Using the UN SDG framework, the course examines the major global and local sustainability challenges and pathways towards achieving the SDGs. Students examine the role of various state and non-state actors in creating a sustainable world. Moreover, students learn to apply theories and frameworks to understand the political-economic dimensions of global and local sustainability challenges and how state and non-state actors can navigate them to achieve the SDGs. Strong consideration is given to the challenges and opportunities that emerge from global interconnection.
This course introduces students to the theories, strategies, and processes of social innovation and social change. Students learn about sociological and anthropological theories of social change while also learning about various strategic approaches to societal change. Importantly, the course also draws on business theories of innovation such as disruptive innovation and platform business models and examines their potential for driving social change through market mechanisms. Through case studies, students study individuals, groups and organisations who have catalysed positive social change through the market, government, and non-profit organisational channels.
This course provides students with the foundational skills of social science research and design thinking to prepare students to conduct academic research as well as research for practical social innovation research projects. Students learn about qualitative and quantitative research methods and tools to design and execute research projects. Students develop skills in ethnographic methods and conceptual tools used to engage in place-based social inquiry. The course will also provide a theoretical and practical explanation about the research, sampling, data collection, field-visit, interviewing, and details about ethical issues, questionnaires, data analysis and other relevant issues.
Students study the structure and dynamics of organizational systems and learn to design organization structures and create impactful cultures aligned with strategic goals. Consideration is given to the external environment, technology, organisational structure (and their interrelationship), organizational culture and change management. The course also covers innovative business models, financing organizations, and innovation culture. Students learn to recognize, manage and overcome bottlenecks hampering organizational growth, achievement of strategic organizational, and delivering social impact. Students also learn about enterprise models and innovative financing mechanisms that support social impact projects.
In this course, students develop practical skills for understanding sustainability challenges and developing social innovations through a variety of workshops and practical experience. To complement the academic and theoretical knowledge and skills acquired in other courses, students engage in practical design and entrepreneurial workshops to produce social innovation and sustainable solutions. They have the opportunity to engage with and learn first-hand from social entrepreneurs and innovators who are active in creating solutions for pressing societal and environmental challenges.
The goal of ‘Research Methods for social innovation and sustainability’ is to learn how research is being done, and to put that knowledge into practice. Students will learn how to apply a great number of tools and techniques, draw conclusions from the research. It will describe both qualitative and quantitative research, their design, problems and tools to investigate. As a general course on research methodology, it will provide the theoretical and practical explanation about the research, sampling, data collection, field-visit, interviewing, and details about ethical issues, questionnaires, data analysis and other relevant issues. It is expected that this course will enable the participants to take advanced research with
The introductory course provides an overview of ontological and epistemological traditions and their implications for contemporary social science. It covers paradigmatic traditions – programmatic and methodological standpoints. The course also provides an overview of methodological implications and strategies. The course illustrates the building blocks of social science, descriptive strategies, traditions of interpretation, forms of aggregation and strategies of inference, forms of explanation and explanatory strategies. The course concludes with the controversies within the field of philosophy of science.
In this course, students acquire competencies in sustainability defined as “the capability of an organization to transparently manage its responsibilities for environmental stewardship, social well-being, and economic prosperity over the long-term while being held accountable to its stakeholders.” Through this course, students learn how to develop and execute sustainable organisational practices through studying a range of case studies. Students are expected to study local enterprises and learn first-hand from corporate leaders endeavouring to develop sustainable enterprises.
The introductory course provides an overview of ontological and epistemological traditions and their implications for contemporary social science. It covers paradigmatic traditions – programmatic and methodological standpoints. The course also provides an overview of methodological implications and strategies. The course illustrates the building blocks of social science, descriptive strategies, traditions of interpretation, forms of aggregation and strategies of inference, forms of explanation and explanatory strategies. The course concludes with the controversies within the field of philosophy of science.
This reading seminar provides theoretical foundations on sustainability-related issues. The class begins by charting an intellectual history of concepts and their evolution, encompassing various points of entry into the theories, histories, and imaginaries of sustainability. The thematic topics may include definitions and debates; indices, indicators, and measures of sustainability; corporate sustainability; local/municipal sustainability plans and planning; climate change, urbanization, and Anthropocene; ecotopian/dystopian visions from science fiction, design, film studies, and further afield.
The seminar helps the students prepare for their dissertation proposal defense. It is designed to provide guidance on planning, organizing, conducting research in social innovation and sustainability. Reflecting the components of the research proposal, the topics may include the articulation of problem statements and research questions; literature review and conceptual frameworks; research methods; and the logistics of fieldwork preparation.
The dissertation is an opportunity to draft a proposal and carry out research to build new knowledge in sustainability, social innovation, development or business, and demonstrate his/her ability to formulate, investigates, and analyses a problem in a practice setting. Students will write a dissertation on their chosen subject. The dissertation will be published and disseminated in regional or international academic journals. Students are required to have ethics regarding research and academic publication.
This course offers a critical foundation for understanding sustainability through the lens of interconnected global systems — economic, political, social, and ecological. It examines how power, resources, and knowledge are distributed and contested within these systems, shaping both the possibilities and limitations of sustainable development. Students will explore diverse sustainability narratives and the structural inequalities that underpin them, analyzing how global institutions, markets, and local actors interact to produce differing outcomes across contexts. The course encourages students to think systemically and ethically, challenging conventional assumptions about growth, equity, and responsibility. By integrating theory with contemporary case studies, this course equips learners to interpret sustainability not merely as a universal ideal, but as a dynamic and contested process embedded in complex global systems.
This course introduces students to the theories, strategies, and processes of social innovation for sustainable social change. Students draw from theories in sociology, management, and innovation studies to gain understanding of the need for social change, persistence of status quo and challenges in inducing changes, and potential avenues to address a variety of social problems. Further, the course requires critical and measured analysis of ‘best practices’ promoted for social change from both market and non-market perspectives.
This course offers a critical examination of the ontological and epistemological foundations of contemporary social science, specifically as they apply to social innovation and sustainability. The course provides an essential overview of key paradigmatic traditions, focusing on how different methodological standpoints address the complexities and intersectionalities of social and human issues. We will explore descriptive strategies, traditions of interpretation, and forms of aggregation and inference, with an emphasis on research designs that are practically relevant to human interaction, social transition, rights dynamics, and development. The course will critically illustrate the building blocks of social science, including the decolonizing methodology, explanatory strategies, and controversies in the philosophy of science.
This course provides students with the foundational skills of design thinking to prepare students to conduct academic research as well as research for practical social innovation. Students learn about qualitative and quantitative research methods in the context of the design thinking process. Students develop skills in ethnographic methods as well as conceptual tools used to engage in place-based social inquiry.
The goal of ‘Introduction to Research Methods’ is to learn how research is conducted and how to put that knowledge into practice. Students will learn how to apply a number of tools and techniques. As a general course on research methodology, it will provide theoretical and practical explanations about sampling, data collection, field visits, interviewing, ethical issues, questionnaires, data analysis and other relevant issues. It is expected that this course will empower participants to take advanced research methods with sound technical knowledge about general methodologies.
The goal of ‘Advanced Research Methods’ is to introduce students to a range of advanced methodologies for qualitative and quantitative research. The course will cover more advanced qualitative interview techniques, implicit research approaches, researching vulnerable communities, semiotic analysis and discourse analysis. The course will also cover advanced quantitative methodologies, experimental research approaches, and advanced statistical analyses.
In this course, students are introduced to Behavioural Economics and learn how to apply it to shape sustainable practices at an individual, community and organisational level. Through this course, students also develop skills in applied social psychology and cognitive psychology and analyse case studies of successful interventions. For the course project, students will develop a sustainable behaviour change intervention using strategies, concepts, and tactics studied in the course.
This graduate seminar introduces students to the methodology and processes required for graduate research. Students will refine their methodological skills, select and justify a research topic, and develop research questions and design. Throughout the semester, students will revisit core methodological approaches, receive guidance in formulating research questions, and construct a coherent research design. Students also act as a discussant for other student’s works. By the end of the course, each student will complete a research outline and a formal abstract in preparation for their thesis proposal.
This course covers foundational and applied concepts, knowledge and methodologies for human-centric sustainability and social innovation. It introduces the concepts, practices and architecture of the global human rights system, its achievements and its criticism, and their operationalization in human rights-based approach for sustainable development and social inclusion, as reflected in recently proclaimed human rights for environment, water and sanitation, etc. The course furthermore elaborates the dual materiality that social innovation and sustainability are on one hand essential for the full enjoyment of human rights, and, on the other hand social innovation and sustainability efforts stand to benefit from practicing human rights. The course will also elaborate on the roles and responsibilities of state and non-state actors (including business) in upholding human rights.
The course studies contemporary sustainability issues and solution pathways, including – but not limited to – the globally agreed sustainable development goals, starting from global, down to national and local levels, adopting both human-centric and eco-centric perspectives. The first half of the course covers a critical, historic analysis of the coming together of the global development, environment and economic discourses, introduces sustainability science, delves into the planetary and societal boundaries for sustainable development, and reviews relevant research and innovation methodologies. The second half of the course focuses on opportunities and challenges for incremental and transformative change in consumption and production systems, including the roles of lifestyles, education, (urban) settlements, and business and industry therein.
This course is designed exclusively to develop and refine advanced academic writing and communicative strategies necessary for successful publication in high-impact journals. The overarching aim is to transform a doctoral dissertation into publishable scholarly output that contributes to global dialogues on sustainability and social innovation. Through guided practice and critical analysis, students will master disciplinary conventions by gaining awareness of the prevailing publication conventions, rhetorical strategies, and ethical expectations within relevant fields. It will train students to refine manuscript structure by applying models such as like the CARS model and IMRAD structure in their research articles. The course will navigate the publication process as well as provide crucial knowledge on the development of impactful argument and style suitable impactful for academic writing.
This course provides an opportunity for students to develop a proposal and dissertation and conduct in-depth research in sustainability, social innovation, development, or other related areas. Students must produce a dissertation on a topic of their choice, under the supervision of an advisor appointed by the graduate program. The dissertation must meet academic standards suitable for publication in an international academic journal, and students must strictly follow research ethics and scholarly publication standards. Students are encouraged to explore AI-powered research tools to search for relevant data effectively. AI tools are intended to support the research process; they cannot replace the student’s critical thinking, analysis, or original writing. The dissertation or a part of the dissertation must be published, or at least be accepted for publication and dissemination, in international journals of quality that comply with the regulations prescribed by the Higher Education Standards Committee, for a minimum 1 article.
This course provides an opportunity for students to develop a proposal and dissertation and conduct in-depth research to generate new knowledge in sustainability, social innovation, development, business, or other related areas. Students must produce a dissertation on a topic of their choice, under the supervision of an advisor appointed by the graduate program. The dissertation must meet academic standards suitable for publication in an international academic journal, and students must strictly follow research ethics and scholarly publication standards. Students are encouraged to explore AI-powered research tools to search relevant data effectively. AI tools are intended to support the research process; they cannot replace the student’s critical thinking, analysis, or original writing. For study plan 1.1, The dissertation or a part of the dissertation must be published, or at least be accepted for publication and dissemination, in international journals of quality that comply with the regulations prescribed by the Higher Education Standards Committee, for a minimum of 2 articles.
*Please note that the information presented is provisional and subject to change pending final approval by the University Council.
Plan 1.1 Research
A doctoral degree student under Plan 1.1 must have at least two publications in international peer-reviewed academic journals, in which the full thesis or part of the thesis is either (1) published or (2) accepted for publication.
Plan 2.1 & 2.2 Coursework and Research
A doctoral degree student under Plan 2.1 or 2.2 must have at least one publication in an international peer-reviewed academic journal, in which the full thesis or part of the thesis is either (1) published or (2) accepted for publication.
The journal must be indexed in one of the databases specified by the Office of the Permanent Secretary for Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, including: ERIC, MathSciNet, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science (specifically within the SCIE, SSCI, and AHCI databases only), JSTOR, and Project MUSE. Peer-reviewed publications, published in print or electronic (online) format, are acceptable.
The PhD student must be the first author of the publication.
Examples of journals commonly recommended by instructors include: The Thammasat Review and Journal of Population and Social Studies (Mahidol University, Institute for Population and Social Research), ScienceAsia, Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences Studies – based in Thailand