Project Title: Knowledge Policy in Thailand Argricultural Sector This research aims at studying the development of Thailand’s research policy in the agricultural sector, which meant to cover broad activities ranging from breeding, plantation, harvesting, processing, marketing, product standardization, environmental impact, intellectual property, to related international agreements. We studied related published documents, held brainstorming workshops that invited agricultural research organizations / funding agencies to provide the current status and suggestions for the future. Distinguished persons with experience in research operation and management were also interviewed for their insights and comments. The findings indicated that Thailand lacks a clear policy-making process in agricultural research according to the definition of the ‘agricultural sector’ given above. The existing policy of institutions such as the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, research policy-making body, or granting agencies are separately developed and not covering the need of the sector in a systematic manner. Nevertheless, the institutional policy formulation processes of several key institutions that, among others, profoundly involve in agricultural research were analyzed in order to visualize the current status of agricultural research policy-making: National Research Council of Thailand, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, and National Science and Technology Development Agency. The findings led the authors to propose a new entity specialized in the formulation of agricultural research policy, which can be designated as one of the nation’s many Sectorial Knowledge Policy (SKP) body. This newly proposed entity is to undertake the process of policy-formulating that connects and encompasses the currently separated policy of institutions involved in agricultural research, and to optimize usage of resources such as knowledge, equipments, and personnel. The main function of this entity is to conduct policy research, facilitating the policy development process and synthesizing the result to obtain the national agricultural research policy, and evaluation of research management agencies to create check-and-balance system under constructive competition among those agencies. An entity that fulfills these qualifications ought to be independent from the bureaucratic system and flexible enough to be able to coordinate effectively among stakeholders. It must have sufficient numbers of capable manpower. In the initial stage, the authors propose that the Office of Agricultural Economics and/or the Technology Policy Unit for Agriculture and Sustainable Agriculture, both under Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives should either or both be the suitable entity in charge of Agricultural SKP. Both need to, however, strengthen their capacity by intensive training and/or acquisition of external manpower in certain areas. In the long run the entity should transform into, and obtain a legal status of, a public organization. This will ensure its freedom of operation, flexibility, immunity from administrative and political interference, and maintain its neutrality in policy-making. Importantly, we propose that it will have to act as the secretariat office for the coming ‘Committee on Agricultural Research Policy’, also to be set up as a dedicated policy-making body for agricultural research composed of stakeholders. This will have to be the regular forum to discuss and develop every 5 years the nation’s agricultural research policy that enjoys support and commitment among parties related Project Title: Research and Innovation Policy in Science and Technology Sector The aims of this study are twofold: to analyse the system of Thailand’s research and innovation policy formulation in the science and technology sector, and to provide some recommendations for improving the policy formulation system. The method of study involved a review of international science and technology policy literature. This provided a framework for the analysis of the Thai system. In parallel, wide consultations and interviews with core research agencies and policy makers were carried out. Finding were then synthesised and developed into a set of strategies for action. Recent international trends see science and technology policy in many countries transforming into ‘research and innovation policy’. This ‘paradigm shift’ greatly emphasises the importance of knowledge creation and collective learning as an integral part of innovation networking. With this development, Foresight has become a major tool in the process of policy formulation and priority setting. Interestingly, it is found that this line of strategic thinking has been increasingly absorbed into the policy formulation process of the Thai research system. Apart from the underlying framework for the policy formulation process, this study also covers the structural aspect of the Thai research system. The consultation and interview part of the study, in particular, yielded a number of insights into important issues, involving the problems about: a) the structure of research and innovation policy organisations at both national and ministerial levels; b) the development of research and innovation policy process; c) support mechanisms for research and innovation; and d) the integration of research and innovation policy into other areas of national policies. This study proposes a set of recommendations for improving research and innovation policy formulation process, including; a) methods for defining research sectors in science and technology; b) appropriate organisational structures of research and innovation policy agencies; c) the application of Foresight process in policy formulation and in the formation of innovation networks; d) key determinants in research and innovation policy; and e) leveraging mechanisms of research and innovation funding. From the recommendations, the strategies for urgent implementation are also suggested. They are developing thinking framework, paradigm and policy formulation process in science and technology, leveraging science and technology policy organisations as well as their personnel capability, and improving budget allocation system for research, including thinking framework, structure and measure