A Visit of President of Tzu Chi University to Naresuan University
Delegated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sarintip Tantanee, President of Naresuan University, Dr. Charatdao Kongmuang, Vice President for Student, Alumni and Art-Culture Development, alongside with Deans and representatives from Faculties/Schoo/College, warmly welcomed Prof. Dr. Ingrid Liu, President of Tzu Chi University (TCU), Taiwan. Prof. Dr. Liu was invited by Faculty of Medical Science to take part in the 26th Thai Neuroscience Society International Conference on “Neuroscience and Brain Disease: From Translation to Intervention” and gave the faculty an honor as a keynote lecturer on “Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease with Anti-Inflammatory Strategy.” She took this opportunity in the afternoon session to meet with NU team members to discuss further collaborations. Prof. Dr. Liu emphasized the importance of Thai/Chinese traditional medicine in combination for the use of modern medicine and urged that cultivating next generation should be a key mission of each university. This return visit stemmed from an earlier meeting taking place at Tzu Chi University where a double degree program was discussed, including a possible establishment of Center of Physical Therapy, research cooperation and staff mobility. The discussion also involved scholarships offered for staff in physical therapy and short-term exchange programs with Department of English Language and Literature at TCU International College, focusing on issues such as global citizenship as Tzu Chi University is well known for its altruism philosophy. TCU currently accommodates NU students under an international research internship scheme and plans to launch a bilateral symposium co-hosted by TCU and NU; there will also be a conference in October 2023 organized by TCU and Academia Sinica, which Prof. Liu encouraged interested staff to attend.
Towards the founding of Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Tzu Chi University, NU’s Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences was keen to assist in providing teaching support in Pharmacology Production, Pharmaceutical Technology and Pharmaceutical Chemistry through a hybrid channel; TCU is also known for its capability to produce 200,000 rapid test kits distributed to 90 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. NU’s Faculty of Social Sciences proposed to work with TCU in terms of inclusiveness and sustainable people, which included, but not limited to, social psychology, mindfulness and early developed brain social behaviors. This could usefully be linked to TCU’s Department of Human Development and Psychology, which presently offers service learning curriculum to characterize its students to be helpful to others. Students from Faculty of Medical Science are undergoing an exchange program and the faculty is interested in letting staff members serve as supervisors for TCU students in an NU-TCU double degree Master’s program. Other key topics of discussion included funding from the Taiwanese government at 20 million TND for Thai universities partnered with TCU, Ph.D. studies for Faculty of Allied Health Sciences at TCU and clinical practice collaborations, a student exchange program in Nursing, research cooperation in Public Health in the development of Pennywort to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, cooperation in research activities, digital media and service industry as TCU is known for its tourism and culinary programs.
The meeting took place on Friday, June 9, 2023 at 1.30 p.m. at Thao Saed Meeting Room, King Naresuan Exhibition and Convention Center, Naresuan University, Thailand.
