Khon Kaen University (KKU) was one of four regional universities established in 1964 as part of a decentralized development plan for higher education in Thailand. The campus is located in the northwest sector of Khon Kaen, just a few kilometres from the center of the city. Situated in a most attractive park, the campus covers approximately 900 hectares. From small beginnings, KKU has grown enormously and is today home to more than 2,110 staff in seventeen faculties, four academic support centers, two academic services centers, a hospital and many research institutes, centres of excellence and specialist centres. Currently KKU has 59 international faculty staff and another 255 staff from other countries are coming as visiting lecturers or researchers. Our staff, 270, was visiting other countries on various exchange programs. KKU has a student population of nearly 24,000 undergraduates; 314 of these will undertake an exchange with another country, and additionally 167 students will arrive on exchange from other countries. There are currently over 9700 postgraduates studying for higher degrees at KKU, and 114 of these are international students. There will also be 89 inbound and 184 outbound postgraduate student exchanges this academic year. Although many students are housed in one of the 25 Halls of Residence, some students choose to find their own accommodation off campus. KKU is the largest education and learning center in the Northeast of Thailand, and is recognized as the leader of new innovations in teaching and learning and research in the region. Khon Kaen city is the trade and administrative hub of the Northeast and is on a main transport route between the south and the Mekong Sub-region, and thus KKU is ideally placed to support the development of the Northeast and its neighboring counties.
