Students get the University of Leicester experience thanks to Royal Thai Government scholarship
The Thai students at the National Space Centre.
Fifty one students from Thailand spent six weeks at the University of Leicester after securing a scholarship from the Royal Thai Government.
Launched in 2025, the One District One Scholarship aims to inspire and upskill the next generation of Thai students to become a key part of Thailand’s digital workforce. As part of the scholarship, the scholars spend time in overseas summer schools at universities around the world.
The University of Leicester in the UK’s East Midlands, was selected as a One District One Scholarship partner, and hosted a second cohort of students in April and May, after hosting the first last autumn.
The scholars taking part in a module at the University’s School of Business.
The students enjoyed a packed programme of events and learning opportunities during their UK stay, which culminated in a celebration event. The ceremony, held on Friday 22 May, saw the Thailand Ambassador to the UK, His Excellency Nadhavathna Krishnamra make a special appearance, meeting his compatriots and offering them words of encouragement.
He told the scholars: “This programme represents an important initiative by the Royal Thai Government to provide talented students from all parts of Thailand with the opportunity to stay, study, and learn from world-class universities and technology companies abroad. I am glad the University of Leicester has been one of our key partners in making this project a great success.”
He added: “The most important and lasting foundation of our relationship lies in our long-established people-to-people connections. All of you, our young students, are an essential part of this bond. You are not only the future of Thailand, but also important bridges between the two nations. I hope that the experiences, friendships, and memories from the programme will inspire you to contribute to your communities, your country, and to the continued friendship between Thailand and the UK.”
The One District One Scholarship has the full support of Leicester City Football Club who hosted the students at their home match against Hull City and provided a behind-the-scenes-tour of the Foxes’ King Power Stadium.
The University signed a partnership with the football club’s owners, King Power, in July 2025 which marked a commitment to work together in education and health partnerships in Thailand and the UK.
Leicester City Football Club’s managing director, and Thai national, Kamonthip Netthanomsak, joined the Ambassador and met the students at their leaving ceremony.
The programme included a series of study modules delivered by academics from the University’s School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences (SCMS) who are experts in areas including AI and machine learning, mathematics and computational modelling, trustworthy autonomous systems and methods of AI and data analytics. They also took part in modules run by the University’s School of Business.
Students also spent a day at the London headquarters of CGI, one of the world’s largest IT and business consulting services firms and a key industry partner of the SCMS.
Other activities included interactive masterclasses at the National Space Centre, attendance at a Leicester Tigers game, and a visit to the University’s Space Park Leicester – the city’s hub for space research and innovation.
University Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Henrietta O’Connor, said: “The University is proud to have been selected as a key partner for the One District One Scholarship, by the Royal Thai Government, and it was a pleasure to meet this second cohort of bright young Thai students, during their time with us.
“The scholarship provides students with an incredible timetable of events across six weeks, and I would like to extend my thanks to all of the partners, and my University colleagues, for delivering such a memorable programme.”
The student visit is the latest example of the University’s blossoming relationship with Thailand. In December, a Thai government delegation came to campus to learn how Leicester and fellow UK universities approach internationalisation.