THAMMASAT UNIVERSITY

Their core work

Thammasat University, one of Thailand's oldest and most prominent public universities in Bangkok, contributes to EU research through its expertise in two intersecting fields: agri-food supply chain sustainability in the Asian context, and climate policy analysis including nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and long-term emissions pathways. In the ENGAGE project, the university brought Southeast Asian regional knowledge to global integrated assessment modelling and climate mitigation scenarios. In the GOLF project, it contributed to a European-Asian research network examining how global and local agri-food supply chains can be made more sustainable and food-secure. Their value to consortia lies in grounding global models and frameworks in the political, economic, and geographic realities of the ASEAN region.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Thammasat's H2020 participation began with a focus on tangible, sector-specific sustainability challenges — food supply chains, food security, and agricultural sustainability in the Asian context (GOLF, 2018). By 2019, their engagement shifted toward macro-level climate governance: long-term emissions pathways, global stocktake processes, NDCs, and the political feasibility of deep decarbonisation scenarios (ENGAGE). Both projects remain rooted in sustainability, but the progression is clear — from commodity flows and food systems toward national climate commitments and integrated assessment at global scale.

The university is moving toward high-level climate governance research — NDCs, global stocktake, and politically feasible decarbonisation — suggesting future collaboration potential in post-Paris Agreement policy modelling and Southeast Asia's role in global emissions scenarios.

How they like to work

Thammasat has not led any H2020 projects, entering both as participant or third party within large, internationally distributed consortia. With 38 unique partners across 17 countries from just two projects, they are embedded in expansive multi-partner networks rather than tight bilateral collaborations. This pattern suggests they function as a regional knowledge node — brought in to provide Southeast Asian expertise and institutional access rather than to drive project management or scientific coordination.

Despite only two H2020 projects, Thammasat has connected with 38 distinct consortium partners spanning 17 countries, reflecting the large, globally distributed nature of both GOLF and ENGAGE. Their network skews toward European institutions leading these projects, with Thammasat serving as the Southeast Asian anchor point.

What sets them apart

Thammasat is one of very few Southeast Asian universities with direct H2020 participation, giving it a rare bridging role between EU research frameworks and the ASEAN region. For consortia working on climate mitigation, food systems, or sustainability transitions that require non-European regional grounding, Thammasat offers institutional credibility, government proximity (as a leading Thai public university), and access to Southeast Asian data and policy networks. Researchers considering partnerships with Thai or broader ASEAN institutions would find Thammasat a legitimate and well-connected entry point.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ENGAGE
  The only funded project (EUR 135,000) and the more scientifically ambitious of the two, focusing on integrated assessment of global emissions pathways and the political feasibility of NDCs — high-impact climate policy territory directly relevant to post-2030 international climate negotiations.
• GOLF
  A rare Asia-Europe MSCA-RISE network linking supply chain research across continents, with Thammasat serving as a Southeast Asian third-party partner — unusual positioning for a Thai university in an EU mobility scheme.