MFU Welcomes UNC Delegation for Social Enterprise Exchange

On 15 June 2026, the School of Management at Mae Fah Luang University (MFU) hosted a welcome ceremony for a student delegation from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), USA. The event, held at the M4U Centre in the M-Square Building, was presided over by Dr. Piyatida Pianluprasidh, Dean of the School of Management. 

The visit is part of the Burch Seminar in Thailand: Public Health, Food System, and Entrepreneurship 2026 programme, marking the third consecutive year of academic collaboration between the two institutions. 

The session began with an introduction to the School of Management and MFU, followed by a campus tour led by MFU students. Following the campus visit, the UNC delegation travelled to Pangkhon Village, an Akha community in Chiang Rai, where they engaged in a homestay experience, spending the night with local families and immersing themselves in the community’s traditional way of life.

A central focus of the programme is the study of social enterprises — innovative business models designed to address social and environmental challenges across Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, with an emphasis on the global food system, including access to healthy food, food security, and economic opportunities for farmers and local enterprises.

Beyond academics, the collaboration provides a valuable platform for students from both universities to exchange cultural perspectives and learn from one another, a core goal of this academic partnership. Altogether, this initiative reflects MFU's ongoing commitment to strengthening international academic ties and promoting experiential learning through real-world community engagement in Northern Thailand.