Building International Best Practices on Peace, Education, Climate Action and the Polycrisis: SWU's Global Collaboration through International and Inter-University Networks
In 2025, Srinakharinwirot University (SWU) strengthened its commitment to collaboration for SDG best practice, working through international collaboration and research to review comparative approaches and develop international best practice on tackling the SDGs. Through international networks and peer exchange, SWU compared how different countries, sectors and institutions respond to shared SDG challenges, drew lessons from these comparisons, and used them to improve its own practice. The work focused on three areas: the role of religion in responding to the polycrisis, education for peace and sustainable development, and climate action in cities. SWU also reviewed comparative approaches to sustainable, internationalised higher education at an international higher education summit in the Asia-Pacific region. Five activities show this work most clearly:
• The 2025 ICCGC-CoNGO Global Conference in the Republic of Korea, where SWU reviewed international approaches to religion and the polycrisis and to education for peace and sustainability, and helped develop best practice in both areas (SDG 4, 10, 13, 16, 17).
• A three-university review of SDG practice with Suan Dusit University and Bansomdejchaopraya Rajabhat University, in which leaders and working teams compared approaches to area-based and community development, skills for local needs, and SDG-driven education, and drew out lessons and good practice (SDG 4, 8, 11, 17).
• Bangkok Climate Action Week 2025, where SWU worked with international NGOs, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and partners from government, business and civil society to compare approaches to climate action, environmental justice and sustainable urban development (SDG 11, 13, 17).
• Academic and research collaboration with VIA University College, Denmark, where SWU’s Faculty of Physical Education, Sports and Health and Demonstration Schools focused on student exchanges, academic knowledge sharing and collaborative research. The partnership provided opportunities to review comparative educational approaches and explore practices in physical education, health promotion and sustainable learning, with the aim of strengthening research capacity, improving educational quality and developing transferable international best practice (SDGs 3, 4 and 17).
• The QS Higher Ed Summit: Asia Pacific 2025 in Seoul, Republic of Korea, where an SWU delegation examined comparative approaches to sustainable higher education, regional partnerships for future skills, green talent demand and internationalisation (SDG 4, 8, 17).
In each case SWU (1) worked with international or inter-university partners, (2) compared approaches to the same SDG problem across countries, sectors or institutions, and (3) turned that comparison into practices that SWU and its partners can adopt and adapt. The outcomes of each review are set out at the end of each section below.
1. Reviewing international approaches to religion, the polycrisis and education: ICCGC-CoNGO 2025
SWU representatives with international partners at the 2025 ICCGC-CoNGO Global Conference, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Republic of Korea.
From 15 to 18 August 2025, SWU representatives took part in the 2025 ICCGC-CoNGO Global Conference, held at Wonkwang University, Iksan, Republic of Korea, under the theme “Global Society and Leadership for Life and Peace: Healing and Liberation in a Divided World and Wounded Earth.” The conference was organised by the Interfaith Coalition Conference for Global Citizens (ICCGC) and the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CoNGO). It brought together global leaders, faith-based organisations, scholars, civil society, policymakers and other stakeholders from many countries to share knowledge and experience on global challenges, including conflict, inequality, environmental crisis, social injustice, and political and cultural division.
Through lectures, panel discussions and workshops, participants reviewed and compared approaches from different countries, contexts and sectors on five issues: ethical and transformative leadership for peace; interfaith and intercultural dialogue; environmental stewardship and sustainability; responses to systemic injustice; and empowering youth and future generations. This comparison across countries and sectors helped participants identify which approaches can be adapted elsewhere, and so contributed to the development of best practice on SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
The 2025 conference built on earlier meetings in Seoul, Republic of Korea (2023) and New York, United States (2024), so the network has developed a continuing international exchange of ideas and experience. The 2025 meeting focused on bridging local and global efforts, and on the role of multilateral partnership and inclusive governance in building peaceful, just and sustainable societies. For SWU, this means local Thai experience is tested against international practice, and international lessons are brought back to inform SWU's own work.
Two strands of review were central to SWU's participation. The first was the role of religion in responding to the polycrisis: the overlapping crises of conflict, inequality, climate change and social division that the conference described as a “divided world and wounded earth.” Participants compared how faith communities in different countries use moral leadership, interfaith dialogue and community networks for peacebuilding, reconciliation, humanitarian care and environmental stewardship, and reviewed which approaches have worked in which contexts. From this comparison, they identified best practice for engaging religious institutions as partners in tackling interconnected SDG challenges, particularly SDG 10, SDG 13 and SDG 16.
The second strand was education. Participants reviewed how schools, universities and youth programmes in different countries teach peace, ethics, global citizenship and sustainability, and compared approaches to empowering young people as agents of change. SWU, which began as a college of education and has a long tradition in teacher education, brought Thai experience to this review and drew on international examples to develop best practice for education that links values, leadership and sustainable development. This supports SDG 4, especially target 4.7 (education for sustainable development and global citizenship), and SDG 16. – view source
Outcomes of the review: The comparison of approaches across countries and sectors identified the following practices as international best practice that can be adapted to different national contexts:
• Working with religious institutions and faith-based organisations as partners in peacebuilding, reconciliation, humanitarian care and environmental stewardship, not only as audiences for policy
• Using interfaith and intercultural dialogue as a practical method for reducing division and building trust within and between communities
• Teaching peace, ethics, global citizenship and sustainability together, so that values and leadership are linked to action on the SDGs
• Involving young people as agents of change and future leaders, not only as learners
• Linking local action with multilateral partnership and inclusive governance, so that local experience informs global efforts and the reverse
For SWU, these outcomes connect directly with its long tradition in teacher education and its work on education for sustainable development in Thailand. The review gave SWU an international reference point against which to compare its own approach to values-based, peace and sustainability education.
2. Reviewing institutional SDG practice and drawing out lessons: SWU, Suan Dusit University and Bansomdejchaopraya Rajabhat University
Leaders and working teams of SWU, Suan Dusit University and Bansomdejchaopraya Rajabhat University at the “Sustainability in Action: SDGs in SDU's Path to the Future” exchange.
At the institutional level, SWU worked with Suan Dusit University (SDU) and Bansomdejchaopraya Rajabhat University (BSRU) to share experience and draw lessons from their work on the SDGs. Executives and working teams from the three universities met at the exchange “Sustainability in Action: SDGs in SDU's Path to the Future” to review how each institution puts the global SDG framework into practice, especially in education, through teaching and learning, student development and university operations.
A central focus of the exchange was the model of the area-based and community development university, one of the institutional clusters in Thailand's national classification of higher education institutions. Universities in this cluster share two missions: producing and developing a highly skilled workforce that meets local needs, and developing localities through knowledge and innovation. The three universities compared how they put these missions into practice: how they design programmes and skills training around the needs of local employers and communities, how they place students and staff in community-based projects, and how they turn research and innovation into solutions that local people can use. They looked at what has worked in each setting and why, and identified practices that the others can adapt.
The three universities reviewed their approaches side by side, compared institutional experience, exchanged working methods, and identified lessons learned from their SDG work. This process of review, knowledge exchange and lessons learned led to shared good practices that each university can adapt, and it is helping SWU strengthen its own approach to the SDGs. It contributes to SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). – view source
Outcomes of the review: By comparing the three institutions side by side, the review identified the following good practices for universities working on the SDGs with and for local communities:
• Designing programmes and skills training around the needs of local employers and communities, so that graduates meet local workforce needs
• Placing students and staff in community-based projects as part of teaching and learning
• Turning research and innovation into practical solutions that local people can use
• Building the SDGs into every part of the university – teaching and learning, student development and campus operations – rather than treating them as a separate project
3. Reviewing international approaches to climate action and sustainable cities with international NGOs: Bangkok Climate Action Week 2025
SWU at Bangkok Climate Action Week 2025, jointly organised by the Just Transitions Incubator (JUTI) and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).
In 2025, SWU took part in Bangkok Climate Action Week 2025, represented by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Poom Moolsilpa, Vice President for Organizational Development and Special Affairs. The event was jointly organised by the Just Transitions Incubator (JUTI) and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA). It brought together government agencies, private-sector organisations, civil society and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs), including the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) and Solutions for Our Climate (SFOC). Through this international multi-stakeholder platform, SWU worked with NGOs and other partners to share knowledge on climate change, environmental justice, biodiversity conservation and sustainable urban development. – view source
The participation of international environmental organisations made it possible to compare how different countries and sectors respond to the climate crisis. Participants reviewed international experience alongside local work in Bangkok, compared approaches to tackling the SDGs across countries and sectors, and identified practices that can be adapted for local climate action and sustainable urban development in Bangkok and other Thai cities. In this way, international lessons were tested against the Thai urban context, and Thai experience was shared with international partners.
Bangkok Climate Action Week 2025 resource partners.
SWU also supported the event by providing university spaces for public dialogue, sustainability activities and stakeholder engagement. It then brought the lessons back into its own work, building sustainability awareness into classroom learning and student leadership development and linking students with international environmental initiatives. This activity lays a foundation for further international collaboration and research-based comparative review, aimed at adapting international best practice on climate action to the Thai context, and it strengthens partnerships between universities, international NGOs, government agencies and civil society. It contributes to SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). – view source
Outcomes of the review: The review of international and local experience identified the following practices that can be adapted for climate action in Bangkok and other Thai cities:
• A just transition approach: making sure that climate action in the city is fair to workers, low-income groups and vulnerable communities
• Multi-stakeholder partnership between city government, international NGOs, business, civil society and universities as the core model for urban climate action
• Linking climate action with environmental justice, biodiversity conservation and sustainable urban development, rather than treating them separately
• Using the university as an open and neutral space for public dialogue on climate change
• Building climate and sustainability learning into classroom teaching and student leadership development
4. International academic and research collaboration for sustainable education: SWU and VIA University College, Denmark
In 2025 Srinakharinwirot University (SWU), through its Faculty of Physical Education, Sports and Health and Demonstration Schools, strengthened international research and academic collaboration with VIA University College, Denmark, to advance sustainable education and promote international best practices in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The collaboration focused on student exchanges, academic knowledge sharing, and collaborative research, providing opportunities to exchange experiences, review comparative educational approaches, and explore innovative practices in physical education, health promotion, and sustainable learning. Through this international partnership, both institutions sought to strengthen research capacity, enhance educational quality, and develop transferable best practices that contribute to SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
5. Reviewing comparative approaches to sustainable higher education: QS Higher Ed Summit: Asia Pacific 2025
From 4 to 6 November 2025, an official SWU delegation took part in the QS Higher Ed Summit: Asia Pacific 2025, held in Seoul, Republic of Korea. The summit gave SWU an opportunity to examine comparative approaches to sustainable higher education through international exchange. The delegation joined conference discussions on sustainable Asian education, regional partnerships for future skills, green talent demand and internationalisation.
The delegation’s programme included sessions attended by the full team on “Going Global, Staying Green: Can Universities Do Both?” and on partnerships, as well as discussions of green experiential learning models and social impact. The delegation exchanged perspectives with other participants on educational challenges and institutional responses.
These discussions gave SWU comparative insights into how universities connect international engagement, employability and sustainability, which SWU can use when reviewing its own educational and partnership practices. The activity contributes to SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
Delegates at the QS Higher Ed Summit: Asia Pacific 2025, Korea University, Seoul, 4–6 November 2025.
Panel session “Transformational Leadership in Challenging Times” at the QS Higher Ed Summit: Asia Pacific 2025.
Conclusion
Through these five initiatives, SWU advanced collaboration for SDG best practice by bringing together international collaboration and research, comparative review and peer learning. Its engagement addressed religion and the polycrisis, education for peace and sustainability, community-based university development, and just and inclusive urban climate action. Collaboration with VIA University College, Denmark, added a focus on physical education, health promotion and sustainable learning through student exchanges, academic knowledge sharing and collaborative research. At the QS Higher Ed Summit: Asia Pacific 2025, SWU examined how universities in the region link international engagement, employability and sustainability, including green talent and green experiential learning.
Working with faith-based organisations, the CoNGO network, international environmental NGOs, city government and peer universities, SWU connected Thai institutional and community experience with wider international perspectives. These partnerships supported SDG 17 and related goals, including SDGs 3, 4, 8, 10, 11, 13 and 16. Across the initiatives, comparative review and knowledge exchange provided a basis for identifying lessons and developing international best practice on tackling the SDGs. The VIA partnership complemented this work by creating opportunities to strengthen research capacity and develop transferable educational practices.