University-Industry Linkages in the Disaster Resilience Sector: A Case Study of Thailand

Abstract

Abstract University-industry linkages in the Disaster Resilience Sector in Thailand were studied at two main levels: the national level and the institutional level. Comparisons were made of specific data such as the linkage structures, lessons learnt, policies and barriers, between Thailand and developed countries such as the United Kingdom. This analysis was done to identify the key elements, factors and contexts in constructing and maintaining university-industry linkages in various spectrums and approaches, and to apply these to the Disaster Resilience Sector. These results can be further developed as guidelines for universities in developing countries that wish to develop university-industry linkages. The study also addressed a specific university-industry linkage called ‘secondment plan’ which includes university policies on the detachment of university staff from their regular work or position in the university for temporary assignment in industry sectors. For this part, the Talent Mobility Project, a governmental project that supports Thai university staff, particularly academic staff, in doing cooperative work with the industry sector, was analysed. This project is the responsibility of the National Science Technology and Innovation Policy Office (STI) of Thailand. The weakness and the strengths of this project were identified through interviews with senior staff of STI, Science Park and Naresuan University. The results have been developed into a guidelines model for universities in developing countries.