History of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics

The Faculty of Science and Technology, Thammasat University was in a period of great reform under Secretary-General Professor Dr. Adul Wichiencharoen, who introduced Liberal education, a new philosophy of learning which would later be widely accepted throughout the rest of the nation, to Thammasat University. Liberal Education’s core philosophy is to provide students with knowledge and broad perspectives beyond their majors or fields of study, so that they can have a strong grasp on the foundations and interrelationships of various academic fields, fostering students’ self-awareness, societal comprehension, knowledge of nature, arts and culture, and moral and ethical values. It encourages analytical thinking, synthesis, and rational problem-solving. These changes led to the decision to limit the number of applicants per year and implement a general education curriculum. All students were required to study academic subjects in sciences, social sciences, humanities, and linguistics. This prerequisite prepared students before they could delve deeper into their major or professional fields.

The Mathematics and Statistics department was one of the earliest majors available, created as part of the Faculty of Liberal Arts in B.E. 2505 to facilitate the learning of some of the basic curricula and provide a new option for majors to address the growing need for mathematicians in various industries. Professor Dr. Adul Wichiencharoen, Founder of the Faculty of Liberal Arts, recognized the significance of mathematics as one of the greatest driving forces of progress in many fields of study, as well as the advancement of human society as a whole. Thus, the faculty took responsibility for teaching general education courses, undergraduate mathematics, undergraduate statistics, and advanced subjects to students from various faculties.

อาจารย์ประณีต เจาทะเกษตริน, the first lecturer of the department, was responsible for the curricula of both fields. In the academic year 2505, the first batch of students enrolled, and additional lecturers joined in subsequent years including อาจารย์วสันต์ ธัญมันตา อาจารย์นวลจันทร์ อินทรวิชะ. Later อาจารย์ ม.ร.ว.ปานใจ สุขสวัสดิ์ อาจารย์มงคล สีห์โสภณ อาจารย์เรไร ตั้งสาโรช อาจารย์เรณู ตั้งสาโรช และอาจารย์นิตย์ ดำรงพงษ์ joined in B.E. 2507 with many others joining in the following years. Initially, the faculty’s teaching equipment was limited, containing nothing more substantial than FACIT brand radial slide rules, which were widely available at the time. The first notable progress on this front was when the faculty was granted funds to purchase two, and then later progressively more electronic calculators, causing much excitement among the students. During that period, computers were still relatively new in Thailand, with only a few available nationwide. Our earliest students had only one computer course available to them: FORTRAN IV, a programming language taught on an IBM 1620 computer. The massive success of those who studied and worked with computers led the faculty to expand the list of computer-related courses to three, and then five subjects as part of the Statistics and Probability curriculum in the Faculty of Liberal Arts while encouraging, and in some cases subsidizing, statistics professors who showed interest in computer science to pursue in-depth studies in the field. The growing number of professors who became experts in computer science led to the creation of the Bachelor of Science (Computer Science) Program. Unfortunately, the limited size of the Tha Prachan campus proved to be a limiting factor for the widespread scientific curriculum envisioned by Prof. Dr. Adul Wichiencharoen. However, this did not deter him from his vision. He once told his students that the Department of Mathematics and Statistics was proof that Thammasat University was taking steps towards teaching science, and he was the first in management to suggest the expansion of campus grounds beyond Tha Prachan. In B.E. 2529, Thammasat University founded the Faculty of Science and Technology and transferred lecturers from the Departments of Mathematics and Statistics, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, and Computer Science from the Faculty of Liberal Arts to the new faculty located at Rangsit. As a result, the Department of Mathematics and Statistics is the oldest in the Faculty of Science and Technology. The department introduced a Master’s degree program in applied statistics in B.E. 2529 and added a new major, applied mathematics, in B.E. 2535. On July 6, B.E. 2537, the Mathematics and Statistics Branch was elevated to a department. The department subsequently upgraded educational equipment and allocated a budget for computers to be used in teaching, learning, and research activities. In B.E. 2533, the department added the actuarial science minor to its curricula. In B.E. 2539, a special bachelor’s program in statistics was established to meet the growing demand for statistics graduates with computer science knowledge to cater to society’s needs. This program aimed to provide equal educational opportunities for students with the required abilities and readiness to pursue higher education. In B.E. 2542, the department further expanded its degrees by introducing a special bachelor’s degree program in mathematics.

With the liberalization of goods and services and the advent of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), there arose an increased demand for qualified insurance professionals in both the public and private sectors. In response to this, the department launched a special bachelor’s degree program in Actuarial Science in B.E. 2557. Furthermore, in B.E. 2558, the department introduced a Ph.D. program in Mathematics (International Program) to address the need for individuals with theoretical and applied mathematical knowledge. It is worth noting that the demand for graduate studies has significantly increased in recent years, presenting more opportunities to enhance mathematical knowledge and competence at the doctoral level, meeting international standards.