The Faculty of Political Science can be traced back to the Civil Servant Training School founded during the reign of King Rama V. It was later developed into the Royal Page School during the reign of King Rama VI. When Chulalongkorn University was officially established in March 1917, the Royal Page School was incorporated into the university. During the reign of King Rama VII, the School was renamed the Faculty of Public Administration and was subsequently merged with the Law School to form the Faculty of Law and Political Science.
In 1948, the Thai government decided to reopen the Faculty of Political Science at Chulalongkorn University. Since then, the Faculty has grown and evolved in step with Thai society. It has contributed knowledge to the nation through teaching, research, and community service. Generations of students and faculty members have played pivotal roles in significant historical events, as well as in national administration and development through service in both government agencies and the private sector. Over the course of more than seven decades, the Faculty has continually prepared the nation for global society and for the economic, social, and political transformations of an ever-changing world.
Politics and Global Studies (PGS) provides students with access to dynamic, multi-functional learning spaces designed to foster collaboration, creativity, and critical engagement. Our classrooms combine innovative design with cutting-edge educational technology to create open, stimulating, and student-centered environments that support a wide range of academic and community-oriented activities.
Located on the M Floor of the Kasem Utthayanin Building, the primary PGS classroom features movable tables and chairs, allowing for flexible configurations tailored to lectures, group discussions, workshops, and interactive sessions. A unique feature of the space is a relaxed open area with wooden steps at the back of the room, offering a comfortable setting for informal learning, reflection, or creative collaboration. The space is also well-suited for hosting seminars, book talks, policy competitions, and academic or social events.
An additional PGS classroom, located on the 7th Floor of the same building, is designed as a technology-enhanced learning studio. This environment supports an array of pedagogical approaches with features such as multi-functional digital screens that connect to both personal and shared devices—ideal for presentations, debates, interactive quizzes, and multimedia discussions.
Trapezoid-shaped movable tables encourage group work and flexible arrangements, while a high-speed Wi-Fi network, interactive whiteboard, and cloud-based platforms further enrich the learning experience. These spaces embody the PGS commitment to creating environments that inspire intellectual curiosity, inclusivity, and real-world engagement.
Rufus D. Smith and Chamnan Yuvapurana Library
Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University
The library is thoughtfully designed by Nita Yuvaboon and Prow Puttorngul, an architectural team from Nitaprow. Their design incorporates a campus scene of historic buildings, legendary furniture from our old library, and modern amenities to allow for study comfort and idea exchange.
As daylight or natural light plays a key role in the design and planning of the library. The main reading area finds its most appealing position along the north facade where for an extended amount of time, students can enjoy the soft and cool northern light with a lush scenic view. The main book stacks are placed in rows perpendicular to the south facade serving as a passive tool in filtering the heat and the strong sunlight flooding into space and directly onto the books.
Read more about the design of the library here
Our award-winning library is one of Thailand's most well-known social science libraries, and it plays an important role in providing teaching and learning opportunities on campus.
The library was established in 1948 at the Samranrat Borirak Building. Professor Rufus Daniel Smith of New York University, USA, who received a Fulbright scholarship to teach Comparative Politics at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Political Science in 1951, assisted in the establishment of the library by requesting donations of social science books and journals from foundations and universities in the United States. It is regarded as the foundation of the Faculty of Political Science's library service, making it Thailand's first library and a vital source of social science research. Later, the library was relocated to the Kasem-Utayanin Building. It was moved to the ground floor of the Wisit Prachuabmuah Building in 1975, and on September 8, 2014, it was relocated to the third floor of the Kasem Uthayanin Building (60 years of Political Science, Chula) and renamed the “Rufus D. Smith and Chamnan Yuvapurana Library” after the names of the most recent contributors to the library.
Chulalongkorn’s Green Campus
The UI-Green Metric for City Center Campus 2018 ranks Chulalongkorn University's green and sustainable campus first in the country and 14th in the world.
According to research, a good environment improves education. As advancements are made, they must be done in a sustainable manner so that future generations can benefit as well.
Chulalongkorn University takes this seriously and has now implemented the Green Chula policy, which encourages the development of innovations and practises that will both sustain and protect the university's environment, as well as the surrounding community, the country, and the planet as a whole.
More information about our sustainable campus activities can be found here.
The university also actively implements the Chula Zero Waste programme, a collaborative effort between Chulalongkorn University's Environmental Research Institute, Physical Resources Management Office, and the CU faculty and student network to reduce waste on campus to zero. This decision reaffirms the university's commitment to being a sustainable "green" university that focuses on environmental conservation with the help of Chula community members.
For more information and updates, visit the Chula Zero Waste Facebook.