June 20, 2022 – Assoc. Prof. Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, M.D., President of Khon Kaen University and his administrative team had online discussion on academic and research collaboration, scholarships, and other joint activities with the administrators from Suleyman Demirel University (SDU), Kazakhstan. KKU executives joined the discussion at Conference Room 5, 6^th Floor, Sirikunakorn Building, Khon Kaen University.

Assoc. Prof. Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, M.D., President of Khon Kaen University said on behalf of Khon Kaen University that he was honored to have an opportunity to meet with administrators of Suleyman Demirel University (SDU), Kazakhstan, and thanked Prof. Kanok Wongtra-ngan, Ph.D., who has been a key coordinator for this liaison between the two universities.

Khon Kaen University is a leading university in Isan Region, Thailand. It is situated at the center of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) and holds the vision in being a world class university under the value of social dedication. At present, there are over 30,000 undergraduate students, over 8,000 graduate-level students in the 3 major fields of health sciences, humanities and social sciences, and sciences and technologies.

Suleyman Demirel University (SDU) in Kazakhstan is a leading university situated in the center of Asia. The research works of SDU cover various fields, especially engineering, sciences, technologies, business, education, and social sciences. Therefore, it is a good chance for Khon Kaen University to collaborate with Suleyman Demirel University for academic exchanges in the similar fields in order to strengthen the academic progress of both institutions.

It is believed that the meeting this time will commence collaboration in development and different activities of the two universities, which can be student and personnel exchange, or publicizing of academic outcomes. Khon Kaen University feels grateful towards the administrators of Suleyman Demirel University (SDU), Kazakhstan who were present at the meeting today. KKU will be looking forward to the joint projects that will arise in the near future.

Professor Dr Kanok Wongtra-ngan added that June 20, 2022 marked another good occasion that Khon Kaen University and Suleyman Demirel University (SDU), Kazakhstan started their relationship. Thailand and Kazakhstan have similar cultures. In Isan, there is the ‘Phuk Siaw’ tradition, or friend-making tradition. Kazakhstan also has a tradition like this; once friendship is made, all kinds of supports are possible, and the two parties will be happy to assist each other. The meeting today was also a starting point to support Kazakhstan as the grate towards the Greater Mekong Subregion in the Central Asia.

The representative of Suleyman Demirel University, Dr. Gaipov Davronzhon, Rector of Suleyman Demirel University (SDU) explained that Suleyman Demirel University is a leading university in Central Asia. The university opens for international students, and there are many interesting programs. The university has all facilities and is pleased to develop collaboration in different programs or exchanges of students and staff in the future.

Khon Kaen University administrators added that Khon Kaen University is happy to build educational collaboration and collaboration in research and programs in various fields, exchanges of students and personnel. In each faculty of KKU, there is also an international program that welcomes international students. It is expected that in the next meeting, the two universities will be able to discuss details of programs being offered and possibilities in other types of collaboration.

News: Rawiporn Saisaenthong

[Thai]

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June 10, 2022 at the west bank of Si Than Lake, Khon Kaen University held a forest growing activity. The first stage of the project is aimed at planting 50,000 trees, to celebrate the auspicious occasion of Her Majesty Queen Suthida’s Birthday. Assoc. Prof. Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, M.D., President of Khon Kaen University chaired the activity, which was joined by KKU administrators, deans and heads of the various departments, as well as other staff members and a lot of students.

Asst. Prof. Arwut Yimtae, Vice President for Infrastructure and Environment made a reporting speech to the President. The activity today was meant to be under the first phase of forest growing, which aimed at planting 50,000 trees. The event was also celebrating the auspicious occasion of Her Majesty Queen Suthida’s Birthday. It was organized by the Infrastructure and Environmental Section and was aimed at restoring, maintaining, and adding green areas on campus, following the Great Place to Live Strategy and building of a Green Society.

“Two hundred Ratchaphruek seedlings are planted today in the deteriorating part of the campus. The event is organized by the Public Utility, Energy and Environment Division that prepared the zone in advance for the activity. The division staff made ready the soil for the trees planted today to grow well. Then we will have a new beautiful Ratchaphruek Park in Khon Kaen University,” said Vice President for Infrastructure and Environment.

Assoc. Prof. Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, M.D., President of Khon Kaen University related that during his office, one thing he has had in mind is to plant trees to add to the green areas on campus. Today, the President is pleased to see staff members joining the activity. Ratchaphruek trees yield beautiful flowers, especially when they are grown in clusters. After this activity, the President invited people who pass by the lake for their various purposes or for exercising to help watering the trees in order that they will grow and bear flowers as we expect.

Ratchaphruek trees or ‘Ton Khoon’ bear yellow flowers that are Thai and Khon Kaen Province identity. The flowers bloom in beautiful bouquets from the end of March until the beginning of May every year. In addition, the tree is a favorable tree and used in important rituals. The University selected Ratchaphruek trees to plant today because they have good adaptation in all kinds of soils. The 2-year seedlings used today measure 2 inches in diameter, and are about the time they are strong enough to root down the soil and grow effectively. Two years from now, this group of Ratchaphruek trees, which are 6 meters from one another in the longitudinal rows, and with each row 4 meters apart, will start to bloom.

News: Udomchai Supannawong

Photos: Udomchai Supannawong and Natthawut Jaruwong

[Thai]

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May 27, 2022 – Assoc. Prof. Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, M.D., President of Khon Kaen University; Mr. Khemkhaeng Yutithamdamrong, Director General of the Department of Agricultural Extension; Mr. Tanarat Ngamwalairat, Manager of the Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperative; and Mr. Morakot Pittarat, President of Khon Kaen University Alumni Association; signed an MOU for promoting and developing the agricultural sector. The MOU also involves extension of participation and sustainable agriculture, research work, and technologies for Thai agriculture. A great number of administrators, lecturers, and news correspondents joined as witnesses. The event took place at Sarasin Room, Sirikunakorn Building, Khon Kaen University.

Assoc. Prof. Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, M.D., President of Khon Kaen University explained that there are 2 MOUs. The first is for academic, instructional, research and agricultural extension collaboration between 2 organizations, namely, the Department of Agricultural Extension and Khon Kaen University. This is the second MOU that succeeds the first one signed on July 10, 2018. The new MOU is aimed at joint collaboration in development of instruction, research and agricultural extension. The Department of Agricultural Extension that is going to work with KKU, is a big department with the greatest number of officers in the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperative. It is the organization that works closely with farmers, with sub-district agricultural officers, agricultural extension academic officers working in the area and supports farmers or farming entrepreneurs in the communities, which are the foundation economy of the country.

The second MOU is for sustainable and participatory agriculture extension, to be conducted by 4 agencies including the Department of Agricultural Extension, Khon Kaen University, the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives and Khon Kaen University Alumni Association. This MOU is meant for collaboration to promote sustainable agriculture, build participation from communities in management of sustainable agriculture, upgrading the quality of life related to socio-economic conditions of the communities using sustainable agricultural technologies, promoting environmental conservation and supporting reduction of greenhouse gas as well as technology and innovation transfer.

“The academic collaboration under the 2 MOUs will last for 4 years as of the date they were signed. Collaboration may be extended after the period for utmost benefits to the social and to the farmers in the Northeast. The plans for implementation have already been primarily set, and the selection of the target areas and collaborative plans of each sub-project will be done in due course.”

Mr. Khemkhaeng Yutithamdamrong, Director General of the Department of Agricultural Extension added that the academic MOU between KKU and the Department of Agricultural Extension in development of instruction, research and agricultural promotion in fact has been put into practice since 2018. The collaboration will continue, with joint research work in the topics that deal with solution of farming problems, development of personnel and farmers that will go alongside agricultural academic development.

“The collaboration of the 4 organizations is expected to involve participation of the communities in management of sustainable agriculture, upgrading of the quality of life of people in terms of socio-economic conditions of the communities by using sustainable agricultural technology, promoting conservation of the environment, supporting reduction of greenhouse gases and transferring technologies and innovation to the communities. The 4 organizations will cooperate and promote participatory agricultural development in the target areas in order to achieve utmost benefits for farmers.”

The MOUs will be the guidelines for the collaboration of the 4 organizations that will work on problem solving in communities, which will be the center of the developmental work.

After the MOU signing ceremony, the administrators of the 4 organizations made a visit to the past collaborative research work outcomes, including sustainable agriculture under the forest farming of the tree bank at Ban Thalee, Nongrua District, Khon Kaen, which is the project site of BAAC.

[Thai]

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Friday May 20, 2022 from 13:00 to 14:00 p.m. – Khon Kaen University held an online MOU signing ceremony with Jiujiang University, China. Signing for Khon Kaen University was Assoc. Prof. Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, M.D., the President, and for Jiujiang University was Professor Xiaolin CHEN, Ph.D., President of Jiujiang University. Among distinguished witnesses were Professor Yaofang Yang, Ph.D., Vice-President and a number of administrators of Jiujiang University; Asst. Prof. Acharawan Topark-Ngarm, Ph.D., Assistant to KKU President for International Affairs; Assoc. Prof. Lampang Manmart, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Graduate Study in Management; Dr. Sakchai Jaroenpornsirikul, Vice Dean of the College of Graduate Study in Management; Assoc. Prof. Peerasit Khamnuansil, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Local Administration; Assoc. Prof. Orathai Pia-ura, Ph.D., Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; Mrs. Wilawan Angsunantawiwat, Acting Director of the International Affairs Division, and a number of staff members. The onsite ceremony was held at Sirikunakorn Conference Room 5, 6^th Floor, Sirikunakorn Building, Khon Kaen University.

Assoc. Prof. Charnchai Panthongviriyakul said, “This MOU between Khon Kaen University and Jiujiang University, which is being signed online today, is under a policy of Khon Kaen University to promote the relationships and collaboration with universities in the People’s Republic of China in all aspects, including exchange of students, research collaboration, teaching and learning development, and cultural collaboration. At present, Khon Kaen University has MOUs with 39 academic institutions in China. There are now a lot of students from the People’s Republic of China studying at Khon Kaen University towards undergraduate and graduate degrees.”

“This MOU signing is an important step in human resource development in the fields of business administration, organizational management, administration of public matters, and in social sciences and development, under the College of Graduate Study in Management, College of Local Administration and the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, which will be the power behind organizational and national development in the future. Khon Kaen University is pleased to continuously collaborate in different aspects that are related to educational promotion. I truly hope that the discussion today will lead to initiation of different collaborative activities and extension of collaboration to other faculties in the future. Ultimately, the collaboration will result in educational growth of our countries.”

Dr. Sakchai Jaroenpornsirikul, Vice Dean of the College of Graduate Study in Management explained about the background of the MOU signing, “Jiujiang University is an integrating university in China, which has been established for over 100 years. The programs offered at Jiujiang University are at the undergraduate level. The collaboration between KKU and Jiujiang University in fact began unofficially from the contact made by one of the parents of Chinese students. This led to cooperation in accepting students from Jiujiang University who have graduated to continue their studies at a graduate level at Khon Kaen University. A group of students then came to study in the College of Local Administration and the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. After this, there were discussions for ways to collaborate in many dimensions. In the future, there may be exchanges of lecturers, supporting staff and students. The process is to be discussed in detail in due course.”

The MOU signing ceremony between Khon Kaen University and Jiujiang University this time is the building of collaboration with a foreign country in social sciences and development, research, upgrading of education, staff development, organizational management that will answer the policy of Khon Kaen University towards internationalization.

News / Photos: Watchara Noichompoo

[Thai]

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May 19, 2022 at the Cultural Center of Khon Kaen University, the Manpower Resource Administrative Unit and Funding for University Development of Research and Innovation, National Council of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation organized an event: Brainpower Thailand 2022. The event was for presentation of outstanding works of NXPO in 2020-2022, which would be linked to the administration of the funds from the 2023-2027 Science, Research, and Innovation Plan. The event featured activities that built and strengthened relationships of the network for development of manpower in the national ecological system of science, research and innovation. The presentation this time was organized by integrating the Isan identity by using creative media in films, music, and performance arts, with an aim to add values for creative economy. This is achieved through different bodies of knowledge, intellectual properties, and research works, linked with historical culture and assimilation of knowledge, technologies and innovation. Application will be in business development, goods and service production in new forms.

The activities were divided into 4 sessions: Session 1: Links to frontline research in social sciences, humanities, art and culture (Frontier Research SHA); Session 2: NXPO and the network for human development and frontier research of Thailand; Session 3: Relationship building for the network of Brain Power Thailand; Session 4: Future of Brain Power Thailand, which featured the MOU signing ceremony for BRAINPOWER THAILAND 2022.

The opening ceremony began at 19:00 p.m. at the stage by Si Than Lake. Participants, a lot in number, were representatives of universities or higher education institutions, the network of manpower development in the science, research and innovation ecology of Thailand. Asst. Prof. Duangrit Benjathikul Vhairungruang, Ph.D., Secretary for the Minister of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation presided over the opening ceremony. Among distinguished guests were Khun Phanthep Saokosol, Vice Governor of Khon Kaen and Assoc. Prof. Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, M.D., President of Khon Kaen University, who also gave the welcoming address, as follows:

“On behalf of Khon Kaen University where this event is held, welcome you all to Brainpower Thailand 2022, or in Thai: “Bun Poed Ban Paeng Muang – Building Manpower across the Borders towards Future Industries”. The event has been organized by NXPO and is the first to be organized in Thailand. I believe the participants will obtain a lot of benefits from the event. Thanks to NXPO and all who assisted in the organization. Welcome everyone to Brainpower Thailand 2022 at Khon Kaen University.”

There are 5 MOUs, namely: MOU for Frontier SHA Consortium, for developing creative industry, film industry for the world stage; MOU for Frontier Technology Consortium “HEP, Quantum, Earth Science & Space, BCG”;  MOU for Global Partnership “Future University-Industry Ecosystem”; MOU for Frontier AI “Personal Health AI Consortium (Khon Kaen Smart Living LabPhase II)”; and MOU for Regional Science Park Network.

There were also applied art and cultural performance on stage, Isan music mixed with international music from the students of the Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Khon Kaen University. The event also featured dinner banquet for the guests called “ESAN FUSION FOOD DESIGN” under beautiful atmosphere arranged by Khon Kaen University. The event ended with group photographing to keep as history.

News: Udomchai Supannawong

Photos: Nattawut Jaruwong and Udomchai Supannawong

[Thai]

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