UK university to open Bangkok campus

23 Jan 2012

A northern English university has announced that it will open a new campus in Bangkok in 2014. The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), which has campuses in Preston and Burnley, announced last week that it had reached an agreement with Thai entrepreneur Sitichai Charoenkajonkul to establish a Bangkok facility.

Under the terms of the £7.5million (367 million Baht) deal the UCLan Bangkok facility will initially only offer fashion design degrees. When it opens in June 2014 it will cater to 800 students. There are then plans to expand it over the following decade to accommodate 5,000 students.

Once the UCLan Bangkok campus has reached capacity it will offer foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in subjects such as business, languages, engineering and the performing arts.

When UCLan Bangkok opens in 2014 it will provide the opportunity for UK BA Eastern Fashion Design students to visit and learn in Bangkok, and Thai students to do the same in the UK.

A UCLan spokesperson said that it was a great deal for students in both countries because they would be able to study in each other’s countries without the hassle of going through an exchange programme. Malcolm McVicar, UCLan vice-chancellor, said the chance of being the first UK university with a campus in Thailand would expand its international links and give students wider experience.

UCLan already has partnerships and agreements in place with a number of other overseas learning establishments which include the University of Hanoi in Vietnam and Shenzhen in China.

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