Kasetsart University in Thailand: An Analysis of Institutional Evolution and Development Impact

摘要

In assessing the direct impacts of Kasetsart University on the agricultural sector and rural development in Thailand, the evaluation team selected 10 accomplishments for special attention. One outstanding impact has been through the work of the National Corn and Sorghum Research Program, a cooperative program involving the university, the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, and the Rockefeller Foundation. In addition, the university has influenced the development of a domestic tropical fruit industry that is acknowledged to be the leader in Southeast Asia--and possibly the world. Kasetsart faculty have also made significant contributions to the development of local specialty crops, including honey, straw mushrooms, tropical orchids, and the world-famous Thai silk. Animal scientists, fishery specialists, and food product development experts at the university have all contributed to supplying the Thai people with high-quality, low-cost protein supplements for their diets. Specialists in Thailand have become increasingly concerned with problems of environmental degradation and natural resource management. The major indirect impact of Kasetsart University has been through its thousands of graduates now employed in Government agricultural agencies, in the three new regional agricultural universities, and, increasingly, in private sector firms.