Role and Preparations of the Educational Institutions towards the Creative Economy of Thailand

Abstract

This paper uses the descriptive research approach to study the opinion on
creative economy and educational development to be consistent with the creative
economy and possibility of developing creative universities. Questionnaire is used as a
data collection instrument research instrument, while the reliable coefficient (alpha) is
applied for test reliability. The sampling group used in this research is 400 instructors
in the higher education. The research results found the instructors agreed very much
that the creative ideas, utilized in creating jobs and incomes linking the economy,
culture and society are reacted with technology, intellectual property and tourism,
could help to promote social activities, support cultural diversity and human
resources.
The instructors agreed very much that an increase of working skills and
entrepreneurship to the students the universities have to give more priority than at
the present, and the skills and diverse fields of the students are success to the
creative economy in the future. In addition, the instructors agreed very much that
universities have to create the environment and facilities to create new ideas for
students, open the opportunity for students to share and express ideas together
creatively. It includes the government should support a budget for universities to
develop creative ideas by creating the learning system and research in response to the
demand of the business/industry sector.
The instructors agreed very much that their universities should teach the
students to think outside the parameters, create different ideas and emphasize the
students to learn how to solve the problems from actual working, having an R&D on
innovation, invention and new ideas jointly with external organizations. Business
organizations have a vision to develop into a research university, by emphasizing
students to apply the creative knowledge/ideas to the real business. However, they
deemed that domestic universities cannot compete on creative ideas with foreign
universities in actuality, as the foreign universities always hold competitions of
innovation development. We have to promote the instructors to work in actuality with
external organizations and emphasize students to invent new innovations that can
become real business, which they deemed universities have an important role towards
the creative economy of Thailand.