Chula Joins the Move for Economic Advancement with Thai Soft Power through Research and Innovations

Thai soft power is trending at the moment. This trend helped revive the Thai economy and tourism after the great slump of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2022) during which the number of tourists declined by more than a hundredfold. Yet, in 2023, tourism has swung back to 80 percent growth, and more than 30 million foreign tourists are expected to visit Thailand.

Asst. Prof. Dr. Ake Pattaratanakun, Chula's Chief Brand Officer, Head of the Marketing Department, at Chulalongkorn Business School, and Board member of the Office of Creative Economy Agency (CEA) (Public Organization), which is responsible for overseeing Thailand's soft power promotion, discusses the strengths of Thai Soft Power and Chula's stance to drive it.

Thai Soft Power has many dimensions. What sets Thai Soft Power apart is its blend of vibrant culture with flexibility, informality, and friendliness, which remains intact even when mixed with other cultures, much like a 'melting pot', as highlighted in the study by the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University

As a leading educational institution in Thailand, Chulalongkorn University plays a crucial role in the development of leaders who will drive Thai soft power through programs of various faculties, such as the Faculties of Fine and Applied Arts, Art Education, Architecture, and Arts, to name a few.  In addition, Chula also offers specific programs to build the soft power knowledge base, such as the long-standing Graduate School's master's degree program in Cultural Management.

Examples of Chula projects related to soft power in the areas of language, arts, culture, tourism, economy, and business, are as follows:

• Insight Wat Pho Application for tourism at Wat Pho 
• Creative Luk Thung (Folk Music) Project 
• Thai Language Courses for Foreigners 
• TV Drama Innovation Project for the Promotion of Cultural Industry 4.0
• Model research to develop a full range of woven textile culture capital
• The Top Corporate Brand Success Valuation Research

"These are what Chula has carried out to drive Thai soft power. We have created the future leaders for soft power and will continue to do so to grow the Thai economy sustainably," Asst. Prof. Dr. Ake concluded.

Read more at https://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/133305/

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