Thai students will now be able to study for a double bachelor's degree in artificial intelligence and robotics engineering.
Chulalongkorn University (CU) and King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL) on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to provide the first such course in the country.
According to the agreement, engineering faculties at both universities will share resources and personnel in a programme that will be will be heavily project-based. Students will be awarded two degrees, from both CU and KMITL, when they graduate after spending four years studying at both campuses. Admissions for the 40-student programme will start this August.
CU's rector Bundit Euaarporn, said the cooperation agreement is a win-win situation for both universities as they can share expertise and halve their operational expense at the same time.
"Moreover, it's also a win for the government and the country because artificial intelligence and robotics engineering are fields crucial to the Thailand 4.0 vision," he said.
According to KMITL, the country has only 2,000 artificial intelligence and robotics engineers with demand for qualified individuals in this field set to rise to 10,000 positions per year.
The MoU is the first collaboration between local universities, which usually pair up with foreign institutions. "We have traditionally viewed each other as competitors. I think now it's time that we change our mindset and cooperate more," Mr Bundit said.
Meanwhile, the universities also signed another agreement to collaborate on another double bachelor's degree programme in Electrical and Computer Engineering.
This second programme will be taught under the CMKL University umbrella, a joint institute established by Pittsburgh's Carnegie Mellon University in the US and KMITL.