Recently, “The Mission Transfer from TSRI to NRCT on the Royal Golden Jubilee Ph.D. Programme (RGJ PhD Programme)” Ceremony was held by The Thailand Science Research and Innovation (TSRI) and the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT), at TSRI, SM Tower, to officially pass on the 22nd RGJ Scholarship and the ongoing 20th and 21st RGJ Scholarships to NRCT.
Professor Dr. Paisan Kittisupakorn, Director of the Strategic Performance Unit and Organization’s Innovation, in charge of the RGJ-PhD Programme, shared that this programme was initiated in 1996 to commemorate the Fiftieth Anniversary of His Majesty, the Late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, and the programme has awarded approximately 250 PhD scholarships each year and has become the country’s main and best known researcher training venture. Since 1999, the RGJ-PhD Programme has been awarded to 5,168 students, of which about 3,600 students have already graduated and produced 8,584 international publications. The success of the programme is shown by its high impact on Thailand in terms of producing a large number of PhD graduates and research outputs to international standards, it has strengthened graduate education in the Thai university system, promoting collaborations between Thai and overseas researchers and, saving a budget for the overseas study of PhD students.
Moreover, the RGJ graduates have worked as university lecturers or researchers both in government institutes as in private sectors, which has strengthened the research system in Thailand, maintaining the collaboration with overseas partners and created new collaboration amongst universities, the government and private sectors, to carry out research to solve the country’s problems and respond to the country’s niche issues.
Professor Suthipun Jitpimonpard, TSRI Director, expressed to the Royal Thai Government Gazette 2019, that “The Thailand Research Fund (TRF), under the Office of the Prime Minister and the Royal Thai Government, has been transformed into the national budget allocator named “Thailand Science Research and Innovation (TSRI)”, under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation since 2nd May 2019. Hence, the RGJ PhD Programme under TSRI shall be transferred to NRCT, passing on the grant for the 22nd Scholarship and the ongoing 20th and 21st Scholarships and their respective budgets (RGJ 20th – 231 grants and RGJ 21st – 221 grants), as well as RGJ research management for producing the highly qualified workforce to serve our country in the future”.
Professor Sirirurg Songsivilai, NRCT Director, remarked that NRCT would like to thank the TRSI Director, Executives, and RGJ staff, who have worked well and managed the RGJ Scholarship for 20 years. NRCT has assured its dedication in continuing this mission and has co-operated with TSRI to create and set the direction of Thailand’s workforce efficiently.
