The Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy and the Faculty of Science at Chulalongkorn University have signed an MOU to develop a combined undergraduate and master’s programme entitled the Master of Science in Business (MSB). This pioneering initiative is the first of its kind in Thailand and aims to meet the evolving needs of the future job market through the creation of a curriculum that integrates interdisciplinary science knowledge with entrepreneurial skills development.

The MSB programme is specifically designed for science undergraduates who have no work experience, enabling them to gain a business master’s degree within a year. It covers five core disciplines: Accounting, Finance, Management, Marketing, Statistics, and Data Science, along with the latest subjects aimed at transforming students into business professionals. This collaboration with the schools of biological and other sciences provides students from non-business backgrounds with the opportunity to study business alongside their current degree for an additional year, without the necessity for work experience. Dr Wiliwan Puriwat, the Dean of the Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy at Chulalongkorn Business School, sees this as a significant step in interdisciplinary collaboration between the two faculties. Its objective is to broaden students’ business knowledge, creating scientists skilled in business for the innovation of products or services in both the public and private sectors.

Source: https://www.thairath.co.th/news/local/2738463

What this means for the UK sector

This new initiative at Chulalongkorn reflects Thailand’s strong focus on developing human talent with the skills necessary to thrive in the areas of science, innovation, and entrepreneurship. The novelty of such a programme and its relevance will likely see the MSB and similar programmes gaining much interest from Thai students in the future. UK HEIs could benefit from the rising demand for entrepreneurial and business development courses by enhancing and promoting their entrepreneurial degree offerings. This should also spur UK HEIs to consider the potential for developing interdisciplinary joint programmes or incorporating interdisciplinary courses into curriculum design, either at the home campus or in collaboration with TNE partners in Thailand.