Contact: Polly Harbaugh, Director of News, 314-721-3860
Carol Halstead, (212) 734-2190, [email protected] Halstead Communications
Embargoed for Release P.M., Thursday, Feb. 25, 1999
WEBSTER UNIVERSITY TO OPEN FIRST AMERICAN UNIVERSITY IN THAILAND
ST. LOUIS, MO, February 25, 1999 -- Webster University announced today that it will open a new 50-acre residential campus in Thailand next fall. The new campus will be Webster's seventh international campus and the first operated by a four-year American university in Thailand. Webster, based in St. Louis, Mo, has close to 1200 full-and-part-time students enrolled in bachelors and masters degrees at its campuses in Geneva, Vienna, Leiden, London, Bermuda, and Shanghai. The university also has about 70 U.S. campus centers and its worldwide enrollment exceeds 15,000.
Webster University Thailand will be at Cha-am Campus City, a new residential real estate development about 120 miles southwest of Bangkok. Cha-am is being developed as a planned community, with the campus as its centerpiece. Webster President Richard S. Meyers described Cha-Am as a model city like Columbia, MD and similar to Coral Gables, FL which was planned with the University of Miami as a central focus.
"We are very excited about this new campus," Dr. Meyers said. "It is consistent with Webster's mission as a global university providing an international education for students around the world. It is also consistent with our mission of meeting unmet needs in education. As Thailand develops, it has a great need for people with an American-style education in management, English, computer science, psychology and business administration. Webster will now play a key role in filling that need."
Webster has been considering a Thai campus since 1995, when it was approached about the idea by the developers, the Srikraivin-Bonython family, one of Thailand's most prominent families. The decision was delayed by the turmoil in the Thai economy.
"This is a bold move, especially in view of the Thai economy," said Charles W. Mueller, chairman of the university's board and chairman, president and chief executive officer of Ameren Corp. "However, we have great faith in the future of the region, and we are pleased to be able to participate in its development."
"The presence of Webster in Thailand, and, with it, American-style education, is warmly welcomed," said Nitya Pibulsonggram, Thai Ambassador to the U. S. "This new university in Thailand can make a significant contribution to the educational advancement of Thailand and, it is hoped, can play an important role preparing a number of Thais for the challenges arising from the global world of the 21st century."
Webster University Thailand will be a private higher education institution under the supervision of the Thai government's Ministry of University Affairs. Title and deed have been donated to Webster University, which will be responsible for academic programs, policies, and the operation of the campus.
Construction of the main academic and administration building is already completed, as are a library, gymnasium, dining facility and dormitories with a capacity for 400 students. A lecture hall now under construction is expected to be completed during the third quarter of this year.
Beginning this fall, the university will provide undergraduate programs in the behavioral and social sciences, management, writing in English, computer science, and business administration, as well as a masters program in business administration. A weekend MBA program will also be offered.
Fall enrollment is targeted at up to 500 students. Within 10 years, enrollment is expected to rise to 800-1,000, and programs will be expanded to include marketing,international business, Asian studies, communications, and international relations.
All students will be offered intensive courses in English as a second language to help prepare them for the curriculum, as well as courses in academic skills and a program in social and recreational activities that will also reinforce English skills.
The student body is expected to be mainly Thais and foreign nationals living in Thailand, but students from China, India, and Korea, as well as Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam and Taiwan are also expected to enroll.
Faculty will be a combination of full-time faculty drawn from Thailand and the United States; adjunct professors - part-time teachers who are working professionals -- drawn from the region; and visiting professors from the St. Louis campus.
For admissions or other information about these programs, please contact the Webster University Information Center, 518/5 Box 40 Maneeya Center, 7th Floor, Ploenchit Road, Bangkok 10330, Thailand. The telephone number is +66 2 652 0705-7; the fax is +66 2 652 0708. The Internet address is www.websteruniv.edu.
Editors note: Visuals of the campus available.
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