Officials from the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHSRI) on Monday met representatives of Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) to discuss the development of the nation's human resources through Thai-Kosen institutes.
MHSRI minister Supamas Isarabhakdi and METI minister Yasuthoshi Nishimura met on Monday to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Asean-Japan friendship and cooperation.
After the meeting, Ms Supamas said relevant agencies from both countries -- including Thailand's National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) and Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation (NEDO) -- had signed a memorandum of understanding to boost the number of skilled graduates, in an effort to boost innovation across various industries.
Mr Nishimura said that it is important for both countries to develop both technology and human resources through various programmes initiated by the Japanese government.
Upgrading the nation's human resources will lead to increased economic activity, which will benefit both Thailand and Japan, he said.
Thai-Kosen institutes were established in 2019 with the goal of producing skilled graduates who are able to compete in the modern labour market.
Both Kosen-KMUTT at King Mongkut's University of Technology, Thonburi (KMUTT), and Kosen-KMITL at King Mongkut Institute of Technology, Lat Krabang (KMITL) are run under the supervision of the Kosen Institute of Japan.
They use the same curriculum as similar schools in Japan.
The first group of students is expected to graduate next year, according to Ms Supamas.
She said Kosen graduates will be an essential part of the nation's labour force, which will help with the country's development in the future.