The Institute for Population and Social Research (IPSR) began operations in 1966 and was established as a research and postgraduate
research institute with faculty status in 1971. The Institute I s staffed by a closed knit multi-disciplinary team of demographers,
anthropologists, computer scientists, economist, geographer, public health scientists, social psychologist, sociologist, statisticians, women
and development specialist, ecologists as well as urban planning specialists. Over ninety percent of academic staffs hold doctoral degrees,
the vast majority of which have been earned from universities in Thailand, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United states.Several
faculty members hold, or have held, distinguished positions as members of majors research and policy committees for UN organizations. IPSR was the first institution of its kind in the country and currently has the largest number of academic staff of any research institute in Thailand.

IPSR has grown to become one of the premier population research and training centers in Asia. In 2006 IPSR was ranked first on social
science research institute in Thailand by Thailand's Office of the Higher Education Commission.

1)	to conduct research and provide training in population and development and their relationship to the social, economic, reproductive health, medical and public health fields in order to address emerging issues for Thailand and other developing countries, and
2)	to provide technical support and disseminate knowledge related to population, reproductive health, and other social issues to scholars and policy-makers at international, regional, as well as country levels.

IPSR is mandated to undertake four interrelated activities: research, training , academic services , and information dissemination. These activities are guided by the Institute's mission, who is to conduct timely research into key population issues affecting the region and share such knowledge through collaborative research and training programs with colleagues from within and outside of the Asian region.

With strong support from Mahidol University, other government organizations (viz., MFA, MOPH,TICA, MOE) and international organizations (e.g., WHO, UNFPA, the Wellcome Trust, the British Council, the Hewlett Foundation, JICA, the Ford Foundation, IDRC, the Rockefeller Foundation, UNDP, UNAIDS, ILO, IOM, UNODC, AusAID, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, PRB, ADB, FHI, NIH, OSI, and the Population Council), the IPSR is continually building its human and institutional resources to become the premier population research and training institute in the Asian region. In 1992, IPSR has an internationally distinguished faculty of social scientists, demographers, reproductive health researchers, and program evaluation specialists. They have demonstrated excellence in academic research, including applied research. In order to insure the relevance and responsiveness of its research to population and reproductive health program needs, IPSR has developed an extensive network of linkages with national and international agencies. Fellows at IPSR benefit from these linkages through access to program data and opportunities for field visits. Advanced degree students are encouraged to participate in project development with the many international agencies that contact the IPSR on a regular basis. The Institute for Population and Social Research (IPSR) is one of the premier population research and training institutes in the Asian region. Its internationally distinguished faculty has demonstrated excellence in academic research, including applied research, aiming at improving the quality of life of people in Thailand and the Asian region. IPSR's major areas of expertise include:
IPSR not only carries out its own research; it also actively co-operates with other national, regional, and international organizations (governmental, non-governmental, community-based) in conducting population and social research on timely and emerging issues. Projects have ranged from basic research, exploratory studies to intervention and evaluation. IPSR faculty have actively organized research projects and provided consultancy services for projects being undertaken in such countries as Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam.

International Designation
Due to its commitment and demonstrated expertise, IPSR has received widespread international recognition. The most recently collaboration between IPSR and the Population Council was agreed in January 2007 on the guidelines in the population health, and development in Thailand and other countries in Asia.

Membership on International Committees
IPSR staff is members and have actively participated in various international committees, as noted below:

	WHO
	WHO Scientific and Ethical Review Group (SERG)
	WHO panel member for Social Science and Operations Research
	WHO Regional Advisory Panel and Operations Research
	Working Group on Development of a Network of WHO Collaborating Centres and Centers of Expertise in Thailand (NEW-CCET).
	Conference Organizing Committee and Programme Committee for the 6th Global Conference on Health Promotion
	Temporary Advisor for the Regional Advisory Panel for Asia and the Pacific
	Asian Forum
	Asian Fellows Program
	AusAID
	Technical Assessment Panel (TAP) for the Social Protection Facility
	The Ford Foundation
	Selection committee, the Ford Foundation International Fellowship Program (IFP), Thailand
	Global Fund
	The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria SEA Constituency DelegationInternational AIDS Society (IAS)
	INDEPTH Network
	IPSR is one of the Demographic Surveillance System (DSS) Site participants in the International Network for the Continuous Demographic Evaluation of Populations and Their Health in Developing Countries
	UNAIDS
	Monitoring and Evaluation Reference Group (MERG)

International Partnership