The higher education ministry is trying to find a way to help a former lecturer who is being sued by her university to return scholarship funds after she quit her position because of mental health problems.
Prapakorn Winaisathaporn had petitioned the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation to look into her case, said Dr Phetdao Tohmeena, an adviser to the minister, Supamas Isarabhakdi.
Ms Prapakorn is seeking justice from the ministry as she says mental illness had left her unable to continue working as required to repay the cost of her PhD scholarship.
Mae Fah Luang University in Chiang Rai is suing the former lecturer known as “Dr Keng” for 16 million baht in compensation. The university said in a statement that she did not file any documents to support her claims of psychological problems when she resigned.
Dr Phetdao said the ministry is coordinating efforts with relevant agencies and the university to find a suitable job for the former lecturer so that she could earn money to repay her scholarship, based on humanitarian principles and the benefits for the country.
She said the former lecturer’s new job must suit her capabilities and have a proper work environment.
Earlier, a representative of the university workers’ union submitted a complaint about Ms Prapakorn’s case to Takorn Tantasith, chairman of the House Committee on Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation. Mr Takorn met with university officials on Dec 14 to try to resolve the matter.
Ms Prapakorn obtained scholarships in 2008 from the university and the Ministry of Science and Technology, as it was then known, to pursue a doctoral degree at the University of Kent in England.
She graduated and returned to work at the university in August 2013, but in August 2014 she tendered her resignation. The university sued her and the Administrative Court in Chiang Mai ordered her to repay the funds. She filed an appeal to the Supreme Administrative Court this year.
Ministry of Finance rules exempt scholarship awardees from repaying funds if they are diagnosed with a mental illness that affects their ability to repay.