On June 6, 2022, Dean of KKU’s Faculty of Interdisciplinary Studies (IS-KKU), Asst. Prof. (Dr.) Kiat Sangaroon signed a Memorandum of Understanding with U.S. Non-Profit Corporation, China-Mekong Law Center (CMLC), represented by the CMLC President and Advisor to IS-KKU, Daniel Jay Mitterhoff.  The MOU now formalizes cooperation between IS-KKU and CMLC that stretches back to 2017. Since 2017, CMLC has financially supported various activities to strengthen legal studies at KKU’s Nongkhai Campus including:

1) Providing Furniture, Workspaces, and a Conference Room Set Needed by the Faculty (2017); 

2) Promoting and Coordinating Cooperative Relationships and the Signing of Cooperative Agreements between IS-KKU and Regional Law School Partners (2017-Present);

3) Sponsoring an Experimental Program of CMLC’s “Mekong Region Legal Studies Program,” consisting of a Full-Semester of English Language Courses Attending by 15 Students from throughout the GMS (Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam) at the Nongkhai Campus. Full Scholarships Were Provided by CMLC to All Students (2018);

4) Securing a Grant from the International Center for Not-For-Profit Law to Design a New Course (with Full Syllabus and All Reading Materials) on “Civil Society Organizations and Public Participation in Development” in the English, Thai and Lao languages. (2019);

5) Full-Funding for All Participants to Attend a Workshop on “Establishing an Agriculture Law Studies Program: Training Lawyers to Represent Rural Communities,” a Joint Endeavor of KKU-Nongkhai Campus and Vermont Law School (USA) Attended by Experts and Academics from Throughout the Greater Mekong Region, the USA and Australia. (2019); and,

6) Scholarship Support for Myanmar Students to Pursue the LL.M. Degree (English Language, Research Track) at the Law Department of IS-KKU (2019-Present).

The cooperation between IS-KKU and CMLC provides a strong foundation for developing greater substantive academic programs and further educational innovations going forward.  The plan is for IS-KKU, with CMLC’s advise and support, to seek KKU university-level approval for launching a new M.A. Degree in “Mekong Region Law and Development” at KKU’s Nongkhai Campus.  Toward this end, the parties are now working on an implementation agreement and funding plan to establish the new degree.

 

News: Faculty of Interdisciplinary Studies (IS-KKU)