Foxes, University of Leicester and King Power strike Thailand agreement
Leicester City chairman, Khun Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, with University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nishan Canagarajah.
The University of Leicester is delighted to announce collaborations in Thailand with its partners King Power and Leicester City Football Club – which will include a ‘Leicester City Football Club Scholarship’ for students in Leicester that have faced educational disadvantages and hardship.
The agreement will see the partners collaborate on key priorities between their organisations that will support children’s health priorities in Thailand, enhance educational and research opportunities, and the support professional development of King Power executives.
University of Leicester President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nishan Canagarajah, met with Group Executive Chairman of King Power and Chairman of Leicester City Football Club, Khun Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, in Bangkok today (23 July 2025) to mark the occasion.
A key aspect of the collaborations will involve the extension of the existing Leicester City Football Club Professorship in Child Health into Thailand. New research projects will be explored around the impact of pre-term births, gestational diabetes and environmental health – issues which impact the health of children in both Leicester and Thailand.
The Leicester City Football Club Professorship in Child Health launched in 2018 and, in collaboration with University Hospitals Leicester, it has been addressing children’s health issues associated with the long-term impacts of pre-term births. The health projects are a key priority for the respective partners’ social responsibility and community engagement objectives.
The partners will also be launching a scholarship programme to support students in Thailand and here in Leicester. A £5,000 ‘King Power’ scholarship will be offered to support Thai students who wish to study at the University and this will be matched by a ‘Leicester City Football Club Scholarship’ for local students in Leicester who have faced educational and socio-economic disadvantage. These scholarships forge part of a wider social commitment from the partners to ensure educational opportunities are shared fairly across society.
The University will also work with King Power to support the continuing professional development of its staff, through business education programmes and research.
The collaborations build on a long-term partnership between the organisations. Khun Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha and the late Khun Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha are both honorary graduates of University of Leicester in recognition of their commitment to the community of Leicester and Leicester City Football Club’s famous Premier League and FA Cup triumphs.
President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leicester, Professor Nishan Canagarajah, said: “This is a proud moment – we are building a bridge between our countries thanks to the support of King Power, Leicester City Football Club and the Vichai Foundation.
“We honour the legacy of the late Chairman of King Power and honorary graduate Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha as well as the support of his son, Khun Top, who is also an honorary graduate along with the club’s CEO, Susan Whelan.
“Together we are doing wonderful work in Leicester to improve child health and this agreement provides new opportunities to benefit communities in Leicester and Thailand. It also extends the University’s global footprint, ensuring that the research and education at Leicester has a truly international impact.”
CEO of King Power and Chairman of Leicester City, Khun Top, said: “Our partnership with the University of Leicester stretches many years and we are the only football club in the whole of the UK to fund a professorship at the University in child health. I am proud we are bringing this knowledge and resource to Thailand and, together, we will be dedicated to improving the health and well-being of babies born pre-term. We will build on this commitment to benefit communities in Leicester and in Thailand as well as create new opportunities for learning at the University of Leicester.”
“This MoU is a milestone in our partnership and honours the work begun by my late father. It signals our commitment to ensure that the power of education and of sport can have a transformative impact upon communities and upon people’s lives.”