SDG 4.3.5 Lifelong Learning Access Policy
Performance News and Evidence (Part 1), 2025
1. Primary SDG:
SDG 4 Quality Education
2. Related Indicators (if known):
4.3.5 Lifelong learning access policy
- A policy that ensures access to lifelong learning activities is accessible to all, regardless of ethnicity, religion, disability, immigration status or gender
- Policy created or reviewed in the period 2022–2026
3. Related SDGs (if any):
- SDG 5 Gender Equality
- SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities
- SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities (local cultural heritage)
4. Category:
☒ Policy and Operations
☐ Teaching and Learning
☐ Outreach and Engagement
☐ Research and Innovation
☐ Others (please specify): __________
5. Title:
RUTS Regulation and Long-Term Plan Guarantee Equal Access to Lifelong Learning for All, without Discrimination
6. Activity/Implementation Date:
- Regulation B.E. 2566 (2023), amended as Regulation (No. 2) on 15 October 2025
- 20-Year Long-Term Development Plan (2018–2037)
- Policy implementation: January – December 2025
7. Responsible Unit:
- Office of Academic Promotion and Registration (Regulation on Bachelor's Degree and Lifelong Education)
- Division of Policy and Planning (20-Year Long-Term Development Plan)
- Office of Innovation Management and Technology Transfer (knowledge transfer to communities and industry)
8. News Content:
Rajamangala University of Technology Srivijaya (RUTS) has a policy that ensures everyone has equal access to the university's lifelong learning activities without discrimination on the grounds of ethnicity, religion, disability, immigration status or gender, as well as age and socio-economic status. The policy is set out at two levels. At the regulatory level, it sits in the RUTS Regulation on Bachelor's Degree and Lifelong Education B.E. 2566 (2023), most recently amended by the University Council on 15 October 2025. At the strategic level, the 20-Year Long-Term Development Plan (2018–2037) makes lifelong learning a key direction of the university.
RUTS Regulation on Bachelor's Degree and Lifelong Education Guarantees Equal Access to Lifelong Learning for All
(Existence of policy / Policy created or reviewed 2022–2026)
The RUTS Regulation on Bachelor’s Degree and Lifelong Education B.E. 2566 (2023) applies to education provision on every campus and to all of the university’s lifelong learning activities. The University Council reviewed and amended it as Regulation (No. 2) B.E. 2568 (2025). Under this regulation, every type of lifelong learning activity offered by the university must be open to all, without discrimination on the grounds of ethnicity, religion, disability, immigration status or gender, as well as age and socio-economic status.
The regulation covers all of the university's formal, non-formal and informal lifelong learning: free online courses on RUTS MOOC, use of the libraries and campus facilities, public lectures and academic events, short vocational training, and educational activities in schools and communities. It also provides for the transfer of credit for prior experiential learning, an alternative pathway that lets people of all ages learn according to their own interests, potential, readiness and opportunities.
Equal access is supported by measures in three areas. Online courses and digital learning resources are free for anyone to study at their own pace. People with disabilities or physical limitations are served by facilities such as ramps, lifts, accessible toilets and a library service guide for users with special needs. Activities are publicised openly in Thai and English through all channels so that the wider public is aware of them.
In 2025, the university allocated THB 22,603,815 for academic services and creative culture to support equal access to lifelong learning for all.
RUTS Makes Lifelong Learning for All a Strategic Direction in Its 20-Year Long-Term Development Plan
(Existence of policy (strategic level))
Under the vision of an "Innovation University for Society", the 20-Year Long-Term Development Plan (2018–2037) sets the promotion of lifelong learning opportunities for all groups, regardless of age, background or socio-economic status, as a key direction for the university. The plan supports learners both inside and outside the formal education system through flexible formats such as online courses, short vocational training and the opening of university learning resources to the public.
Within this plan, the university has a policy of providing academic services that the general public can access and of supporting the conservation of cultural heritage and local wisdom as community learning resources. The Office of Innovation Management and Technology Transfer is the lead unit for transferring knowledge, intellectual property and technology to communities and industry.
In 2025, implementation of the plan included 46 free online courses, and the university achieved 75 percent of its indicators for research, academic services and creative culture.
Summary of Policy Documents and Results
| Document / measure | Issued / reviewed | Key content |
|---|---|---|
| RUTS Regulation on Bachelor's Degree and Lifelong Education B.E. 2566 | 2023 | Lifelong education on every campus; credit transfer for prior experiential learning |
| Regulation (No. 2) B.E. 2568 | 15 October 2025 | Review and amendment of the regulation |
| 20-Year Long-Term Development Plan | 2018–2037 | Lifelong learning for all groups as a key direction |
| 2025 budget | 2025 | Academic services and creative culture: THB 22,603,815 |
9. Photos:
10. Related Links / Supporting Evidence:
(Supplementary evidence. Item 8 fully answers the indicator without opening these links.)
- RUTS Regulation on Bachelor's Degree and Lifelong Education B.E. 2566: https://statute.rmutsv.ac.th/file/39636.pdf
- Regulation (No. 2) B.E. 2568: https://statute.rmutsv.ac.th/file/926194.pdf
- 20-Year Long-Term Development Plan (2018–2037): https://plan.rmutsv.ac.th/ruts/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/RUTS-Long-term-plan-20-years_0.pdf
11. Information Provider:
Asst.Prof.Dr.Chaiya Thanaphatsiri, Asst.Prof.Kloyjai Krutjon, Miss Namfon Channual