Clinical Observership Program in Nuclear Medicine: Aichi Medical University Japan

 

Dr. Ratanapoom Songsermsawad, MD, 3rd-year resident of Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University has recently completed the Clinical Observership Program at the Department of Radiology, Aichi Medical University between  October 31, 2022 –  November 27, 2022 . He was the first MD-KKU doctor to go to Aichi Medical University after almost 3 year suspension of all international activities between Aichi Medical University and Khon Kaen University due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Ratanapoom Songsermsawad said: “It was such a great opportunity for me to come to Aichi Medical University, an institution which is considered to be one of the best in the field in Nuclear Medicine. I am very grateful to all professors and staff of Aichi Medical University for providing such a great welcome and fantastic experience to me.”

 

 

Oversea visiting professor program MD-KKU Tropical Medicine Webinar Series 2021

 

We extended deep thanks to the following international presenters for their valued contributions to our series;

  • Professor Jong-Yil Chai, Seoul National University
  • Professor Darren Gray, the Australian National University
  • Professor Alex Loukas, James Cook University
  • Dr. Yan Lui, Imperial College London
  • Professor Lydia Leonardo, University of Philippines
  • Professor Russell Stothard, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

 

 

Assistant Professor Sutas Suttiprapa, PhD

Director,

Tropical Medicine Graduate Program (International Program),

Academic Affairs, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Thailand

The 3rd Anniversary Symposium for Double Degree Program


On July 1, 2021, Associate Professor Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, MD, President, Khon Kaen University, officially opened the webinar titled “The 3rd Anniversary Symposium for Double Degree Program”.  This was the first time it was organized online and hosted by the Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, and the Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Program and Precision Medical Microbiology Program, Departments of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University.

The purpose of the symposium was to encourage exchange cutting-edge research and technologies and to promote discussion between professors, lecturers, researchers, medical staff and students from Kumamoto University, Japan and members of the Double Degree Program (DDP) Network in Thailand.

The DDP Symposium was first held in 2018 at Kumamoto University, Japan organized by the Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University. The second symposium was organized by the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Thailand in 2019 and the 3rd symposium was hosted by the Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Thailand.  Due to Covid-19 pandemic, the 3rd symposium was postponed from 2020 to 2021. This year, it had 27 international and national speakers from prestigious universities and institutions.

The DDP agreement between Kumamoto University and Khon Kaen University was initiated in 2017, and now also includes Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University from central Thailand, Faculties of Medicine and Associated Medical Sciences, Chiang Mai University from the north, and the Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University in the south.

The Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University and Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University have long-standing academic and research collaborations and student and faculty exchanges. Currently, there are over 20 joint research publications from these two schools. There are 5 postgraduate students from the Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University enrolled in the Double Degree Program and one will graduate this year. In addition, over 20 staff and students from the Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University have visited Kumamoto University to learn and conduct research.

This year’s symposium also had a 3–minute Research Competition: 3MR, for DPP network students.

The Winner of the non-communicable diseases session was Miss Khin TheNu Aye, who presented on ‘Effect of Gallic acid on Kinetic Pirarubicin Uptake in K562/Dox Cancer Cells: Spectroscopic Study’ and the winner for Communicable diseases session was Miss Nattaya Tonglao, who presented on ‘The synergistics of chitosan and ceftazidime combination on B. pseudomaliei biofilm’.

 

 

 

 

 

KKU President presents on Global Health in Mie University online lecture series

 

On January 26, 2021, Associate Professor Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, President of Khon Kaen University, presented to PhD and international students at Mie University, Japan.

His lecture, on “Global Health from the Viewpoint of Thailand” gave information on Global Health from a Thailand and Khon Kaen University perspective. It also included impact of COVID-19 in Thailand, national and university policy on One Health for global health challenges and the application of disruptive technologies for global health at Khon Kaen University.

Mie University’s 2021 online lecture series runs every Tuesday with the theme of Global Health. Associate Professor Hiroyuki Sakurai, Center of Medical and Nursing Education, Mie University is the series chair. Speakers are drawn from Thailand, Japan, Tanzania, Ghana, Mexico and USA.

In 2019, President Charnchai Panthongviriyakul was also an invited speaker at the 34th annual meeting of the Japanese Association of International Health at Mie University on the topic “Education on global health in Japanese universities; views from foreign faculties”. This year’s second invitation shows his expertise in global health and the growing relationship between Khon Kaen and Mie Universities.

 

 

The MDKKU has driven the strategy for Medical Hub of Southeast Asia

 

On September 15, 2020, the signing ceremony for the construction of Medical Hub between Khon Kaen University and Christiani & Nielsen (Thai) Public Company Limited was held. The delegates from each side include Associate Professor Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, President of Khon Kaen University and Mr. Khushroo Kali Wadia, Managing Director and Executive Director of Christiani & Nielsen Thailand Public Co., Ltd. Khon Kaen University also signed contact with Arun Chaiseri Consulting Engineers Company Limited from which Dr. Piyawat Chaisayree is the representative to supervise the construction.  In this occasion, Associate Professor Apichat Jiravuttipong, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University (MDKKU) and Dr. Narongchai Akrasanee, President of the Khon Kaen University Council also presented themselves as the witnesses.

 

 

The construction of Medical Hub contains budget over 4,000 Million Bath. The completion of Medical Hub will increase the service area of Srinagarind Hospital by 120,000 square meters. With these large areas, there will be 600 beds, 25 operation rooms, and 117 ICU rooms as well as 400 units of patient’s relative housing and a parking building for 1,000 cars. The construction of Medical Hub does not only expand the service area for Srinagarind hospital but also it serves as the training facility for medical staff, meaning that it will also be increasing the training capacity for extra 150 clinicians per year. This also includes the enhancement of research and innovation sector to become even more effective. The construction of Medical Hub will benefit not only northeastern of Thailand where it’s located, but it will benefit the surrounding regions as well.

The Medical Hub will bring the MDKKU, another great steps closer to being world class medical school and an important milestone for the MDKKU prior to the commencement of their 5th Decade in 2022.

Written by: Natakon Naowarojna
Edited by: Dr. Jutarop Phetcharaburanin

A Collaborative Project with Chulabhorn Royal Academy

 

On January 29, 2020, the agreement signing ceremony of the collaborative research project between Chulabhorn Royal Academy and Srinagarind Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University was held at Srinagarind Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University in order to research cancer treatment with heavy-particle and create treatment center. The agreement was signed by Associate Professor Apichat Jiravuttipong, Director, Srinagarind Hospital and Professor Bowornsilp Chowchuen, Vice Principal HRH Princess Chulabhorn College of Medical Science, Chulabhorn Royal Academy.

On this occasion, Mr. Somsak Jangtrakul, Khon Kaen Province Governor; Associate Professor Songsak Kiatchoosakun, Acting Dean for the Faculty of Medicine; and Mrs. Duangporn Srijorn, Senior Honorary Consultant for Protocol, Culture, and International Relations were presented as the witness for the ceremony.  The collaborative research project was aimed to increase the efficiency and reduce the cost for treatment as well as to increase the human resource quality.

 

 

 

 

Reported by: Natakon Naowarojna, International Relations Officer

 

Khon Kaen University President and team visit Aichi Medical University, Japan

 

On Tuesday, 10 December 2019, Associate Professor Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, Acting President of Khon Kaen University and Associate Professor Patorn Piromchai, Assistant Dean for International Affairs, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University visited Aichi Medical University, Japan.

They met Professor Keiji SATO, President of Aichi Medical University, Prof. Akihiko WAKATSUKI, Dean of School of Medicine, Prof. Hiroyuki ISHIBASHI, Head, Academic Affairs Department and Prof. Hideto WATANABE, Director, Center for International Affairs to discuss the student exchange program with credit transfer system between Aichi Medical University and Khon Kaen University.

During the meeting at Aichi Medical University, Associate Professor Patorn Piromchai presented the information of exchange program at the Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University and discussed with the students who were interested to visit Khon Kaen University.

Aichi Medical University and Khon Kaen University agreed to sign an MOU and have been working together as an academic partnership since 2011. The development of a student exchange program between the two institutions has been reciprocal and highly successful. Since 2011, there were over 80 students from two universities attending the student exchange program.

In March 2020, Aichi Medical University will send the first group of 10 medical students to be the credit transfer students for one month at Khon Kaen University.

 

KKU President was invited as a speaker in the 34th Congress of Japan Association for International Health, Japan

 

To focus on the development of human resources for global health in Japan, Mie University together with Japan Association for International Health, WHO Association of Japan, Mie International Exchange Foundation and Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development co-organized the 34th Congress of Japan Association for International Health at Mie University, Japan. The theme of this congress was “Fostering human resources for global health; from a local community to the world”. The congress was held on 7-8 December 2019, about 400 people attended, including students, doctors and professors.

Associate Professor Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, MD, Acting President of Khon Kaen University, was one of the four invited speakers who shared their experiences in the “Global Health Education” at the symposium entitled “Education on global health in universities; the views of foreign faculties”.

At the symposium, Associate Professor Charnchai Panthongviriyakul presented the implementation of global health education in medical curriculum at Khon Kaen University and mentioned the student exchange program in overseas university as a key stepping stone that allows the medical students to learn how clinical learning practices, environmental factors affecting community health, and healthcare management systems differ from their home country and all together they can build a picture of the key issues the at heart of global health. He also shared his experiences on the current situation, problems, challenges and direction of global health education at medical universities.

 

Reported by Pawinee KHAMLAR