Students at the Srinakharinwirot University (SWU) in Thailand will be able to attend more seamless hybrid classes and use augmented or virtual reality (VR) for experiential learning as SWU realises its Smart University vision.
To support that goal, the university is working with Huawei to upgrade its information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure. “[This move enables us] to move from an analogue to an integrated, intelligent and connected university,” says Assoc. Prof. Dr. Somchai Santiwatanakul, president of Srinakharinwirot University, during a media tour at the university’s Prasarnmit campus in downtown Bangkok yesterday.
The partnership, which began in May 2018, first focused on overhauling SWU's core network, backbone network, and monitoring system. In the second phase, the partnership looked at building high-speed wireless connections that provide unlimited access to educational resources, as well as creating a database powered by artificial intelligence (AI) systems to support the university’s research.
These efforts leveraged the Huawei Cloud Campus Network, which is designed to construct fully-wireless, intelligent cloud campus networks centred on user experience in the cloud era. They also used iMaster NCE campus, Huawei's next-generation autonomous driving network management and control system for campus networks.
During the media tour, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Somchai shares that those solutions helped improve SWU’s internet connection speed by 10 times and enable its campuses to enjoy full Wi-Fi coverage. This provides a solid foundation for SWU to use the latest digital technologies like AI and VR to enhance the classroom experience, which is part of the third phase of the university’s digital transformation journey supported by Huawei.
SWU, he adds, also gained a centralised and intelligent network operation through Huawei’s solutions. Thanks to that, the university reduced its data centre TCO by 30%, and shortened the time to detect and resolve IT issues from 2 hours to less than 1 minute.
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“Our collaboration with Huawei [will enable] our students and professors to enjoy the latest digital technologies and benefit from new teaching methods for a cutting-edge educational experience,” says Assoc. Prof. Dr. Somchai.
SWU is showcasing its successful experience of transforming into a smart university through a new demo site at its Prasarnmit campus. The site will demonstrate how SWU has benefitted from Huawei’s campus network solution – which provides Wi-Fi 6 technology, full campus coverage, wireless access and free mobility any time and anywhere, with secure, efficient and energy-saving data centre, storage and cloud.
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SWU and Huawei launched the demo site on September 21, 2022
SWU and Huawei hope that the demo site will inspire and encourage education experts, university professors and government agents to redesign conventional classrooms in other universities to better meet the learning needs of students in the future.
Aaron Wang, vice president of Huawei APAC Enterprise Business Group, says: “We are delighted to expand our cooperation with SWU, which demonstrates its vision to continue being a role model in the digital transformation of universities in Thailand and the region. Together, we have built a state-of-the-art resource site dedicated to education [i.e., the demo site] that will bring win-win results for both parties in the long term.”
