JEDDAH, 13 March 2005 — A new Islamic college is being set up under the existing Islamic university in the southernmost part of Thailand, in cooperation with Al-Azhar University in Cairo.
This will have the assistance from the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), according to Nissai Vejjajiva, adviser to Thai Foreign Minister Dr. Surakiart Sathirathai, who led a Thai government delegation here last week.
Speaking to Arab News, Vejjajiva said he met with OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoghlu and briefed him about the ongoing developments in the predominantly Muslim southern region of the country, especially in the field of education.
The region had witnessed two incidents involving Muslims on April 29 and Oct. 25 last year. Suvat Hanafi Chirapant, charge d’affaires at the Thai Embassy in Riyadh, and Consul General Sukasem Yothasamutr accompanied the delegation.
Thailand’s Islamic International University has won the appreciation and support of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), he said.
“The OIC has shown keen interest in offering technical assistance and contributing toward its curriculum,” he added.
The OIC already sponsors several universities in various countries, especially in Malaysia, Uganda and Europe.
“Some 170 Thai students are now in Makkah, Madinah and Riyadh pursuing Islamic studies,” Vejjajiva said.
A joint development strategy with Malaysia’s cooperation has also been evolved with the aim of improving the living standard of Thais and Malaysians who inhabit the border area, he said.
