UNC expands educational program with Thai university

UNC and a university in Thailand are expanding their partnership to deliver an education program for undergraduate students.

The University of Northern Colorado and Burapha University will offer the five-year program, in which the Burapha students enrolled in the program will complete liberal arts core requirements at Burapha, transfer to UNC to complete their degree and return to Thailand to complete their teaching license.

Northern Colorado President Kay Norton and Burapha President Sompol Pongthai formalized the agreement May 30 at a ceremony in the University Center. The first 10 students to transfer from Burapha also attended the ceremony.

Over the past two years, about 100 faculty and graduate students from the two universities have participated in an exchange program, which has been led by College of Education and Behavioral Sciences Dean Eugene Sheehan.

Several UNC teacher candidates have completed their student teaching at Burapha, and Sheehan was awarded an honorary doctorate from Burapha last October in recognition for establishing the exchange program.