Thai Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS) on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding with Stamford International University (Thailand) to collaborate in teaching and learning in various fields to provide students with real-life experience.

The agreement will provide for internship and cooperative education support aimed at developing knowledge and skills of students, especially in the field of communication arts. The goal is to make them job-ready for media organizations, as well as being professionals committed to ethics and integrity.

Signing the document on behalf of Thai PBS was its Director General Assoc. Prof. Dr. Wilasinee Phiphitkul, while the Stamford International University (Thailand) was represented by Acting President Dr. Apitep Saekow,  

Besides professional skills, Dr. Apitep stressed the need for future journalists to understand the importance of professional ethics. This is particularly crucial in the digital age which sees a serious disruption in the media business.

“Not everyone can be a reporter. I think it’s important that future journalists focus on ethics and morals. We need to train them on the need to have integrity to ensure that one day they will become professionals,” he said.

He said journalist need to learn about responsibility so that what they broadcast or report do not create negative effects on the country and society.”

Mr. Pipope Panitchpakdi, Deputy Director General of Thai PBS, meanwhile, said Stamford International University has a goal to be a lifelong learning institution – also a long-term objective of Thai PBS.

“So the significance of this collaboration that benefits Thai society and beyond is the connection between the life-long learning courses from the Stamford university to the Thai PBS life-long learning platform that can help contribute to building a better informed and more educated community.”, he said.