MSU WELCOMES DR. YOKELSON FROM BRANDMAN U CALIFORNIA

On March 29 MSU President Dr. Supachai Samappito welcomed Assistant Professor Dr. Suzanne Yockelson from Brandman University, California to Mahasarakham University.

 Dr. Yokelson is Assistant Professor, Early Childhood Development at Brandman University School of Education. Brandman University is located in Orange California and is part of the Chapman University (founded in 1861) system.

Dr Yokelson was invited as a special guest speaker to address Doctorate students from the MSU Faculty of Education. Her research involves the social and emotional development of young children from her background in the education of typically and atypically child development.

Dr. Yokelson’s was also a special guest speaker at the recent 5^th International Conference on Education Reform (ICER) held in Pattaya.  

UNIVERSITIES ETHICS TRAINING PROGRAM AT MSU

On March 19 MSU President Dr. Supachai Samappito opened the proceedings of an ethics training program attended by over two hundred students and teachers representing eleven Thailand universities.

Thai universities have a strong moral obligation towards developing innovative programs not confined solely to university campuses. Morals and ethics training programs such as these are taken out and implemented in communities all over Thailand.

Students from Chulalongkorn and Boston Univerities in Bangkok, Nong Khai in the north and Ubon Ratchatani Rajabhat in the east joined local university representatives from Khon Kaen and MSU for the program.

The two day program was organised by the MSU Division of Student Affairs Research Foundation and held in the MSU Student Building. The program follows lifelong ethics and moral values as promoted by His Royal Highness King Bhumibol. 

The ethics training program is designed to train the participants in techniques for practical promotion of teaching and learning projects for well being and mental health in communities and schools throughout Thailand. 

MSU FACULTY OF ENGINEERING 13TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS

On March 16 MSU President Dr. Supachai Samappito presided over the 13^th Anniversary celebrations of Mahasarakham University Faculty of Engineering.

The celebrations also coincided with a farewell to the former Dean, Professor Dr. Pradit Terdtoon and a welcome for the new Dean of the faculty, Professor Dr. Sumpun Ritthideck.

MSU Faculty of Engineering was established in 1999 and now offers undergraduate degrees in Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, Environmental, Manufacturing and Biological Engineering as well as Mechatronics. International programs in Masters of Mechanical, Civil, Electrical and Computer Engineering are also available.

MSU Faculty of Engineering has partnerships and collaborations with many national and international organisations through research and development projects in fields such as solar energy, power electronics, water and environment, thermal tools, mechatronics, robotics and food and post harvesting.

The celebrations were attended by many MSU administrators, teachers, staff and students who were thoroughly entertained during the evening by students from the MSU College of Music.

ICER CONFERENCE KEYNOTE SPEAKER ADDRESSES MSU INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP

On March 19 MSU President Dr. Supachai Samappito welcomed Professor Dr. David M. Fetterman of Stanford University to the MSU Faculty of Education.

Dr. Fetterman is a Professor and Director of the MA Policy Analysis and Evaluation Program in the School of Education at Stanford. He has received the Myrdal Award for Evaluation Practice, the American Evaluation Society’s highest award.

Dr. Fetterman was invited to address a two International Training Workshop held at the MSU Faculty of Education from March 19 - 20.  His address was entitled ‘A Collaborative Approach Toward Evaluating and Transforming Education’.

The International Training Workshop leads up to the Fifth International Conference on Education Reform which will be hosted by MSU Faculty of Education and held in Pattaya from March 22 – 23.

Dr. Fetterman will be the keynote speaker at the conference.

Click here for information on the Fifth International Conference on Education Reform (ICER) -Pattaya Mar 22 -23

MSU WELCOMES KOREAN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE PROFESSOR

On March 13 MSU President Dr. Supachai Samappito welcomed Professor Jaesup Pak, Director of the Center for Korean Language and Culture, Inje University to Mahasarakham University.

Professor Jaesup is here to officiate at the opening of the newly constructed Korean Culture Center (Center Sejong Hakdang) on March 14.

The Sejong Center will include a Korean folk museum and assist in the development of MSU student’s knowledge and understanding of Korean language, art and culture. The MSU Korean Studies Center was originally established as department of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Science in cooperation with the government of the Republic of (South) Korea. 

Korean Studies is popular with MSU students keen to learn about Korean language and culture. Every event held at MSU featuring ASEAN countries sees a large turnout of students dressed in traditional Korean costume.

The opening of the new Sejong Center should raise the profile of the Korean Studies courses resulting in an increase in student numbers. It is also a valuable addition to the international look Mahasarakham University is rapidly developing.

MSU STUDENT WINS STRUCTURAL STEEL ARCHITECTURE STUDENT OF THE YEAR

On March 9 MSU Faculty of Architecture Student Thanarad Karnpool was awarded first prize of a sixty thousand baht scholarship in the Structural Steel Architecture Student of the Year competition 2012.

The competition is organised by the Siam Yamato Company and the Siam Cement Group.

The competition was to encourage architectural students to create a modern structure incorporating hot rolled structural steel. 

The design needed to be modern, unique, show innovation and have the capability to be used for an actual construction.

Mr. Karnpool was presented with his award and the ฿60,000 scholarship at a ceremony held at the headquarters of the Siam Cement Group in Bangkok.

MOU SIGNED WITH GSCM MONTPELLIER BUSINESS SCHOOL

Between February 15 and 23 MSU President Dr. Supachai Samappito led a delegation of MSU Directors, Vice Presidents and Deans to Montpellier in France to sign an MOU with Le Groupe Sup de Co Montpellier (GSCM) Business School.

GSCM Montpellier is allied with University Montpellier. GSCM Montpellier has international recognition of academic excellence from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Less than five percent of business schools world wide achieve this recognition. Eighty four percent of their graduates are hired before they graduate. The business school welcomes on the average two hundred and fifty international students from over one hundred and thirty universities.

The MOU will facilitate the development of joint undergraduate programs, joint research and projects. Students may achieve a Bachelor of Science Degree in International Business (BScIBA) as well as accounting and commerce degrees.

LAND ON MSU OLD CAMPUS DEVELOPED FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

On March 3 MSU President Dr. Supachai Samappito inspected a new area on the old MSU camps which has been developed as a research unit for sufficiency in the sustainable development of vegetables.

Although the area may look like simply a large vegetable patch it will be used for practical research and development for MSU student studies of sustainable and continuously productive vegetable crop development.

Vegetables grown include papaya, sweet corn, sunflowers, rice, marsh peas and lemons.

The area is not only for student’s education. New research, agricultural integrated farming processes and local knowledge will be shared with the general community around the province.

The area is also designed as recreation and rest area.

MSU HOSTS 2ND IQS MASTERCLASS AND INTERNATIONALISATION SEMINAR

On March 2 Mahasarakham University hosted the 2^nd iQS International Seminar and QS Masterclass on Internationalisation of Higher Education (iQS2) at the prestigious J.W. Marriott Hotel in Bangkok. The first iQS Masterclass was held on campus in Mahasarakham just over seven months ago with mostly Thai universities represented. The interest and

positive feedback generated within Thailand prompted the expansion of iQS2 to a more international stage with MSU, in partnership with QS (Asia), inviting universities outside Thailand to co-host the event.

Guangxi University for Nationalities (GXUN, China), University of the Free State (UFS, South Africa), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and University of the Philippines (UP, Diliman Campus) joined iQS2 as co-hosts sending executive representatives as well as providing keynote speakers of international renown.

MSU President Dr. Supachai Samappito gave the welcoming address affirming the theme of the seminar to establish cooperative relationships between Thai and international universities in obtaining and maintaining Masterclass status as well as to provide a platform to share knowledge and ideas in the promotion of their individual institutions.

Former Minister of Science and Technology in Thailand, Professor Dr. Yongyuth Yuthavong, headed a strong list of keynote speakers who provided a wealth of material for the two hundred participants at the seminar. Dr. Yongyuth spoke entertainingly, giving a knowledgeable overview of Asian governmental and NGO’s concerned with higher education as well as how smaller universities can work to their relevant strengths in the international education arena.

Mandy Mok, Managing Director of QS Asia, provided an oversight of the many services provided by the QS Corporation. Quacquarelli Symonds Pty. Ltd. is arguably the world leader in independently providing integrated tools and solutions for universities to fulfil their potential internationally.

Dr Kevin Downing of the City University of Hong Kong provided innovative and valuable information on challenges faced by Asian universities, while Dr. Mohmd Ismail Abd Aziz gave an insightful and thorough presentation on his as yet unpublished work on aspects of cross cultural student exchange management from actual experience at the University of Teknologi Malaysia.

Professor Wu Jinzhoo, Vice President of Guangxi University of Nationalities, China, provide a perspective of the system of minority universities in China, their relationship with the Chinese government as well as important information relevant to Chinese trade and education towards ASEAN 2015.

The inclusion of South African co-host University of the Free State speaker Dr. Drieke Hay further broadened the scope of the forum with information on international curriculum design imperatives while Dr. Maria Milagros Laurel of University of the Philippines spoke on changes and the need for adaptation occurring in higher educational institutions within the Philippines.

The intensive one day seminar was completed with an hour and a half long open forum chaired by MC Dr. Intisarn Chaiyasuk. All keynote speakers kindly made themselves available for questions and comments.

Participants partook of a sumptuous buffet dinner in the evening and next day visited the famous reclining Buddha at Wat Pho before spending time shopping at Chatuchak weekend markets.

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