Asian University, Thailand

A boutique international university, AU offers world-class engineering and business study programmes in academic collaboration with the highly reputed Imperial College, London

Sited a mere two hours from Bangkok in the coastal town of Pattaya, (pop.104,000) Asian University (AU, estb. 1994) is a boutique international university offering bachelor and Masters study programmes in engineering, business and liberal arts to 200 students including 34 foreign students from 19 countries worldwide.

Asian University’s study programmes, offered in academic collaboration with the Imperial College London, recently rated No.6 in the QS-Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2008, are widely respected for giving students in Asia the opportunity to avail an internationally validated curriculum at one third of the price — Rs.4.5 lakh per year (cf. Rs.14 lakh in the UK). The memorandum of understanding for academic collaboration was signed in 1993 between Lord Ronald Oxburgh, then rector of Imperial College, London and Dr. Viphandh Roengpithya, founder-president of Asian University, following which AU admitted its first batch of 50 students in 1998.

“The unique characteristic of Asian University is that our academic curriculum is validated by the world’s most respected science and engineering institute of higher education: Imperial College London. Therefore the medium of instruction is English with our specially chosen faculty of 50, most of whom are native English speakers, adhering to  Imperial College standards and norms. Classes are small with a 1:4 teacher-pupil ratio allowing for personalised instruction and mentoring. Moreover with the centre of business and commerce shifting eastwards to China and South-east Asia, AU students have great opportunities to intern and work in Asia and Thailand in particular,” says Dr. Roengpithya, a successful serial entrepreneur who conceptualised and founded Asian University in 1994.

Among the top 50 students in Thailand, Roengpithya won a scholarship to study electronics engineering at Imperial College London in the early 1960s, and pressed on to be awarded a Ph D by UK’s blue-chip engineering education institute. In 1968 he signed up with the Boston-based General Telephone and Electronics Inc. before returning to Thailand in 1974 as managing director of ITT Thailand Ltd (1974-81). In 1981 he accepted an offer to work with the Italthai Group, quitting in 1983 to promote his own company Viptel Co. Ltd and subsequently Draco PCB Ltd in 1989. In 1994 with the objective of promoting a world-class university in Thailand, Dr. Roengpithya put together a consortium of share-holders and raised US$35 million (Rs.160 crore) to promote Asian University.

“In the next one year, we’ve set a target of enrolling another 150 foreign students, including 50 from India. In the long term we hope to increase our enrollment to 1,000, our maximum capacity,” says Roengpithya.

Apart from offering undergraduate degrees in engineering and postgrad programmes in business management, the AU campus also houses The College, a higher secondary school offering day and boarding international education to class X, XI and XII students.

Pattaya. A mere two hour drive on a super eight-lane expressway from Bangkok, Pattaya is a popular beach holiday destination. A former fishing village, Pattaya buzzes with shopping malls, local markets, massage parlours, bars and restaurants. For those who want to let their hair down, Pattaya’s numerous bars, discothèques and restaurants offer plenty of action. Walking Street, the epicentre of the city’s swinging nightlife has everything from karaoke bars to adult entertainment. The locals are warm, friendly, and hospitable and the city is safe for visitors.

Jomtein Beach, located near the university campus, is clean and popular for a wide array of watersport activities including jet skiing, parasailing and small sail boat (Hobie Cat) rentals. The islands of Koh Lan, Koh Sak and Ko Krok, which can be reached by ferry or speedboat, offer excellent diving, snork-elling and swimming opportunities. The university campus is a 40 minute drive from Pattaya city centre.

Campus facilities. Spread across 200 acres on the foothills overlooking Jomtein Beach in Chonburi province, the AU campus is sited 20 km east of Pattaya and 120 km from Bangkok. The thoroughly modern campus comprises academic buildings, well-equipped laboratories, dormitories, and a sports centre. In the red-tiled academic building, which is the epicentre of the campus, there are three computer laboratories fully equipped with networked computers, and a well-stocked library. Moreover under a special inter-library loan service, Asian U students can borrow books and documents from other university libraries across Thailand.

Sports facilities include a well equipped, 5,031 sq. m, two-storey sports centre, gymnasium, soccer fields and outdoor basketball courts. Games and sports on offer include basketball, table tennis, badminton, squash, football, volley ball, petanque, unihoc and sailing. On the social and cultural front, the university students union hosts events through the year. Other on-campus facilities include two cafeterias and a mini-mart.

Admission. The minimum eligibility requirement for admission into Asian University’s undergraduate programmes is completion of class XII/Plus Two. Foreign students must also show proof of proficiency in English — a minimum of 550 in TOEFL or 6.0 in IELTS is acceptable. Alternatively they need to clear AU’s in-house U Level Assessment test. For the postgrad MBA programme, a bachelor’s degree and acceptable TOEFL/ IELTS scores are mandatory. International students who don’t meet the university’s entrance requirements have the option of enrolling in its foundation courses in English, information technology and math.

For admission into the term beginning in late August 2009, completed application forms with a fee of US$20 (Rs.1,000) must reach the admissions office by June. For further information contact the Admission Office, Chonburi Campus, 89 Moo, 12 Highway 331, Hua Yai, Banglamung, Chonburi 20150, Thailand or 18th Floor Kian Gwan Building 2, 140/1 Wireless Road, Bangkok 10330, Thailand. Ph: 66-2-253- 4771; e-mail:admissions@asianust. ac.th; website: www.asianust.ac.th.

Accommodation. Asian U offers four interconnected dormitory buildings on campus with a total of 280 rooms (for 560 residents). Each room is furnished for double occupancy with beds, wardrobes, study desks, open chests, an air-conditioning unit, and en suite bathrooms. The cafeteria in the dormitory building serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Some students choose to live off campus, in Jomtien or Pattaya. There are many studios, flats and houses to rent, at varying prices.

Degree programmes. Asian U offers four-year undergraduate degree programmes across the faculties of engineering, business, and liberal arts, an 18-month MBA and a two-year MSM in business management (see box).

Summiya Yasmeen