On 25 March 2025, Dr. Usanee Patapsikij Lertrattananon, Thammasat Assistant Rector for International Affairs, led a round table discussion titled “UK-Southeast Asia Partnership: Prospects and Challenges for Research Collaboration in the Humanities and Social Sciences in a STEM-Dominated World”. The event took place at the Chitti Tingsabadh Conference Room, Faculty of Law on Thammasat’s Tha Prachan campus.
The panel featured distinguished executives from Thammasat’s Faculties of Law, Political Science, and Economics, alongside their counterparts from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), representing the Faculties of Humanities and Social Sciences, Law, Arts, Politics and International Relations, Geography, Business, and Management. The QUML delegation was led by Dr. Matthieu Burnay, Dean International – Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Key Discussion Points
The discussion focused on strengthening collaboration in the Humanities and Social Sciences (HHS) and exploring strategies to integrate these disciplines with technology-driven fields. Both institutions shared insights into research interests and explored potential areas of joint studies. Key challenges, such as securing research funding and expanding opportunities for cross-disciplinary initiatives, were also addressed.
Queen Mary University highlighted its “Shape Health” program, which integrates Humanities with Medical Technology to foster interdisciplinary innovations. This initiative aims to create new learning and research opportunities for students across STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and HHS fields.
Future Collaboration Plans
Thammasat and QMUL identified several mutual areas of interest, including:
- Support for young researchers and emerging scholars.
- Social Innovation and interdisciplinary research.
- Doctoral exchange programs and the 1+1 master’s degree mode.
To deepen academic ties, both universities agreed to collaborate at the university-level through student and faculty exchange programs, joint research initiatives, and internship opportunities.
