Prince of Songkla University

Prince of Songkla University (PSU), known as Mahawitthayalai Songkhla Nakharin in Thai, was founded in 1967 and is named in honor of His Royal Highness Prince Mahidol Adulyadej, Prince of Songkla, who died in 1929. Prince of Songkla University can trace its origins back to 1967, making it the oldest university in southern Thailand. The institution has five campuses located in Hat Yai, Pattani, Phuket, Trang, and Surat Thani. The first permanent campus was established in Pattani in 1968, and today the campuses cover a total area of more than 620 hectares. The university comprises 39 faculties, colleges and institutes. It has four hospitals, and boasts more than 40 excellence and research centres. PSU describes its central aim as raising general education standards, and supporting regional industry and development. Among its largest faculties are the departments of hospitality and tourism, and nursing and medicine. In addition, PSU's Center of Excellence in Nanotechnology for Energy, which opened in April 2012, conducts research into topics areas such as energy conversion, energy storage and energy saving. Research at the centre aims to develop systems for energy production that do not rely on external power supply or fuel combustion, and to ultimately preserve energy. The university has international cooperation agreements with institutions in more than 40 countries, as well as a number of international agencies, including the World Health Organisation, Unesco and the European Union. It also has two Confucius Institutes, one of which was awarded the Confucius Institute of the Year award in 2009.