On January 24, 2024, Associate Professor Dr. Rajana Chantarasa, Director of the Research and Development Institute, along with a team of researchers from Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University, visited the Community Enterprise Learning Center at Suan Nok Agricultural Community, Bang Yai Rong Subdistrict, Bang Khonthi District, Samut Songkhram. The center’s president, Mrs. Buppha Waiyajaroen, and Mr. Seksan Waiyajaroen, along with the local community group, warmly welcomed the team and engaged in discussions on local issues and needs, with active participation from the community. The goal was to ensure that the community received sustainable development through knowledge integration, in line with the university’s strategic approach to local development using innovation to enhance tourism and improve the quality of life for grassroots communities.

Dr. Rajana Chantarasa emphasized that the Research and Development Institute is working on integrated area-based development under the “Rajabhat Strategy for Local Development” project. The objective is for the community to benefit from this initiative, allowing them to expand and further develop their resources. The learning center is envisioned as a model and an example for other communities to utilize their own local resources effectively. The project also aims to drive local development in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), by fostering collaboration across all sectors, ultimately maximizing benefits for the local community.

The initiative is in line with several SDGs, particularly:
– Goal 1: No Poverty
– Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
– Goal 15: Life on Land (sustainable use and conservation of ecosystems, sustainable forestry management, combating desertification, halting land degradation, and preserving biodiversity)
– Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals (strengthening partnerships and mechanisms for global cooperation towards sustainable development)