Prince of Songkla University

Prince of Songkla University
มหาวิทยาลัยสงขลานครินทร์
Established	1967
Type	Public
Endowment	฿5.95 billion (31 December 2007)[1]
President	Boonsom Siribumrungsukha
Students	34,000 (2007)
Undergraduates	29,000 (2007)
Postgraduates	5,000 (2007)
Location	Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand 33°46′31″S 151°6′50″E / 33.77528°S 151.11389°E / -33.77528; 151.11389
Campus	Pattani, Phuket, Surat Thani, Trang
Colours	Blue
Affiliations	ASAIHL
Website	http://www.psu.ac.th

Prince of Songkla University was the first university in Southern Thailand, being established in 1967.^{[citation needed]} Citation provided at the University website www.psu.ac.th/en/node/28 The name of the university was granted by His Majesty the King in honor to His Royal Highness Somdej Chao Fa Mahidol Adulyadej Kromma Luang Songkla Nakarin, the king's father.

The university consists of four campuses and one education service area. In 1968, the first permanent campus was established in Pattani. The campus in Hat Yai was opened in 1971 and is now the main campus, having more than 50% of the university's students. Other campuses were established in Phuket (1977) and Surat Thani (1990). Additionally, Trang education service area was found in 1991. As 2007, the university offers 295 educational programs to its 34,000 students, including 18 international programs and 3 foreign language programs.^[1]

History

In 1962 the Department of Provincial Administration was assigned by the Thai government, through the Southern Development Committee, to initiate a project to set up a university in southern Thailand in accordance with the Southern Development plan. In 1965 the cabinet approved in principle, that the main campus of the university was to be at Ruesamilae, an urban area of Pattani.

Since the Pattani site is a seashore area, very high humidity and sea water vapor would lead to prohibitive maintenance cost for the up-keeping of the engineering laboratory equipments and engineering teaching facilities. It was agreed to relocate the Faculty of Engineering to a new site. After a long search, it was decided that the Faculty of Engineering should be located in Hat Yai District, Songkhla Province. Lady Atthakraweesunthorn agreed to donate a plot of land total 690 rai (approximately 276 acres) at Tambon Korhong, Hat Yai district, Songkla Province to be used as a new campus of Prince of Songkla University upon which the Faculty of Engineering would be located.

In 1968 the parliament passed Prince of Songkla University Act, which became effective on March 13 of that year. Prince of Songkla University thus proclaimed March 13 as its “Foundation Day”. In 1969, the construction at Hat Yai campus were started. On July 5, 1971 when it was partially completed, about two hundreds of all students and staffs of the Faculty of Engineering were moved to the new campus at Hat Yai.

Rankings

Prince of Songkla University is always in the top 10 universities of Thailand. The university made 481st in 2006^[2] and 525th in 2007^[3] in THES - QS World University Rankings which were 7th and 6th Thai university on the lists, respectively.

In the Webometrics Ranking of World Universities, the university well performs as a successful cyber-university in the country, it has topped the list of Thai universities for four consecutive times since 2008. Prince of Songkla University is the first Thai university to make top 400 (January 2008), top 300 (January 2009) and top 200 (July 2009) of the world rankings. In July 2009, the university was ranked 175th in the world, 18th in Asia and 2nd in the South-East Asia behind the National University of Singapore.^[4]

Faculties/Colleges/Units

Hat Yai Campus

Pattani Campus

Phuket Campus

Surat Thani Campus

Trang Education Service Area

• Faculty of Commercial and Management

References

External links

• PSU's English website
• About Hat Yai
• rak-mor-or.com <in Thai>

Coordinates: 7°00′33.03″N 100°29′51.66″E / 7.009175°N 100.4976833°E / 7.009175; 100.4976833