science (SIS) and providing a training course for faculty members to enhance an online teaching skill.

Moreover, the meeting also shares some thought on the research funding which Stanford University regularly acquired from the private sector and the alumni, but Kasetsart University mainly received the fund from the government and partial from the private sector. In this sense, Dr. Chongrak WACHRINRAT saw a possibility to collaborate with Stanford University on the field of Artificial Technology and Big Data Management, which will serve the KU Smart Student policy that encourages the student to be familiar with the use of digital technology and international approach, as well as an exchange online classes between two universities amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stanford University is a well-known private university in the USA located in Stanford, California. Established in 1891, this university comprised of 7 schools for both undergraduate and graduate studies with a total number 16,000 student and also ranked number 2 by QS World University Ranking 2021.