Tag: Chulalongkorn University

Full Scholarships have been announced for international applicants who wish to pursue the Bachelor of Arts and Science in Integrated Innovation (BAScii), a four-year degree programme offered by the Chulalongkorn School of Integrated Innovation (ScII).

Launched in 2018, the four-year Bachelor programme is one of its kind, with many firsts to its credit. ScII holds the distinction of being the first educational institute in Thailand to achieve ISO 56002 accreditation. The school is also a hub of talented international faculty members who have joined its newly established Global Innovator Faculty Towards Early-Career Development (GIFTED) Faculty Scholars programme. Additionally, all students must spend a semester studying abroad in a top-class international elite institution. A good example is our students currently enrolled in the Exchange StartUp Semester at the Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology (SCET), University of California Berkeley, where they have been featured on the SCET website and in a video.

“Students are expected to develop startups before graduating, and as young entrepreneurs, owning a startup may be the most rewarding, exciting, and positive experience of their lives,” Professor Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai, Executive Director, ScII, said. “We want our students to become Technology Innovators, Innovation Entrepreneurs, Social Transformers, and Digital Age Professionals,” Prof Worsak added. The school equips its students with the skills necessary to face a changing world, where technological disruption is upending societies (Read Philosophy & Approach: LINK).

All BAScii students take digital technology and entrepreneurship courses, which will serve as the foundation for startups in four focus areas: health and wellness, smart cities, sustainable development, and applied digital intelligence.

Industry-sponsored scholarships cover the full cost of tuition and fees of 1.768 million baht (approximately USD 55,000) for international students from outside Thailand. Moreover, needy students will receive a monthly stipend to cover the cost of living in Bangkok. ScII has also partnered with several corporate and industrial organizations, which will offer internships and projects to BAScii students.

Applications for admission and scholarships are now open until May 3, 2022. You can apply through the ScII website.

Details of Scholarship Programme: https://scii.chula.ac.th/blog/call-for-scholarship-applications-from-international-students-2022

Contact Admissions: [email protected]

Congratulations to Asst. Prof. Dr. Niramon Serisakul, Director of Urban Design and Development Center, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Faculty of Architecture, who has received the prestigious distinction of Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Palmes académiques (Knight of the Order of Academic Palms), awarded by the Government of the French Republic.

The award was given in recognition of Dr. Niramon’s dedication and work in advancing urban planning and development education, promoting eco-friendly urban and community planning, and facilitating research collaboration between Thailand and France.

The Academic Palms, the oldest non-military French decoration, was established by Napoleon in 1808 to recognize the outstanding contributions of teachers through their teaching and leadership.

“I would like to thank Chulalongkorn University, Department of Regional and Urban Planning, Faculty of Architecture, and the Thai Health Promotion Foundation for giving me the trust and opportunity to jointly drive the Urban Regeneration Project, both professionally and academically”, said Asst. Prof. Dr. Niramon Serisakul, the Director of Urban Design and Development Center (UddC). The Urban Design and Development Center (UddC), established in March 2013 through the collaboration of the Thai Health Promotion Foundation and Chulalongkorn University, was set up to develop, oversee, and conduct research on city regeneration projects.

“I would like to also express my gratitude to the French Embassy in Thailand and the Research Institute for Contemporary Southeast Asia (IRASEC) for recognizing UddC’s work and nominating me for this distinguished award”, added Dr. Niramon.

The works of Asst. Prof. Dr. Niramon and UddC have great influence on the urban planning and development of major cities in several provinces, including:

The Bangkok250 Project (Phase 1 and 2)
Prapokklao Sky Park
Bangkok Green Bridge
Yannawa Riverfront
Kadeejeen-Klongsan Urban Renewal
Development Plan for Ratchadamnoen Klang Road
CU 2040 Master Plan
Observatory (Bangkok and Chiang Mai)
Learning City (Bangkok and Nakhon Sawan)
Study of rehabilitation guidelines for the Sukhumvit-Bang Na area (Bangna)
The GoodWalk Project (Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Khon Kaen)
“This great recognition is not due to only my efforts, but also the efforts of many people, including the team and UddC consultants who are all skilled, committed to the public service mindset, and love their profession. Also, to be credited are the people in the Kadeejeen-Khlongsan areas, households, temples, churches, mosques, schools, universities, and district offices that have opened opportunities for cooperation and involvement since 2009.

Moreover, Asst. Prof. Dr. Niramon acknowledges the Association of Siamese Architects under the Royal Patronage, the Art and Architecture Preservation Commission, and the Rockefeller Foundation for supporting UddC’s work and being part of UddC’s success for four consecutive years.

Chula’s strategy to push CU Innovation Hub (iHub) to produce quality graduates and a new breed of startups to drive Thailand 4.0 through innovation now pays off with a 16-billion-baht valuation of innovative products.

Currently, innovation is what drives global economic trends, as reflected in national policies of many countries, namely Made in China 2025, Manufacturing USA, Japan’s Society 5.0, South Korea’s I-Korea 4.0, and Malaysia’s Industry 4WRD. Based on its 20-year national strategy, Thailand has laid down Thailand 4.0 development plan that will transform its economy from “efficiency-driven” to “innovation-driven” by 2036.

Innovation development needs “innovators” to bring a positive change to the country and the world. Many countries are working to create such incubators and offer desirable incentives to attract top talent from many countries.

Though Thailand started to promote the Thailand 4.0 policy in 2017, the number of high-quality workers is still limited. Chulalongkorn University, therefore, established the Chulalongkorn University Innovation Hub, or CU Innovation Hub, aka iHub to accelerate the creation of quality graduates to help drive the country to the future.

iHub and its mission to create a new breed of startups

CU Innovation Hub (iHub) was founded in 2017 mainly to promote and support the creation of innovations that will usher the Thai society into a new way of life, learning, and creativity; to produce graduates who will become the leaders of the future via technology and intellectual properties and dare to create a disruptive change in conventional industries, and challenge the traditional mindset in the workplace. “Thailand 4.0 will never reach its 2017 goals of becoming a developed country without quality human resources who will solve the country’s problems with new and sustainable solutions,” said Dr. Santhaya Kittikowit, Chula Vice President for Innovation and New Development, and Director of CU Innovation.

Apart from creating a new breed of startups, Dr. Santhaya said that CU iHub also supports innovation, patents, use of intellectual property, application for society, income generation, and creation of economic value for Thailand. With five areas of concentration: Health/Aging, Education, Bio-Circular Green Food & Agriculture, Sustainable Society, and Deep Tech Supercluster, iHub had 300 startups under its umbrella in 2021 with a market valuation of over 16 billion baht.

Chulalongkorn University held a Chula the Impact 7 Seminar on “the Progress of Personalized, Therapeutic Cancer Vaccine: An Innovation of Hope for Thai Society” by the CU Cancer Immunotherapy Excellence Center, Faculty of Medicine, and the King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thai Red Cross Society, funded by the Second Century Fund, Chulalongkorn University (C2F).

Assoc. Prof. Virote Sriuranpong, M.D., Ph.D., Head of the Excellence Chulalongkorn Comprehensive Cancer Center, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital said that the Center’s research on cancer immunotherapy focuses on three areas: cellular immunotherapy, personalized therapeutic cancer vaccine, and therapeutic antibody drugs, that can be used in combination or as a standalone treatment.

Trairak Pisitkun, M.D., Head of Center of Excellence in Systems Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University said that the Center began to develop personalized, therapeutic cancer vaccines in 2017, and the project is in its Phase I of clinical trials in volunteers starting in January 2021. This is the first trial in Thailand, and Southeast Asia.

Over the past year, the team has tested personalized vaccines on four volunteers with stage-4 cancer: 3 with melanoma, and 1 with renal cancer. Results show that the vaccines are safe, and have mild side effects. After three weeks, a good immune response to specific mutation was found in all four patients.

The team also monitored the pathological response in one patient by assessing the distribution of T cell lymphocytes in cancer biopsies. Before receiving the vaccination, white blood cells were detected mainly around the periphery of the tumor. After vaccination, white blood cells penetrated more into the cancerous tissue. This patient is currently stable after receiving the vaccine and being monitored for 9 months.

Within a span of the next four years, the next phase of the clinical trial is expected. When the vaccine’s efficacy and safety are proven, the team will proceed with the patent. Meanwhile, antibody drugs are being manufactured. Animal testing is expected to commence in 2022. If successful, both the vaccines and antibody drugs can be used in combination for better results, and lower costs for patients.

Meanwhile, a special clean room for the production of more personalized vaccines is under construction to add on to the comprehensive cancer patient care as part of the “Integrated Cancer Research and Treatment Center of King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thai Red Cross Society”. Its completion is expected in February 2024.

“Sensor” is a new technology that facilitates many facets of modern, everyday life. From key cards to automatic doors, to measurement of harmful residuals in the environment, agricultural, and food products, it can also be used for medical purposes like measuring blood and sugar levels.

Developing easy, convenient, fast, and accurate sensors has always been the priority of Dr. Sudkate Chaiyo, an IBGE-CU scientist who is fully dedicated to the research and development of various types of sensors for enhancing people’s quality of life. Such dedication recently earned him the 2021 Young Scientist Award from the Foundation for the Promotion of Science and Technology under the Patronage of His Majesty the King with outstanding projects: “Food and Agriculture Safety Assessment Sensors” and Thailand’s first “COVID-19 Immunity Detection Sensors”.

The beginning of the Young Scientist – the sensor developer

Dr. Sudkate is a scientist who is interested in analyzing and inventing various innovations, particularly sensor technology because it can integrate various laboratory gauges into one device.

“I am interested in applying my knowledge of analytical chemistry to develop a new sensor platform that will be useful to people and can be used at home. However, there are still limitations in the sensor’s large size, high import price, and complicated use. This means it requires the expertise of sensor operators.”

Biosensors Scientist

Intending to develop a sensor that is more accessible to the general public and brings benefits to a broader audience, Dr. Sudkate has been devoting over 10 years of his effort to the research and development of a new type of sensor at an affordable price using parts produced domestically. The first sensor he developed was a smaller, more affordable device to detect heavy metals in food and the environment, the use of which has been extended to industrial purposes. Subsequently, he developed other sensors to detect antibiotics, residual pesticides, as well as medical sensors.

Sensors to Detect Heavy Metal in Food and the Environment

With the collaboration from professors of the Faculty of Science, Faculty of Medicine, and IBGE-CU, Dr. Sudkate has succeeded in developing a biological and chemical sensor for food safety, as well as checking for chemical residues, antibiotics, and pesticides.

Dr. Sudkate revealed that the self-test sensors for heavy metal, food quality, chemical residues, antibiotics, and pesticides are under the prototyping process. Initially, these self-test sensors were first given to shrimp farms in Suphan-Buri to verify the potential applicability of the developed sensors. Interestingly, the results indicate a satisfactory precision and promising functionality for quantifying antibiotics and heavy metals in food samples compared to the current standard methods. Previous

Medical and COVID-19 Immunity Detection Sensors

During the latest COVID-19 outbreaks, Dr. Sudkate proceeded with developing a sensor to detect immunity to COVID-19. Test results proved consistent with the standard methods and have already been tested in infected patients. It is the world’s first study to use a paper-based electrochemistry sensor to measure COVID-19 antibodies.

In addition, Dr. Sudkate also developed a sensor for the COVID-19 Antigen Test Kit (ATK) that displays a faster result in numbers rather than a color band. Also under development are clinical sensors for glucose and cholesterol levels.

“Most sensors in the market are enzyme biosensors. The disadvantage, however, is that they have a concise shelf life when exposed to heat. My current research is the development of non-enzyme cholesterol and glucose sensors that will ensure longer shelf life.”

The 2021 Young Scientist’s Secret of Success

Dr. Sudkate said that he owes his various achievements to his determination to work hard, and the cooperation of faculty, students, and both public and private agencies.

“Do your best with what’s in front of you. With determination, you can solve problems and overcome obstacles,” Dr. Sudkate opined while revealing his goals of developing commercially viable products for the public.

Organizations interested in the sensors or their development can contact the Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Tel. 0-2218-8078, or email [email protected].

With the first cohort of Chulalongkorn School of Integrated Innovation (ScII) students already attending the semester abroad program at the Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology of the University of California, Berkeley, the two institutions have decided to deepen relations by initiating additional innovative partnerships.

Discussing the path forward on ScII’s premises on March 2, 2022 were Dr. David Law, Director Global Academic and Startup Programs and Ms Susan Giesecke, Director of Global Engagement of the Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology (SCET). Last year, ScII and SCET signed a partnership agreement to provide ScII students with opportunities to innovate along with Silicon Valley giants. Credited with developing Berkeley’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, SCET shared its experience and welcomed ScII’s move to consolidate the partnership by engaging with SCET’s flagship programs.

Welcoming them was Prof. Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai, a UC Berkeley alumnus and now Executive Director of ScII. “I am confident that through our partnership, we will not only actively promote innovations and cutting-edge learning experiences but also serve our communities and societies to create a better and more sustainable future for mankind,” Prof. Worsak said. He went on to invite UC Berkeley to offer Berkeley Method of Entrepreneurship Bootcamp (BMoE), an intensive workshop, at ScII. Prof. Worsak proposed hosting a regional Berkeley Bootcamp that would include participants from the entire region.

Assoc. Prof. Natcha Thawesaengskulthai, Chulalongkorn University’s Vice President for Strategic Planning, Innovation and Global Engagement discussed plans to engage Chulalongkorn University more actively in the United States, focusing specifically on innovation ventures. Dr. Ram Piyaket, Director, Office of International Affairs and Global Network of the Office of International Affairs, spoke about Chulalongkorn’s global initiatives.

Dr. Pietro Borsano, Deputy Executive Director, Industrial and Global Alliances, ScII presented a survey of ScII students currently at UC Berkeley along with responses from students interested in participating in the next startup semester. Mutual exchanges Future joint-initiatives include internship opportunities for ScII students in Silicon Valley, participation in the Silicon Valley Innovation Leadership Program and the Engineering Leadership Global Hybrid Program for ScII industry partners, visits to SCET by ScII faculty members, and opportunities for knowledge transfer and education in SCET teaching methods.

Dr. Wariyna Chemnasiri Director of Academic Affairs, ScII shared the profile of ScII students, noting that applicants to ScII’s Bachelor of Arts and Science in Integrated Innovation (BAScii) program are among the best students in the region and that their quality has steadily improved with every successive year.

Congratulations to Asst. Professor Dr. Torplus Yomnak on becoming one of the 12 anti-corruption activists from around the world to receive the U.S. State Department’s International Anti-Corruption Champion Award 2021 on International Anti-corruption Day.

Asst. Prof. Dr. Torplus, the Director of the Political Economics Studies Center, Faculty of Economics, Chulalongkorn University, was chosen as the academic award recipient from Southeast Asia.

“I am deeply honored to receive this award and grateful that the anti-corruption efforts put forth by me, and many in Thailand, have received international recognition. This will in a way help prevent and reduce the corruption in Thailand”, Dr. Torplus revealed.

Asst. Prof. Dr. Torplus has been interested in conducting research on corruption since he was a fourth-year student at the Faculty of Economics, Chulalongkorn University. He then continued his research on the issue, and his PhD thesis at the University of Cambridge focused on strategies to fight corruption in Thailand’s construction industry.

“People all over the world are working hard to combat corruption. Thailand has 30-40 private and public sectors working to fight corruption and promote good governance. I am just a small part of Thailand’s anti-corruption network”, commented Asst. Prof. Dr. Torplus.

Faculty members at Chula Economics, including Prof. Dr. Pasuk Phongpaichit, Assoc. Prof. Dr.Nualnoi Treerat, Assoc. Prof. Noppanun Wannathepsakul, Asst. Prof. Dr. Thanee Chaiwat and many others, have embarked on corruption research studies.

Asst. Prof. Dr. Torplus has continued his anti-corruption work not only for academics and practical impact, but also to work behind the scenes to support a broad range of impactful anti-corruption projects in Thailand. Through such efforts, Thailand’s anti-corruption network and instruments have become more effective.

The working principles of a Thai academic and winner of an international anti-corruption award
Throughout his work, Asst. Prof. Dr. Torplus has always adhered to the principles of transparency and believes that public participation is the most important factor in addressing corruption issues.

It is difficult to battle corruption with a single instrument and a top-down policy, since anti-corruption activities can become successful through a group of people working together, not by a single individual.

To support corruption research studies, Asst. Prof. Dr. Torplus and academic members from various areas, such as linguistics, marketing, political science, and law, formed the Corruption Research Center, “Siam Lab”, at the Faculty of Economics, Chulalongkorn University. Moreover, Dr. Torplus has collaborated with friends to form an enterprise for society, called “HAND Social Enterprise,” to research projects with government agencies, and public and private sectors. To this day, Thailand’s corruption has decreased to an extent, and the Corruption Perception Index has improved.

Asst. Prof. Dr. Torplus stated that the public sector is now aware of anti-corruption. According to a survey conducted by the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, 98 percent of Thais say that corruption is a problem relevant to everyone.

Regardless, the low number of people participating in anti-corruption campaigns is worrisome. To this end, instruments must be developed to arm the public against corruption. Encouraging people to snub corruption is very important and requires an understanding of the social context. Dr. Torplus concluded that academics and marketing specialists can and must play an important role to help boost public awareness of corruption. In recent years, research projects on anti-cheat marketing have been carried out with great success.