The Establishment of The Kamphaeng Saen Campus

Kasetsart University is the first educational institution providing an agricultural study program in Thailand. It was initiated from the Agricultural Teacher Training School, founded in 1917, which was later developed to be Kasetsart University on February 2, 1943. The university symbol is God Varuna on the Naga in the center surrounded by lotus petals with green color as the university color. The university’s symbolic tree is Non si. The inadequate land of Kasetsart University Bangkhen limited the agricultural teaching and research, the university then looked for the suitable place and planned to expand the agricultural education to meet the government policies of agricultural development of the country according to the National Economic and Social Development Plan. The key milestone that broke the wall and drove the dramatic development of Kasetsart University was to establish the new campus at Kamphaeng Saen sub-district (formerly known as Tung Krapanghom sub-district), Kamphaeng Saen district, Nakorn Pathom province, according to the government policy on agricultural development in the National Economic and Social Development Plan No. 1 B.E. 2504 – 2509 (1961 -1966).Kasetsart University started the preparation for university development project since 1960 when Professor Insee Chandrastitya was the University President by planning to increase the number of graduates from agricultural and related field, as well as improve the quality of graduates. The plan was succeeded by Mom Luang Xujati Kambhu, the next University President. In 1967, The suitable land was founded in Tung Krapanghom sub-district, Kamphaeng Saen district, Nakorn Pathom province. The student training center under the supervision of the Department of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Agriculture was established. Moreover, the Rockefeller Foundation provided support to Kasetsart University during 1968 – 1974. On May 24, 1972, the Thai government and the World Bank signed the ceremony for the university development loan. The project development plan was for 20 years, divided into 4 phases, with 5 years duration each. On 20 January 1976, Professor Wattana Sthienswat was appointed the Vice President (Kamphaeng Saen), which was the first appointment of the university's top administrators at Kamphaeng Saen Campus. The teaching and studying must be conducted simultaneously with the research and academic services to society, which would lead to the highest benefits of the nation. Kasetsart University sent a request to the Japanese government for supporting the building construction, equipment, supplies, and facilities for the research and academic services at the Kamphaeng Saen Campus. In 1982, the Japanese government granted financial aid to the university for 4,100 million yen (approximately 410 million baht) to construct the Central Laboratory and Greenhouse Complex, National Agricultural Machinery Center, and The National Agricultural Extension and Training Center.It also granted the budget for the necessary equipment and agricultural machinery was counted for 500 million yen (approximately 50 million baht). The total budget would be 4,600 million yen (approximately 460 million baht) for teaching and studying. The first semester of the academic year 1979 at the Kamphaeng Saen Campus was started on November 12, 1979. There were 4 faculties, including the Faculty of Agriculture, the Faculty of Engineering, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, and the Faculty of Education. Presently, the Kamphaeng Saen Campus offers 6 faculties, including the Faculty of Agriculture at Kamphaeng Saen, the Faculty of Engineering at Kamphaeng Saen, the Faculty of Sports Science, the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Science, The Faculty of Education and Development Sciences, and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. There are also other institutions and bureau providing support to teaching, research, academic services, and cultural preservation.