Recently, the Faculty of Dentistry from Khon Kaen University were selected by the Education Equality Fund (EEF) to participate in the project, “Advanced Vocational Innovation Scholarships” to promote and support 30 underprivileged youth to study in the Dental Assistant Certificate Program, a one-year course certified by the Dental Council. Faculty of Dentistry at Khon Kaen University is the only dental school in the country to receive such support.
The “Advanced Vocational Innovation Scholarship” project is a full scholarship that creates educational opportunities for youth from households with the lowest incomes in the bottom 20 percent of Thailand. The scholarship provides an opportunity for these youth to pursue vocational studies in fields that are in demand in the labor market. The characteristics of support include 1) Scholarships for students that have been selected by education institutions, helping support monthly expenses and tuition fees, 2) Educational Institution Development Fund, for use in activities to improve teaching quality and promote well-being and welfare, as well as creating the work opportunities for scholarship participants, and 3) Activities to support the quality development of educational institutions and scholarship recipients academic support by local and international experts exchange of learning innovations between educational institutions and enterprises.
The EEF is a government agency under the supervision of the Prime Minister of Thailand, established according to the Education Equality Fund Act, B.E. 2561, aiming to create equality in education. (www.eef.or.th.). This opportunity will expand current KKU efforts to increase research capacities in global oral health.