The Unity Academic Alliance Arrives in Thailand

The Unity Academic Alliance, or UAA, is a program for postsecondary institutions that features competency-based curricular frameworks, discounts on Unity products, support for instructor and student certifications, and much more. With a strong dedication to using technology in its curriculum and seeing great value in Unity’s broad range of applications, the International Academy of Aviation Industry (IAAI) led the initiative for King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL) to become the first Unity Academic Alliance members in Thailand.

Located near Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, KMITL-IAAI utilizes the Unity Academic Alliance resources to prepare students for competency in career-related areas of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), engineering, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, simulation, serious games, and much more. 

The IAAI faculty, headed by Assistant Professor Dr. Soemsak Yooyen (Dean), currently offers a 4-year Bachelor of Engineering in Aeronautical Engineering and Commercial Pilot program as well as a Bachelor of Science in Logistics Management program. All programs at IAAI are taught in English, with a focus on innovative technologies. IAAI’s Unity Academic Alliance membership works in coordination with the IAAI Virtual research and development lab, and is now expanding to support the wider KMITL campus, which offers a robust selection of degree programs and certifications.

With Unity at the top of the interactive content game and KMITL-IAAI emerging technology curriculum taking off, the Unity Academic Alliance is offering benefits to everyone involved.  In fact, since its launch in 2018, the UAA has reached faculty and students in more than 100 postsecondary institutions and has helped them on the path to learning in-demand, industry 4.0 job skills. 

The Unity education team is dedicated to providing the tools and resources that post-secondary institutions need. The team works closely with member organizations, collecting feedback and adapting the program to assure success. As members of the program, KMITL-IAAI (as all member organizations) receives the opportunity for instructors to upskill and gain additional industry-recognized Unity certifications.

Unity offers certifications appropriate for all learners, from the User certification for true beginners, to the Expert certification for industry professionals with over 5 years of experience. As the focus of the UAA is post-secondary education, UAA members can choose to offer students Unity Certified Associate or Unity Certified Professional courseware + exam bundles. 

UAA member institution representatives must maintain a Unity Certified Professional level certification (programmer or artist). With these Unity certifications and a CompTIA CTT+ Classroom Trainer Certification (or equivalent), one can become an official Unity Certified Instructor. UAA members have access to courseware, practice tests, and certification exams potentially worth over $33,000 USD to aid in a variety of learning and development paths. With all the options available for instructors and students to level-up their skills, the decision to join the UAA has been a clear win for KMITL-IAAI.

Dr. Nuchjarin Intalar, a lecturer at KMITL-IAAI, is currently utilizing a Unity Certified Associate courseware voucher that was included with the UAA package. She says the online course is “well-organized” and “easy to follow at your own pace”. She is also impressed with how accessible it is, saying “It’s very easy to understand even if you have zero background in this field”. Dr. Intalar sums up a key takeaway by stating that “At the end of the course, you can create a real game that you and your friends can enjoy!” Now, students at KMITL-IAAI are joining Dr. Intalar in UCA courseware study.

Dr. Intalar is also interested in virtual reality and says “Unity makes your imagination come true” and that it’s “user-friendly and full of features to help you enjoy the world of virtual reality.” She and her colleagues recently completed training for the new KMITL-Eon Reality Interactive Digital Center, learning how to create interactive lessons with Eon-XR and Unity’s XR Interaction Toolkit.

KMITL-IAAI continues to discover new opportunities to integrate Unity Academic Alliance tools and resources into course curriculum, events, and competitions. From utilizing Unity for Humanity case studies in business ethics to Unity Monetization resources in marketing, the possibilities are endless. Equipped with the evolving Unity Curricular Framework, developed with input from Unity and other industry experts, KMITL-IAAI is well-positioned to help students master key learning objectives and enter the workforce with essential skills.

KMITL-IAAI welcomes faculty, staff, and students who are interested in learning more about Unity or becoming a Unity Certified Instructor to contact us via our faculty website or our Facebook page. With KMITL-IAAI and the Unity Academic Alliance working together to bring you quality education and professional skills, the sky's the limit!

Are you an innovative post-secondary institution looking to join the Unity Academic Alliance? Learn more about the benefits offered and explore frequently asked questions. 

Interested in becoming a Unity Certified Instructor? Learn how you can make an impact on Unity creators.