July 4, 2023 – Prof. Sirirerk Songsivilai, Ph.D., Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, congratulated and presided over the presentation of awards to ASEAN Students at the 9th ASEAN Student Science Project Competition (ASPC 2023). Asst. Prof. Rawin Rawiwong, Ph.D., Director of the National Science Museum (NSM) and Dr. Kannikar Choen, Representative from Thailand Science Council under the Royal Patronage and NSM executives welcomed the distinguished guests and participants. The event was held at Saeng Duan-Saeng Thian Room, Phra Ram IX Museum, NSM, Khlong V Sub-district, Khlong Luang District, Pathumthani. A team of young students from Khon Kaen University Demonstration School (Secondary Division – Mo Din Daeng) won the Project of the Year 2023 Award from their Project: “Study of Imitation Flash Communication Pattern Behaviour in Firefly, Abscondita terminalis (Olivier, 1833), for Increasing Firefly Population in Conservation Areas in Khon Kaen University”.
Prof. Sirirerk Songsivilai, Ph.D., Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation said, “My appreciation and congratulations to all of the ASEAN students joining the project this year, in which we have 27 projects from 8 countries, namely, Thailand Indonesia, Malysia, Singapore, the Philippines, People’s Democratic Republic of Lao, Republic of the Union of Myanmar, and the Kingdom of Cambodia, with the Republic of the People of China joining as observers. I also appreciate and am grateful to the organizations such as NSM and the Science Council for their support of the ASEAN level competition. MHESI has brought the issue at an ASEAN meeting on the principle development in ASEAN countries that aims towards sustainability by the use of science and technologies as the important tools in the deployment of works of all sectors, especially when it comes to the potentialities and creativity of the young generation. These youths are the major manpower of the future and they should learn together while we collaboratively build a network of scientists and develop the scientific projects of each country in ASEAN. I hope that the works will be applied and extended for a wider cycle of benefits to the world in the future.”
The award of the Project of the Year 2023 went to the Project on: Imitation Flash Communication Pattern Behaviour in Firefly, Abscondita terminalis (Olivier, 1833), for Increasing Firefly Population in Conservation Areas. The team is from Khon Kaen University Demonstration School (Secondary Division – Mo Din Daeng), and included the following members: Miss Apapornpat Tharnlert, Mr. Bawornchai Sukchaibaworn, and Dr. Pratuangsuk Maneelam was their supervisor. The Project also won the first award in the field of Biology.
Miss Apapornpat Tharnlert, a member of the team winning the Project of the Year 2023 and the first award in biology revealed about the first step of the project development. “This project started in the class that was on increasing the population of fireflies. But we could not sustainably increase the number because the fireflies were not able to adjust themselves to the environment. So we studied this problem by looking at their behaviors of mating and flashing, which they use in communication. We then built a code for imitating the flashing of the fireflies to see if this could increase the chance for mating and thus increase the population. Flashing is their communication method and it can attract fireflies to come to mate. If the population increases, then it shows the fertility of the area, which is on KKU campus.”
Mr. Bawornchai Sukchaibaworn added, “I’m, very happy of the success today. Our attempts and dedication and also our patience all along the project now paid themselves, for there is this event that sees our capacity and intention. I’m grateful to ASPC 2023 for giving us the valuable experience. We were also able to practice communicating with others in English in other ASEAN countries and learned about their cultures.”
News: Chumporn Para
