Nottingham Trent University to play a key role in entrepreneurship education in Thailand
Added by Love Business East Midlands | 27 April 2026
UPDATED: 28 April 2026
Nottingham Trent University (NTU) has become a key international partner in Thailand’s ambition to grow artificial intelligence capability, entrepreneurship, and future-ready talent at a national level.
Activity will be led by the Centre for Business and Industry Transformation (CBIT), part of NTU’s Nottingham Business School, and will focus on connecting academic learning with practical application, supporting students, researchers and professionals to develop entrepreneurial capability and translate ideas into viable ventures.
The collaboration builds on several years of joint activity, which has now been formalised through a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) between NTU and Thailand’s Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI), alongside the renewal of a previous agreement between NTU and Chiang Mai University (CMU).
CBIT will work closely with both organisations on programme design, teaching, mentoring and ecosystem development to support entrepreneurship education at scale.
The partnership is enhanced through a sister‑centre model linking CBIT with CMU’s Science and Technology Park (STeP). This will provide an operational base for joint programme delivery, AI-enabled education, applied research and industry engagement, while supporting student and staff collaboration and future funding opportunities.
A flagship element of the partnership is the Experiential Learning Programme, funded by MHESI and led by CMU, with NTU as the UK partner.
The programme brings Thai students to the UK for intensive entrepreneurial training and NTU has already successfully hosted two cohorts of the programme - providing mentoring, market validation, venture development support and exposure to international business environments.
CBIT will also continue to lead a Train‑the‑Trainer programme, funded through the British Council’s International Science Partnerships Fund and co‑supported by Thai research agencies.
The initiative focuses on building long‑term capacity by training mentors who can support researchers and entrepreneurs to commercialise their work and has so far upskilled 40 mentors to support the commercialisation efforts of 120 researchers, creating a sustainable multiplier effect within the innovation ecosystem.
More recently, NTU and CMU launched an AI Skills Training and Workforce Development programme, which has established a specialist AI training centre in northern Thailand. The programme delivers short courses and hands‑on workshops for industry leaders across key business sectors, enabling the practical application of artificial intelligence in real-world contexts while strengthening organisational capability and workforce skills.
NTU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dave Petley, recently visited Thailand to sign the new MOU. He said: “We are pleased to continue our partnership with CMU, which has evolved through a series of impactful programmes and grants that demonstrate a strong foundation of mutual trust and shared strategic priorities.
“By combining NTU’s strengths in entrepreneurship, digital transformation and applied research with Thailand’s national priorities, we are developing programmes that support skills, AI-driven entrepreneurship and sustainable growth.
“Crucially, this partnership is not just about individual projects; it is about building lasting relationships that support people, communities and economies, both in Thailand and in the UK.”
Director of CBIT, Professor Xiao Ma, added:
“The MHESI–NTU memorandum of understanding elevates our partnership to a national strategic level, allowing successful initiatives in artificial intelligence, innovation and workforce development to be scaled across Thailand’s higher education and industry ecosystems.
“Entrepreneurship education is most effective when it is grounded in real challenges and real contexts. Through CBIT, we are working with our partners in Thailand to build programmes that develop talent, strengthen local innovation ecosystems and enable ideas to move into real‑world impact.”
CBIT brings together applied research, entrepreneurship education and industry engagement to support business transformation and innovation. The Centre works with universities, governments and industry partners in the UK and internationally to design and deliver programmes in entrepreneurship, venture building, artificial intelligence and workforce development, with a focus on translating research and ideas into real‑world economic, social and environmental impact.
Find out more @ https://www.ntu.ac.uk/research/groups-and-centres/centres/cbit-centre-for-business-and-industry-transformation
