Vision

As the first SE knowledge center in Southern Thailand, PSU SEKH is dedicated to developing Social Enterprises capacity to be the profitable and sustainable business sector.

Mission Statement

1. To provide education and training on knowledge, skills, technology, and innovation in business and agriculture to the SE,
2. To collaborate and develop the new SE with community and farmer groups,
3. To be an effective and a leading hub on SE knowledge in Southern Thailand, and
4. To produce new generations and innovative young farmers for striving the solution to sustainably improving quality of life and well-being community.

Executive Summary

Profitable and sustainable are keys to running a successful social entrepreneur. The Prince of Songkla University Social Entrepreneur Knowledge Hub (PSU SEKH) is established in 2021 under the Research Innovation and Social Engagement Section, Faculty of Natural Resources (FNR), Prince of Songkla University (PSU).

As the first SE centre in Southern Thailand, PSU SEKH is positioning itself to become a regional SE center to reinforce community and social strength in profitable and sustainable SE business. Based on the university values expressed through PSU's guiding principle: "Our Soul is for the Benefit of Mankind", the services are carried out in various forms considered appropriate for different needs of different stakeholders and communities.

Thus, PSU SEKH activities emphasizing social enterprise and community competencies capacity building align with PSU’s mission, commitment to academic and research excellence, strong social responsibility, and active engagement in community services.

Following the PSU SEKH vision, the main aim of the hub is to develop the SE capacity to be a profitable and sustainable business sector. PSU SEKH identifies the operation step from increasing understanding and awareness of the SE, building human resource capacity, connecting SE with the funding sources, collaborating with the local community, and building a sustainable SE knowledge hub within the future five years.

PSU SEKH target markets are the beneficiary and customer groups that require knowledge and counseling in agriculture and agribusiness in the contexts of social entrepreneurship. In addition, the government organization, private sector, and academic institute will be identified as a partnership to collaborate in improving local livelihood and quality of life for farmers and community members and creating a new generation of students and farmers to be social entrepreneurs.

The PSU SEKH is established under the support of the STEPup Project. The hub is registered as a center within the organizational structure of the Research Innovation and Social Engagement Section, Faculty of Natural Resources. Therefore, the hub operation, including financial management, needs to follow the university and National rules and regulations in the context of financial and accounting protocol.

The financial goals are mainly based on our products and services such as training, workshop, and consultant in agriculture, agribusiness, and social enterprise. To ensure that the PSU SEKH will become self-sustainable in SE services to strengthen the SE in Southern Thailand, the Faculty of Natural Resources can support human resources, infrastructures, and facilities as co-financing. The collaboration with stakeholders such as the government sector and the private company included community will help broaden the SE knowledge and encourage other institutes, associates, and the general public and interested parties to take part and invest in the hub's activities.

The management team of the PSU SEKH is composed of well-qualified persons from the Faculty of Natural Resources who have the expertise, skill, and experience in main hub operation, including agriculture and aquaculture, agribusiness and community development, social enterprise, management, and other professional areas which provides the hub with great benefits.

The SEKH structure also involved several government agencies and private sectors. Therefore, their engagement in the hub will support and contribute to hub activities and goals at local and regional levels.

PSU SEKH also involves some outstanding community leaders and NR alumni association which are active in cooperation with community enterprises and local farmers that will help provide study sites, experience, know-how, valuable advice, and dissemination of project activities.