Research serves as a critical process for knowledge discovery and creation, forming a cornerstone of quality higher education. This aligns with SDG 4: Quality Education, which emphasizes lifelong learning and essential 21st-century competencies. The Department of Thai Language at Burapha University recognizes the need for students to develop profound academic understanding in Thai linguistics, literature, classical literary studies, and folklore, alongside the ability to transform such knowledge into valuable research with tangible societal benefits. Accordingly, the Bachelor of Arts Program in Thai Language (Revised Curriculum, 2021) incorporates two core courses—Thai Independent Study 1 and 2—to strengthen students’ research methodology, data analysis, and systematic academic presentation skills.
The curriculum also encourages students to engage with social equity issues, particularly gender equality, women’s roles, child development, and social gender diversity, directly reflecting SDG 5: Gender Equality under the commitment to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. Furthermore, the department aims to cultivate academic collaboration networks and foster inclusive knowledge exchange with the public, echoing SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals. In response, the “Research Forum” project was established to provide fourth-year students a platform to present completed research to a broader academic and public audience, promote peer learning and research discourse, raise awareness of research importance, encourage gender-related research topics that reflect societal diversity, and enhance key 21st-century skills—especially digital presentation literacy, English abstract translation, teamwork, and leadership. Students conduct research on self-selected topics within linguistics, literature, and folklore throughout one academic semester, and presentations are organized into three thematic rooms: Thai linguistics research, literature research, and literature with folklore research.
The forum is scheduled for 13 November 2025, serving as a structured, creative academic communication stage for knowledge dissemination. The project’s impacts indicate that students gain opportunities to publicly present research, engage in academic knowledge exchange with faculty and participants, expand and apply knowledge in ways that support gender equity and social diversity, and contribute to sustainable student development through strengthened digital, English, teamwork, and leadership competencies, thereby reinforcing SDG goals across education quality, gender equality, and institutional and societal research partnerships.
Project Leaders: Asst. Prof. Dr. Chittapa Sarapadnuke Chaipunya and Ms. Kanrapee Somchit (lecturer)
