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Walailak University Research Convention 2022 (WRC 2022) under the theme “the Role of Higher Education in the Post COVID and Human Development” has begun

   

     Professor Dr. Sombat Thamrongthanyawong, President of Walailak University,  

   Walailak Research Convention 2022 (WRC 2022) organized under the theme “the Role of Higher Education in the Post COVID and Human Development" has begun with an opening ceremony at Hua Thapan Conference Hall, Walailak University Hospital on 28th March, 2022. Presiding over the event was Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pasit Lorterapong, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation. The event was virtually joined by a number of distinguished speakers, plenary discussion experts, research presenters and participants both from Thailand and overseas, amounting to almost 40 countries worldwide. 


   Professor Dr. Sombat Thamrongthanyawong, President of Walailak University, reported Walailak University’s progress over the past five years. The university has been listed the top 551-600 Asian universities, or the 19th among Thai universities by QS Asia University Rankings 2022 and won international rank of 601-800 by Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2021. The university received 4.93 scores out of 5 for its 2020 academic performance by a Quality Assurance Committee appointed by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation by virtue of the university succeeding in enhancing the university in organizational leadership, educational management, research, academic services and preservation of arts and cultural heritage, and management and administration.


   Professor Dr. Sombat emphasized the university’s dedication to pushing research frontiers across disciplines as testified by Walailak University’s achievement of over 77% of quality Q1 and Q2 research publications in Scopus-indexed journals, among the top 3 in Thailand. This devotion is in alignment with the university’s vision. 


    “through my 5-year presidency, Walailak University’s 30th anniversary has been blessed with a number of promising achievements in line with its vision: Walailak University aspires to be an institution of good governance, to be a source of knowledge for critical problems facing the nation, to unfailingly address community needs and to strive for international recognition for excellence,” said Professor Dr. Sombat.

 

   Prof. Dr. Pasit Lorterapong, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation

      Prof. Dr. Pasit Lorterapong, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation during his keynote speech mentioned the paramount significance of orienting universities toward providing skill-based student experience and Walailak University, as a Global and Frontier Research university, has achieved nothing less than as guided by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation’s Reinventing project initiative categorizing universities into five strategic focuses.  


   “Walailak University is a research intensive university, so the event bringing top researchers to share research findings is truly worthwhile. Researchers working across areas are universal for the ultimate goal of human development,” reflected Prof. Dr. Pasit. 

Dr. Pok Man Peter Yuen, Dean of the College of Professional and Continuing Education, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University


     Walailak University received an honor from a keynote speaker—Professor Dr. Pok Man Peter Yuen, Dean of the College of Professional and Continuing Education, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University to deliver his speech on “Higher Education During and After COVID.” Sharing his experience as self-funding session in a public university, Dr. Pok Man stated tertiary education’s needs to review and redesign the pedagogies and curriculum to enable active learning, online lectures and promote entrepreneurship, soft skill training and combining traditional of disciplines and knowledge on tomorrow’s technologies. 

Associate Professor Dr. David Harding, WU researcher of 2021 Award Recipient


   This year, WU researcher of 2021 Award recipient and chemist internationally recognized in the field or ergonomic chemistry, Associate Professor Dr. David Harding delivered a talk on "Switchable molecular materials: A story of research excellence." Following the speech was the plenary discussion on the topic of “The role of higher education in the post COVID and human development,” virtually partaken by Dr. Akkharawit Kanjana-opas, Deputy Secretary General of National Science Technology and Innovation Policy Office, Professor Dr. Edmund Jon Deoon Lee from Singapore and Professor Dr. Yusuf Chisti from New Zealand. The discussion was moderated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Surin Maisrikrod, Vice-President for Foreign Affairs and Learning and Teaching Development. The key takeaway messages focused on the university’s necessity to redesign curriculum, be more resilient, promote learners’ mindset and lifelong learning as a result of the university’s cessation of being a centralized information source. 

   
 

Panel Discussion on the topic of “The Role of Higher Education in the Post COVID and Human Development”


   The ceremony ended with three Walailak world-class researchers, namely Associate Professor Dr. Manat Chaijan, Associate Professor Dr. Veeranoot Nissapatorn, and Associate Professor Dr. Nuttawit Wattanasakulpong recognized by Stanford University’s 2021 World’s Top 2% Scientists in the field of Food Science, Tropical Medicine, and Engineering and Technology. Walailak Research Convention will be in session from 28th to 30th March, 2022. The convention will feature virtual international conferences and seminars focusing on topics across disciplines organized by 20 Walailak University Centers of Excellence. 


   Concluding the opening, Professor Dr. Sombat reiterated the path Walailak has embarked itself on and its future direction. “Walailak University has been traveling a very long journey to come this far, and we will never stop to reinvent Walailak University to be recognized far and beyond as one of the stars among global and frontier research universities,” said Professor Dr. Sombat. 

 
 
  

 

 

 News by Nootchanat Sukkaew 

Division of Corporate Communication 


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