In 1997 Asst. Prof. Dr. Phasook Kullavanij - the President of Burapha University, witnessed by Asst. Prof. Dr. Surin Suthithatip -  the Dean of the faculty of Education at Burapha University, Prof. Dr. David Lawson - the Dean of the Faculty of Human Development at Victoria University of Technology (Victoria University), and the Honourable Phil Honeywood -  the Minister for Tertiary Education and Training Government of Victoria (Australia)  signed  the memorandum of understanding to combine their resources to the awarding of a Doctor of Education (Ed. D.), a degree of Victorial University of Technology, as a result of joined teaching by both institutions. The MOU did not progress much due to Thailand’s economic crisis at that time. The joined program materialized in the year 2000. There were six modules to the Ed.D. program. Three teaching modules were managed by Victoria University of Technology and the other three teaching modules were managed by the faculty of Education at Burapha University. The Faculty of Education at Burapha University was responsible for managing the recruitment, providing the teaching and learning facilities and other managerial activities. An Office of the International Graduate Programs at the Faculty of Education in Burapha University was established. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chalong Tubsree - the Dean of the Faculty of Education at Burapha University was appointed to another administrative position which was the Director of the Office of the International Graduate Programs. The Office of International Graduate Program was the self-supporting program. The management of the office was independent from the Faculty of Education. It generated its own income and managed its own expenses. The management of the Office of the International Graduate Programs was done under the supervision of the Board of the International Graduate Programs which was chaired by the President of Burapha University.

    The collaborative activities with Victoria University of Technology continued since then with the last graduate of the Ed.D. program of Victoria University being in the year 2014, and then the collaborative activity automatically ceased. After three years of the joined teaching program with Victoria University of Technology, the Faculty of Education decided to develop it own international program. The Doctor of Philosophy in Human Resource Development (HRD) was developed and first offered places in the year 2005. One year after offering the Ph.D. in Human Resource Development, the Master of Teaching English as the Second Language (M.Ed. TESL) was developed. The TESL program was first offered in the year 2006. The TESL was later renamed “TEGL –Teaching English as a Global Language>

    In 2009, the Office of the International Programs was renamed “The International Graduate Studies Human Resource Center” (IG-HRD) under the Faculty of Education at Burapha University. In 2013, the Ph.D. in Teaching English as a Global Language was developed and was first offered in 2014.

Philosophy

    A primary characteristic of the IG-HRD Center is our flexible approach to curriculum and requirements in order to meet both the interests of the students and the needs of organizations. HRD graduates are expected to work toward improving the quality of life of individuals by understanding and practicing organizational development. A significant number of students enter our programs because of encouragement and even financial support from their employers.

Our emphasis is on preparing people to make improvements in international commerce and relations by creating opportunities. To ensure awareness of the global situations, classes and materials are multilingual, and official communications are in English.

Policy

    The IG-HRD is a self-supporting unit. The students in the program are multi- national which offers the opportunity for students to learn from different cultures. The students should be able to use another language besides his or her own native language.

Location

    Burapha University is located beside the Gulf of Thailand at Bang Saen which is in Chonburi province, and is about one hour from Bangkok airport.