Khon Kaen University

Khon Kaen University or KKU is a public research university in Thailand. It was the first university established in northeastern Thailand and remains the oldest and largest university in the region. The university is a hub of education in northeast Thailand. It is widely recognized university in Asia. KKU offers a wide range of programs: its comprehensive academic program offers 105 undergraduate majors, along with 129 master's degree programs, and 59 doctoral programs. Khon Kaen University was ranked 21st in Southeast Asia by Time Higher Education in 2009, and 4th in Thailand by The Office of Higher Education Commission.HistoryIn 1941, during the reign of the King Ananda Mahidol and during the time of Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram as prime minister, a plan was drawn up to improve continued education throughout Thailand. There were plans to open a university in Ubon Ratchathani Province, but the Second World War broke out. Thailand was forced into siding with Japan. Plans to build universities in northeast Thailand were shelved. It wasn't until 1960 that plans to open more institutions of further education in the northeast would resume.In 1962, under the governance of Prime Minister Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat, the proposition to open an institution of further education in the academic fields of engineering and advanced agriculture was passed. Thus, the Khon Kaen Institute of Technology was born. It later became known as the "University of North East Thailand". Because there was no government office that would take responsibility for managing the university directly, the government set up a national education council. This council was responsible for establishing a national curriculum and obtaining assistance from abroad.