Lampang Rajabhat University

LPRU aims to be one of the leading universities in the north of Thailand and to produce graduates and provide academic services in support of the development of the arts and culture of the community and of the wider society. This follows the eight sections of the Rajabhat Universities Act, which are concerned with developing education and academic matters, higher vocational training, and research for building and developing new bodes of knowledge such that the University becomes a center of learning for society. This is so that it will be able to provide academic services to society, develop the skills and abilities of teachers and others involved in education, and maintain religious, cultural and artistic traditions and so, in line with Royal thought, support the management of the environment and of the community’s natural resources.

Lampang Rajabhat University (LPRU), originally called Lampang Teachers College, was founded on the 9th June 1971. The college opened to students the following year and offered courses leading to a teacher’s certificate. The following year, courses leading to a higher teacher’s certificate were added. Following the Teachers College Act of 1975, the Teachers Colleges were able to enroll students on full degree programs in education and Lampang Teachers College began to do so.

The Teachers College Act of 1984 also stipulated that Teachers Colleges were now able to offer undergraduate programs in courses other than in education so Lampang Teachers College opened courses in liberal arts and in science.

Lampang Teachers College joined with other Teachers Colleges in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai,and Uttaradit to form the Upper North group of colleges.Following regulations issued by the Teachers Council, these colleges developed into the Lanna Federation of Colleges.The Rajabhat Institute Act, changed the name of the Teachers Colleges to ‘Rajabhat Institutes’ and as a result, Lampang Teachers College became Lampang Rajabhat Institute.

The Rajabhat Institute Act had many consequences for the Institutes, one of which was to broaden the levels of the subjects which they taught; Lampang Rajabhat Institute began to teach master’s-level courses in education administration for executives and in education.Rajabhat Universities Act came into effect, promoting Lampang Rajabhat Institute to Lampang Rajabhat University, which now came under the Office of Higher Education in the Ministry of Education.

Nowadays, Lampang Rajabhat University offers courses at the diploma, bachelor’s and master’s levels in the fields of education, humanities, science, business administration, accounting and law in the faculties of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, Management, Science, Agricultural Technology, and Industrial Technology. Four other divisions of the University have a status equivalent to faculties and these work to support the University’s primary educational aims. These are the Office of the President, the Office of Services and Information Technology, the Institute of Research and Development and the Office of Arts and Culture.

Our vision is To be a leading university in the North of Thailand, producing graduates and providing academic services to develop the economy, society and the arts and culture of the region.

Lampang Rajabhat University’s mission statement follows the eight points of the Rajabhat Universities Act:

• To become a center of academic excellence and to build this on a basis of truth, and local, national and international wisdom.
• To produce graduates who have both knowledge and ethics and an awareness of being Thai, who are connected to the local community, helping it to understand changes in society, and who promote life-long learning. The quantity and quality of graduates should match the national plans.
• To promote understanding and appreciation of, and pride in, the value of local and national culture
• To develop the abilities of community leaders, religious figures and local politicians such that they are conscious of the values of democracy and ethics and are more able to administer community development for the benefit of all.
• To develop the training and development of teachers and others involved in education so that they meet the highest professional standards.
• To support and assist cooperation between the University and the community, local organizations and other stakeholders both domestic and international involved in community development.
• To research and develop both local and high technologies appropriate for supporting the life and work of local people for the purposes of promoting the sustainable, long-term management, maintenance and exploitation of natural resources and the environment.
• To research, promote, support and integrate into University life the Royal projects and philosophy for the development of the local community.