Tag: Thailand

Thammasat University Hospital moved forward and helped COVID patients through the “TAXI Volunteers COVID Concern and Support” Project by wearing PPE and using screens when accepting-sending patients. Thammasat University Hospital did home isolations of more than 500 patients. Most of the patients were concerned about waste, wanted to build understanding in the community and wanted someone to talk to every day.

Prof. Dr. Surapon Nitikraipot, Chairman of the Executive Board, Thammasat University Hospital, spoke about a major problem for hospitals caring for COVID patients in the country, which is patient transportation for trips to the hospital, returning home, sending patients to the agencies involved or home isolations where some patients at home need to see a doctor to follow-up on symptoms and have travel limitations. The “TAXI Volunteers COVID Concern and Support” Project is the beginning of support with systems for preventing infections in order to provide good safety for drivers. This is a small matter of logistics in Thammasat’s process to help patients with fees at normal rates. However, if patients have no money, the fees will be paid on their behalf.

“This project is a small encouragement to help make our system of care for patients more complete. I would like to thank supporters, and I believe this may be the beginning of logistical changes for patients in need. Patients need more support and this small mechanism will make our system more complete”, said Prof. Dr. Surapon.

Dr. Kanitta Buranapansak, Head of Social Security, Thammasat University Hospital, stated that “The “Taxi Volunteers COVID Concern and Support” Project” is a project that builds on the “Fight COVID @ Pathumthani” Project, a project allied to the project to improve capacity of social workers, social care models and empower communities for social monitoring and management for patients and persons affected by COVID-19 supported by the Social Security Office. For nearly seven months, the project continues to move forward. The “TAXI Volunteers COVID Concern and Support” Project currently has six vehicles picking up patients and taking patents from home to hospital. Every taxi driver wears PPE and has screens in the vehicle for safety to give both driver and patient confidence. At the same time, social workers have found COVID-19 patients to have concerns about waste and need someone to talk to every day.

A professional nurse, Miss Nettip Booncharat, Deputy Director of the Home Isolation Coordination Center, revealed that 526 patients were being treated in the home isolation system, 130 patients had completed the project and more than 30 patients had severe symptoms with 271 patients remaining in the project. In addition to providing attentive care for patients via the Telehealth system, Thammasat University Hospital handed out self-care booklets with survival sets or isolation sets for children and adults complete with necessary equipment such as thermometers, fingertip oxygen measuring devices, waste sorting bags and medications for patients in the green group, including food delivery services.

From August 9, Thammasat University Hospital will be 1 of 6 medical school hospitals assigned as a distribution center for Remdesivir which is an antiviral drug for yellow or orange cases which are symptomatic patients. It is more efficient than the existing medication, Favipiravir, and can be used to stop the virus.

Remdesivir may cause unwanted side effects which must be exclusively used under close supervision of medical professionals from the medical school hospital. Thammasat University Hospital should be more assured and hopeful for this solution because they have been provided more effective equipment from the Ministry of Health.

Thammasat University Hospital has been managing the COVID-19 situation continuously since the third and fourth wave. They have used workforce and supplied customized equipment and have been receiving the support for more equipment. Although the equipment is not quite sufficient and has been received in a timely manner, the hospital has been supported increasingly. This encouraged Thammasat University Hospital and made them realize that the situation they have encountered and how they have handled it continuously and for so long is not a waste of time because they are able to hold back and receive more support in many aspects for now.

Hopefully we will receive more support until we are able to respond and cease the attack of the COVID- 19 in the near future despite the great losses of many lives already.

Asst. Prof. Dr. Chayakrit Asawathitanon, Dean of the College of Innovation and Asst. Prof. Dr. Noppol Tangchitprom, Director of the Bachelor of Innovation and Digital Transformation (dX) Program, Thammasat University together with the Board of Directors, Mr. Anon Sirisaengthaksin, an Independent Director, Mr. Paul Wong Chee Kin, President and Chief Executive Officer, CIMB Thai Bank Public Company Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to promote and support the development of students, faculty and personnel which will increase the opportunity to exchange knowledge of personnel and students with quality and expertise in future skills and as well to develop qualified personnel to the society.

Asst. Prof. Dr. Chayakrit Asawathitanon, Dean of the College of Innovation, Thammasat University said that the signing of this Memorandum of Understanding represents the determination of the two parties to jointly develop sustainable personnel as in addition to arranging students an internship to learn moree about business, we also organize a knowledge exchange program with each other.

Mr. Paul Wong Chee Kin, President and Chief Executive Officer of CIMB Thai Bank Public Company Limited revealed that the bank has always been focusing on personnel potential development. This is considered a key element of success in every organization. It is regarded as an important force that drives the business forward and even under the rapid changes as well. The Bank, therefore, promotes education and provides students opportunities to develop their knowledge and abilities through internship and co-operation programs, where students can learn real work from experienced people, enhance problem-solving skills, and work together as a team in order to prepare before entering the work in the future.

‘Thammasat’ initiates the“Ready Senior” platform through “Website-Facebook-Line” to develop a health care community for people aged 50 and older to prepare for retirement and also organize the project “Turning Retirement into Power” in collaboration with 20 businesses to open the “full-time-part-time” job seeking and recruitment market and online training, having Thammasat University Hospital Doctors in charge of Dementia problem management.

Asst. Professor Dr. Duangchai Lorthanavanich, Director of the Center for Business Development and Social Care for the Elderly, Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy, Thammasat University revealed that now, Thailand has completely entered an aging society and will be entering a super aging society in the next 10 years, with the elderly of the age 60 years old and older of approximately 25% of the total population. Therefore, it is necessary to urgently prepare to resolve and manage the problems of the elderly both socially and economically.

“Our project has signed an MOU with Thammasat University Hospital in designing a curriculum in the Elderly’s and Patients with Dementia’s Caregiving which will train people of the age 50 years old and older to be able to take care of themselves and their families, as well as extending to the career of caregiver for the elderly. This career will be in great demand in the near future,” said Asst. Professor Dr. Duangjai.

Assoc. Professor Dr. Pharuehas Tor-Udom, Director of Thammasat University Hospital said that dementia will become a more threatening disease for Thai people as the elderly live longer. Therefore, knowledge and understanding of the matter will help delay the occurrence of the disease. The medical team and personnel of Thammasat Uninversity Hospital are ready in this regard. Therefore, we have partnered with the Turning Retirement into Power Project by using Thammasat Hospice Palliative Care which is a palliative care center as the main teaching and training venue.

For those interested in the project, “Turning Retirement into Power” that intend to develop themselves, build a career and seek opportunities both pre and post retirement can contact to participate in the activities via Facebook page and Line of Ready Senior for free of charge.

“Kor Tae Nhoi (May I touch you?) Team”, students from the Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication, Thammasat University, with Professor Panwadee Prayong as the consultant, was able to win the “first prize” from the 30th J-MAT Award Marketing Plan Contest, which is one of the largest student marketing plan contests in the country and also received the Creative Award and the Best Advisor Award from the contest.

The 30th J-MAT Award Marketing Plan Contest is a competition organized by the Young Members of the Marketing Association of Thailand (J-MAT) Club under the supervision of the Marketing Association of Thailand with the Big Star Company Limited, the producer and distributor of GAMBOL brand shoes under the concept of Chic…Walk, Cool…Idea” as a sponsor. This year, a total of 214 teams submitted their works to the project, of which, the champion went to the Thammasat student from the Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication, Advertising Major who could win a prize money of 130,000 baht and a royal plaque from Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.

“Kor Tae Nhoi Team” is a team of a total of 10 fourth-year students, namely Ms. Kannaphit Prasiratenang, Ms. Papvard Trakulkooboon, Mr. Peerapat Bunnikom, Mr. Puritat Konchanawan, Mr. Thanavich Yawanopas, Mr. Phoptawan Punprom, Ms. Nannaphat Chunhengpan, Ms. Methavadee Sripaoraya, Ms. Apisara Boonyu and Mr. Suparerk Adisaiyatham.

Ms. Kannaphit Prasiratenang, one of the team members said that even though she is not majoring in marketing, but by studying various modules in the Faculty of Journalism, she is able to adopt and apply those knowledge both in terms of marketing, advertising, modern technology media and the study of consumer behavior in this era that is rapidly changing. The concept of the project is “Chic…Walk, Cool…Idea” which matches those in Gen-X and Gen-Y and matches the target group that the team has set. So, in order to gain insights from the customers, the team therefore proposed the concept “GAMBOLlisation”, that derived from the brand name Gambol, plus Globalization, making the brand communication more relatable to people and able to universally communicate to those around the world.

As for the marketing plan, “Kor Tae Nhoi Team” presented the plan that is not focusing purely on marketing, but including the aspects of technology, creativity, design, and investment as well. Their aim is to reach the attention of the new generation according to the problems received.

AI or Artificial Intelligence is the technology behind the giant social media application like Facebook in selecting content to show on the page, creating ads, and recommending the right feed for each user. The content revolution in the age of AI is driven by the power of advanced computing in supercomputers (HPC: High Performance Computing) originally used for advanced engineering and scientific research and used in AI calculations as well. The ability to extract computing power on HPC systems is therefore an important force that can help support the economy and drive the country’s advanced technology business.

It is praiseworthy when a team of computer science students from the Faculty of Science and Technology, Thammasat University, Lampang Campus, as a representative of Thai youth who can pave their way on the stage of APAC HPC-AI 2021, a competition on the performance of artificial intelligence models for computing on high-performance computers by winning the joint 3rd prize together with the team from National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan and the team from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

Thammasat team consists of the following members; Mr. Abhisit Wongsorn, a fourth-year student, Mr. Nophanat Nampan, a fourth-year student, Ms. Suchada Suriwong, a fourth-year student, Ms. Suchanan Jaimuk, a fourth-year student, Mr. Supakiat Waipinij, a third-year student and Ms. Siripassorn Kwanjit, a third-year student.

APAC HPC-AI 2021 is an international competition of the Asia-Pacific region, organized by the HPC-AI Advisory Council and the National Supercomputing Center (NSCC) Singapore. The competition aims to draw on the performance of artificial intelligence models to compute on high-performance computers. For this year, it is the fourth time of the competition, presents 36 teams from 13 countries competing online over a five-month period.

Mr. Abhisit said that this competition is the use of high-performance computers of the National Supercomputing Center (NSCC) in Singapore to solve problem in which differ every year. This year, there will be 2 problems, which are HPC and AI problems. The HPC problem requires us to extract the performance of the GROMACS program to simulate the molecular dynamics of STMV and Lignocellulos viruses to perform computing on a high-performance computer using up to 768 CPUs at the same time for maximum efficiency. The problem of AI, we need to draw on the performance of the Facebook feed item recommendation model (Facebook DLRM) when computing on an Nvidia DGX-1 GPU cluster.

“In the competition, Thammasat team is divided into 2 sub-teams, having 3 people in each, and each team would receive a HPC model problem which is regarded as one of the common problems. To analyze this model, we selected suitable tools that have been studied earlier. As for the artificial intelligence model problem, it is not as widespread as the HPC model, the team however was trying their best to offer effective and achievable results,” said Abhisit.

In the past year, Thammasat University became more aware of sustainable development goals (SDGs) because the Time Higher Education University Impact Ranking which used SDGs as a main work framework caused many universities to coordinate with SDG Move for consultation and workshop meetings. The aforementioned trend is a good opportunity to push for this impact ranking to be more than a ranking game and lead to a true transformation/reinvention of the university.

Assoc. Prof. Chon Bunnak, Director of SDG Move and a professor at the Faculty of Economics, Thammasat University, said that academic institutions can use and apply SDGs and related principles in the following four areas:

1. Research – Issues under SDGs are related to most research questions of professors in the faculty. However, if research is to be transformed to answer SDG questions, the research would have to shift from academic work solely aimed at expanding academic borders to increasing benefits in driving SDGs or solving sustainability problems. For the most transformation, a transdisciplinary approach should be used in research by having academics from multiple fields of science and knowledge user groups co-produce knowledge to push academic borders and create change.
2. Education – The subjects of many faculties are linked to issues under SDGs. Connecting course subjects to SDGs is an easy way to tell us that we’ve achieved SDGs. To really transform, however, subject content should be added to the global or national crisis issues such as inequality, climate change, biodiversity or waste management, etc. And if the university is to full transform, subjects should include competencies in sustainable development that will support students to change the world with sustainability.
3. Internal Management – Many universities have taken action concerning environmental sustainability at universities and campuses. However, transformation toward SDGs requires consideration of social welfare for vulnerable people in the university, rights, freedom and equality of people of every group, gender, religion and political opinion by making clear policies that give importance to human rights.
4. Participation with Social Movements – The university cannot stay only in the university’s world. The university should participate in driving society toward sustainable development. The university is currently involved in local movements or solving problems consistent with government policies and strategies. If the university is to move toward transformation, the university should be more than a “government agency” that follows the government’s policy and strategy. The university has to function as “society’s intelligence”. The university can and does well at following the government’s policies. At the same time, however, the university must be the “intelligence” of those movements while having academic ethics to make criticisms based on academic principles if the university finds the government’s actions to be incorrect.

“If every university, every faculty and every professor studies the end goal of SDGs, including our roles, duties and capacity, to drive and support movements along with taking action by communicating to connect and empower, the university will become a significant driving force in sustainable development goals at every level as the main force of the academic sector”, Assoc. Prof. Chon Bunnak concluded.