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October, 2026
The Center of Innovation for Society (CIS), King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), continues to strengthen its international academic partnership with Chiba University, Japan, focusing on innovative graduate education, industry-embedded research, entrepreneurship development, and the expansion of academic collaboration across Southeast Asia.
From 23–25 October 2026, Asst. Prof. Pronyos Chattarakul, Head of CIS and Visiting Researcher at Chiba University, visited Chiba University for strategic discussions with Prof. Hiroaki Ozawa, Executive Vice President, and Prof. Hikari Ishido, Deputy Vice President, on developing new approaches to master's and doctoral education through Hybrid Learning and Industry-Embedded Research.
The proposed educational model aims to integrate academic learning with real-world research experiences, connecting graduate students with industries, communities, and interdisciplinary research environments.
A key focus was the strategic expansion of the Social Design Institute (SDI), a collaborative initiative between KMUTT and Chiba University in Thailand, towards becoming Chiba University's Academic and Research Hub in Southeast Asia. This initiative aims to establish a regional platform for graduate education, joint research, academic mobility, and industry collaboration, leveraging CIS's extensive networks of academic institutions, industries, and communities across ASEAN.
During the visit, Pronyos also visited the Center for Entrepreneurship at Chiba University, where he held discussions with Prof. Daisuke Katagiri and Prof. Kotaro Takeda on expanding collaboration in Creative Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurship Development across Southeast Asia. The discussions explored opportunities to connect Japanese expertise in entrepreneurship and innovation with ASEAN's emerging creative industries, startup ecosystems, and regional business networks.
Beyond institutional discussions, Pronyos was invited to deliver a lecture and facilitate an interactive learning session entitled “ASEAN Beyond the Classroom”, together with Prof. Hikari Ishido, under the theme: “Think Beyond Borders, Learn with Communities, Design for ASEAN.” The session encouraged Chiba University students to explore the social, economic, cultural, and environmental dynamics shaping Southeast Asian countries. Through country persona development and comparative discussions, students examined national characteristics, cultural diversity, emerging challenges, and future opportunities across ASEAN. The activity aimed to broaden students' regional perspectives and encourage them to connect academic knowledge with real-world contexts and cross-cultural understanding.
This visit marks another significant step in the long-term collaboration between CIS, KMUTT, and Chiba University, moving beyond traditional academic exchange towards the development of an integrated regional ecosystem for education, research, entrepreneurship, and social innovation.
Through the continued development of the Social Design Institute, both universities share a vision of creating new opportunities for students, researchers, industries, and communities to collaborate across borders, transforming academic partnerships into meaningful regional impact.
From Academic Collaboration to a Regional Learning and Research Ecosystem.
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