การประชุ
มวิ
ชาการและเสนอผลงานวิ
จั
ย มหาวิ
ทยาลั
ยทั
กษิ
ณ ครั้
งที่
19 ประจำป
2552
Conclusion
The text boxes headed ‘Food for Thought’ capture the flow of the argument presented here
and may be summarized as follows. Since research approaches and development practice tend to
follow modes that have evolved to suit specific cultural and industrial models that are constantly
in flux, they may not serve as either state-of-the-art or relevant models for countries in different
situations. This observation and current experience suggests that applied research may offer a better
model than R&D for university-based research in the service of southern Thai communities.
Likewise, the foreign concept of Community Development as conceived by persons or organizations
outside a community may not be in that community’s interests. To create a specific and informed
approach to applied research for supporting local communities requires local knowledge and
awareness, and confidence to sometimes challenge national and international norms. In this way,
discipline specificities that relate to the region and its geographical, economic, ethnic and other
integrities would orient research to regional communities and their development. As university
research is mainly conducted through integrated graduate research programs that focus on regional
matters within a well-informed social context, the social sciences can inform technological research in
the broad regional programs that suit the self-organising communities of transitional border regions.
This dense summary indicates that university-based research in the region is best focussed
on graduate research, and hence requires refocus away from course-work masters degrees. This
will free valuable staff from lecturing modes and involve them in research as supervisors
of graduate students who will become a future pool of researchers and research supervisors.
Other staff will necessarily become teaching-only staff.
Such an approach is consistent with a university’s responsibilities of relevance, objectivity
and quality within an educational framework that is robust enough to withstand the whims of
development practice and government policy. By such responsible management, universities may
fill their enduring place as bastions of knowledge critical to society’s wellbeing and continuity.
By focusing on graduate research training in
fields of direct regional relevance, a demand for cultural
sensitivity and relevance creates a role for cultural
centres of excellence. By adopting international
practices and standards in these endeavours, a viable
future for responsible universities may be seen for
the region, on both sides of the border.
