Chulalongkorn University has appointed Professor Dr Bundhit Eua-arporn to continue as president of the university on Saturday despite not winning the popular vote, causing dissatisfaction among the students.
“There is a problem in the way that they choose the president of the university,” said Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal, a prominent student activist studying at Chulalongkorn University. “The executive of the university has more say than the Faculty Senate.”
Dr Bundhit is continuing his second term as president of the university after being appointed by the university council; however, he did not receive the faculty members’ popular vote.
According to the Political Science Student Union of Chulalongkorn University, during the first and second rounds of the election, the Faculty Senate, comprised of the university’s faculty members, must submit their candidate for president.
For both rounds, the majority was in favour of Professor Dr Suthipong Wacharasindhu, the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine.
Dr Bundhit had 20.7 per cent and Dr Suthipong had 26.3 per cent in the first round, and 26.8 per cent and 40.99 per cent, respectively, in the second round.
The figures are from a data pool of approximately 3,000 members of the Faculty Senate.
The election is organized by the university’s president selection committee.
Netiwit also stresses that university students are not involved in the presidential vote and are treated as “semi-citizens.”
“What’s worse is that the students are not involved in the process of choosing the president. Why can’t the students be involved? Even the communities who live around the university are affected by university policies, why are they not involved as well?” said Netiwit.
Netiwit added that the university should be able to promote democracy by being an example to society.
Dr Bundhit is behind the various developmental projects in the university’s surrounding community which includes the removal of the Chao Mae Tub Tim shrine, according to Netiwit.
