Thailand’s Minister attached to the Office of the Prime Minister, Her Excellency Supamas Isarabhakdi, has been conferred the prestigious 2026 Asia Pacific Educational Excellence Award in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the advancement of higher education, science, research and innovation during her tenure as Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation.
The award was presented at a ceremony held at 11 a.m. on October 26, 2026, at the Naree Samosorn Building in Government House, Bangkok. Professor Dr. Prakash Divakaran, Vice-Chancellor of Himalayan University in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, presented the award on behalf of the Global Research Conference Forum (GRCF).
The GRCF instituted the award to recognise individuals and institutions that make significant contributions to educational development, academic excellence and social progress. Accepting the honour, Supamas Isarabhakdi emphasised that education should help people apply knowledge in practical life, develop their individual abilities and improve their quality of life.
She also highlighted the importance of ensuring that people of all ages have access to accurate and reliable information. She stressed the need to provide practical information to the public in areas such as consumer protection and the oversight of government media.
The ceremony also served as a platform to strengthen academic ties and research collaboration between India and Thailand. The visiting delegation included Professor Dr. Prakash Divakaran and Dr. G. Girish Kumar, Head of the Department of Law at the Central University of Kerala, from India, along with Associate Professor Dr. Chaiwat Phukong and Acting Sub-Lieutenant Pharmacist Kritsada Chimpleewat from Thailand.
Representing the Thai government, the delegation was received by Pradermchai Boonchuiluay, Adviser to the Minister attached to the Office of the Prime Minister; Dr. Patcharin Samsiripong, Secretary to the Minister; and Associate Professor Dr. Thongchai Suansichon, a member of the Minister’s working team.
The award to Supamas Isarabhakdi is being viewed as an example of outstanding educational leadership that effectively connects knowledge with practical outcomes.
