The CMU School of Lifelong Education was awarded an honourable mention prize in the Self-Initiative Award category at the 2022 edition of the Ombudsman Awards for their project titled, ‘Lifelong Learning Ecosystem Innovation for Senior Citizens’ Professional Skills Development in the Digital Age (MEDEE)’.
The Self-Initiative Award is given to organisations that set examples of systematic administration and produce innovation in the forms of ideas, processes and inventions, focusing on using digital technology to provide and improve public services in a way that is up-to-date, convenient, efficient and highly effective. In this edition, eight public organisations, out of 200 participants nationwide, were honoured with this award.
Associate Professor Dr. Pradthana Jaipong, Director of the School of Lifelong Education, explained that the school has helped set up directions to achieve SDGs, showcasing CMU’s quality as a leading organisation capable of transferring educational values to society through learning innovation that will grant all groups equal access to the university’s body of knowledge. This award is a testament to our effort in becoming a main driving force in knowledge and skill development that will help improve the quality of life for all Thai people, following the university’s vision of becoming ‘a leading university committed to social responsibility for sustainable development through innovation’.
Lifelong Learning Ecosystem Innovation for Senior Citizens’ Professional Skills Development in the Digital Age (MEDEE) is a learning system designed for senior citizens by the School of Lifelong Education with the support of the National Research Council of Thailand, Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation. It contains 15 learning programmes that promote self-development in technology and career building in the digital world, accessible via Line, which is the most familiar platform for this population group. It collects learning history data using a Customer Data Platform (CDP), as well as provides 360-degree skill data, assessments and certification. Users will also have access to the online community, a Facebook group ‘MEDEE Community’ for exchanging knowledge, experience and news and an online market on Facebook ‘MEDEE Market’ where users can sell their products free of charge. The MEDEE ecosystem does not only allow the elderly to access learning, but it has a bigger objective to enable them to use the knowledge and skills learned to improve their wellness and quality of life through a concrete support system that will eventually create work opportunities in the new economy. This will allow them to be self-dependent, thus reducing the care burden ‘for families and the public sector. At present, there have been 31,992 participants since the launch on August 1, 2021; 20,540 of which are senior citizens. This project’s workshop network has now expanded to promote senior activities in all 77 provinces throughout the country.