Thailand's higher education institutions, once largely involved with the education and training of civil servants, have recently begun to seek collaboration with private sector institutions. This activity began when it was found that there was a limited number of government positions available, and increasing numbers of graduates needed to seek jobs in the private sector. Efforts at collaboration have had some problems due to the "ivory tower" concept, and because of the academic standards of university faculty members. However, many creative efforts to bring about innovative programs for cooperation among business, industry, and higher education have been successful. These activities have included: an educational development unit; a continuing education center; a specialized training center; an academic service center; and an academic network. The major difficulty in the collaborative efforts has been the differing objectives, expectations, and orientations of personnel from the university and from the private sector institutions. The report concludes that an exchange system, with educators taking part in private sector activities and with private sector personnel taking part in educational activities, will help to close the gap between the two areas. (CB)