17.2.5 Collaboration with NGOs for SDGs

In 2024, Srinakharinwirot University worked with NGOs across three pathways to tackle the SDGs: (1) student volunteering, through the SOOK ASOK network with civic partners on walkability, air/noise monitoring, and universal-design audits; (2) research programmes, including the nationwide One Night Count on homelessness with Mirror Foundation, Habitat Development Foundation, and Issarachon Foundation; and (3) development of educational resources, co-creating Social Value and impact-measurement training (SDG Impact Standards, SROI) with the Social Value Thailand Association. These collaborations turned evidence into action for SDGs 1, 3, 10, 11, 16, and 17.

SOOK ASOK

Srinakharinwirot University (SWU) has been implementing a research project focused on improving urban health and reducing access inequalities, concentrating on pedestrian injury risk, air and noise quality, better public-realm environmental conditions, and universal-design access for vulnerable groups. The work is underpinned by teaching resources developed from the evidence base, an integrated programme of studies that extends the research, and student service-learning that carries findings into practice.

In 2024, Srinakharinwirot University, as academic lead of the SOOK ASOK network, partnered formally with the BMA through a multi-stakeholder consortium model that integrates government, academia, business, and civil society to co-develop SDG-aligned policy for the Asok district, with deliberate alignment to SDG 3, SDG 10, SDG 16, and SDG 17. The collaboration identified problems and challenges through area studies, stakeholder workshops, interviews, and a survey of 555 residents, users, and businesses, prioritising issues that affect health and well-being (SDG 3), such as pedestrian safety, air and noise quality, and cleanliness, and issues of equitable access (SDG 10), such as continuous, accessible sidewalks and facilities for vulnerable groups. Evidence was translated into policies and strategies via the “4 Suk (Four Happiness)” framework, comprising mobility connectivity, pedestrian-friendly streets, green and public-life environment, and vibrant street-level activities; this embedded universal-design, safe-mobility, and public-life measures that improve health outcomes (SDG 3) and reduce inequalities in urban access (SDG 10). Using the shared baseline, partners modelled likely futures with and without interventions by comparing before/after scenarios for safety upgrades, lighting, footpath continuity, and active frontages, and they set practical outcome indicators, including injury risk, walkability, perceived safety, and environmental nuisances, to support monitoring and reporting. Governance and transparency provisions in the memorandum of understanding, together with routine joint reviews and data sharing, enable adaptive management and strengthen accountable, participatory local institutions (SDG 16). The sustained engagement of city agencies, NGOs such as the Siam Society under royal patronage, and private firms including Kiatnakin Phatra Financial Group (KKP), Sino-Thai Engineering & Construction, Rutnin Eye Hospital, Indorama Ventures, GMM Grammy, FICO Corporation, and Heritage Estates demonstrates effective and scalable multi-stakeholder partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17). 

SWU and Partners Address Urban Inequality and Homelessness through Collaborative Research and Social Innovation

In 2024, Srinakharinwirot University (SWU), led by Asst. Prof. Dr. Peera Tangtammaruk from the Faculty of Economics, advanced collaborative research and community engagement addressing urban inequality and homelessness. The initiative aimed to go beyond statistics and economic indicators to understand the human dimensions of poverty, exclusion, and resilience in urban Thailand.

Through the One Night Count Project, SWU partnered with the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, the Department of Social Development and Welfare, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), the Institute of Asian Studies at Chulalongkorn University, and NGOs such as the Mirror Foundation, the Habitat Development Foundation, and the Issarachon Foundation. Together, they conducted nationwide surveys to assess the conditions of homeless populations and identify policy and service gaps.

The project’s outcomes supported actions to improve food security, housing stability, public health services, and employment opportunities for homeless individuals. It also promoted the establishment of four community shelters and coordination centers to connect vulnerable people with social support networks.

This multi-stakeholder collaboration demonstrates SWU’s strong commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities)—transforming research and civic partnerships into tangible social impact.

Strengthening Academic–Professional Partnership for Social Value and Sustainable Development (SDGs)

In 2024, the Faculty of Business Administration for Society, Srinakharinwirot University, led by Asst. Prof. Dr. Santi Termprasertsakul, Dean of the Faculty, together with Dr. Ampol Arpathanakorn, President of the Social Value Thailand Association, co-chaired the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Srinakharinwirot University and the Social Value Thailand Association. The agreement aims to strengthen academic collaboration through the Social Value Accelerator Initiative, promoting the development and assessment of social value, enhancing professional standards, improving operational and evaluation systems, and advancing the management of economic, social, and environmental outcomes. The partnership also highlights the importance of stakeholder participation in embedding the concept of “social value” into sustainable development and organizational practice.

Following the MOU signing, the Faculty of Business Administration for Society co-designed and organized three professional training programs in cooperation with the Social Value Thailand Association: (1) SDG Impact Standards (5–6 August 2024); (2) SROI Introduction & Professional Program (7 August 2024); and (3) SROI Introduction, Assurance & Impact Management Project (8 August 2024). These programs were developed to build knowledge and practical skills among academics, practitioners, and partner organizations in applying social impact assessment and management frameworks, supporting evidence-based decision-making and enhancing the university’s role in promoting meaningful social innovation and sustainable value creation.