Optometry Partnership in Thailand
Beginning in 1999, the IU School of Optometry partnered with Ramkhamhaeng University in Bangkok to establish an optometry program. At that time, optometry was not recognized as a profession in Thailand. IU faculty created a curriculum and faculty members travelled to Thailand to help teach. Two decades later, optometry is now recognized as a legal profession in Thailand and the standard curriculum is based on the original model. The school now has 13 full-time faculty members and the 2019 class included 64 students. The program has about 300 graduates and has inspired two additional optometry programs in the country.