On June 12, 2025, Assistant Professor Dr. Pongsuthit Phunseen, the Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration and Accountancy, Khon Kaen University, participated in the launch of the workshop activity “Upskill SME Exporters” Class 1 at Graph Hotel Ratchada, Bangkok. This event was part of the Upskill SME Exporters Phase 3 project, organized through collaboration between the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion (OSMEP), the Export-Import Bank of Thailand (EXIM Bank), and Khon Kaen University. The initiative aims to enhance the capacity of Thai SME entrepreneurs to confidently grow in the international trade arena while promoting the establishment of cooperative networks between the public sector, the private sector, and relevant educational institutions to jointly support potential entrepreneurs in their ability to compete and expand sustainably in foreign markets.
This training activity featured esteemed speakers from various sectors who shared their experiences and knowledge with the entrepreneurs. The training content was designed to address the comprehensive development needs of Thai SMEs, including market analysis using Market Intelligence tools, strategy formulation from strengths to selling points, trends in international markets for 2025, financial risk management, logistics for export, and the sharing of firsthand experiences from entrepreneurs who have transformed crises into opportunities in foreign markets. Additionally, participants received in-depth group consulting in four key areas: international marketing, financial management and export insurance, logistics transportation, and product development for export. Partner agencies such as EXIM Bank, ISMED, NSTDA (ITAP), TISTR, DHL Express Thailand, and OSMEP set up booths to provide services and consultations throughout the day.
Assistant Professor Dr. Pongsuthit Phunseen, the Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration and Accountancy, indicated that this collaboration reflects the role of the faculty in driving the strategic mission of linking academia with industry. Specifically, it demonstrates their commitment to imparting in-depth business knowledge to Thai SMEs so that they can systematically scale their businesses to an international level and adapt to the competition in the rapidly changing digital economy.
The Upskill SME Exporters project is scheduled to continue with training in five regions nationwide from June to August 2025, aiming to propel Thai SMEs to be competitive in the global market with the necessary knowledge, tools, and networks in a swiftly evolving global economic landscape.
