MSU PRIMARY FAREWELLS YEAR 6 STUDENTS

 On April 4 MSU Demonstration Primary School Director Dr. Maliwan Tunapan welcomed MSU President Dr. Supachai Samappito to assist in presenting certificates and diplomas to Year 6 students who have just completed their final year of primary schooling.

Students were presented with leaving certificates, awards and diplomas for outstanding performance.

Many of the students will go on to attend MSU Secondary and then move on to Mahasarakham University.

MSU Primary Demonstration School runs two strands of education. One is where subjects are taught in Thai with optional subjects in English and the other as a complete primary education taught in English.

MSU Primary is considered one of the leading public Primary Schools in the province and students regularly win awards from national competitions. 

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 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 FACULTY OF VETERINARY MEDICINE AND ANIMAL SCIENCE PROACTIVE IN THE FIELD

MSU Faculty of Veterinarian Medicine and Animal Science students have been providing free consultations and vaccinations for the pets of residents of the Sri Khan and Kantarawichai districts.

Veterinary medicine students have travelled to villages in the animal ambulance to provide free medical examinations, treatments and vaccinations to the local pet and livestock population.

The field trips promote community awareness of the animal ambulance service, animal health care, the need for protection against animal diseases and to provide information on how people can access health care for their livestock and pets.

The proactive program provides clinical practise for current students as well as promoting the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science to possible new student recruits.

The animal ambulance will be in operation travelling to local communities throughout 2012 treating animals providing free vaccinations against rabies, Lacan’s disease and parasitic and allergic skin diseases. 

MSU CONTINUES IMPROVEMENT IN LATEST WEBOMETRICS WORLD UNIVERSITY RANKINGS

Mahasarakham University continues to improve in the Webometrics Ranking of World Universities with the latest half yearly rankings released in January.

Webometric rankings are designed as an indicator of the quantity and quality of electronic publications of the institution. They are published twice yearly and rank over twenty thousand higher education institutions worldwide.

 MSU broke the thousand barrier in world rankings jumping over three hundred and seventy places between July 2011 and January 2012.

Table of Webometric World University Rankings  Mahasarakham University 2009 - 2012
Month/Year	World Ranking	South East Asia	Thailand
January 2009	1393	31	18
July 2009	1443	35	20
January 2010	1470	38	20
July 2010	1618	43	18
January 2011	1254	44	17
July 2011	1101	26	13
January 2012	727	21	10

MSU continues to improve in all areas, currently rated by Webometrics as twenty-first in South East Asia and tenth in Thailand.

As MSU continues towards its goal of becoming an internationally recognised world class tertiary institution it can be expected these numbers will continue to improve.

Click here for Webometrics World University Rankings (South East Asia)

MSU CREATIVE MEDIA STUDENTS SHORT FILM AND ANIMATION COMPETITION

Each year Creative Media students of MSU Faculty of Informatics take part in the Esan (Isan) Short Film and Animation Contest. Teams of students from within the faculty this year produced short films, documentaries or animations based on the theme “Home’.

MSU President Dr. Supachai Samappito attended the ceremony to present awards and cash prizes to the winners.

Mahasarakham University is committed to the preservation of local culture and traditions and the creative media student’s works are an example of taking the knowledge they have gained out of the classroom and applying it in the real world.

The creation of these works instils a sense of pride in the students, promotes awareness of their local culture for others and creates historical records for future generations. It is also designed to showcase students talents providing a valuable example of their work for future employment prospects.

This is the seventh year of the E-san Short Film and Animation contest, emanating from an arts program taken as part of the Creative Media course at the Faculty of Informatics. The program includes seminars and training by special guests on making films, documentaries, cartoons and animations.

WORLD WETLANDS DAY AT MSU

On February 2 MSU President Dr. Supachai Samappito presided over the ceremony marking World Wetlands Day.

February 2 is the day the Ramsar Convention (on Wetlands of International Importance) treaty was signed in Ramsar, Iran in 1971. World Wetlands Day (WWD) was first celebrated in 1997 with just under two thousand Ramsar (wetland) sites of importance currently listed. Contracting parties from over one hundred and sixty countries, including Thailand, are signatories to the Ramsar Treaty.

The slogan for WWW in 2012 is Wetland Tourism: A Great Experience.

MSU Office of Academic Services, Division of Building, Department of Visual Arts, Faculty of Fine Arts, Veterinary Science and Medicine, Medical School, Centre for Book Research and the Department of Fisheries and others collaborated with fifteen neighbourhood schools and thirteen local villages in holding events raising awareness on World Wetlands Day.

Events held included fishing, rice planting , painting and dancing competitions as well as many other community activities. The focus was on raising awareness among young people of preserving wetlands (and forests) along the rivers of northeast Thailand and the important role they play in the ecological balance of nature.

Click here for more pictures

MSU VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS & RESEARCH DR. PREECHA PRATHEPA GRANTED FULL PROFESSORSHIP

On January 24 MSU President Dr. Supachai Samappito had the pleasure of congratulating MSU Vice President for Academic Affairs and Research Professor Dr. Dr. Preecha Prathepha on attaining the status of full professor.

Dr. Preecha was appointed a full professor in genetics in the field of Biotechnology. The announcement was officially published by the Prime Minister in the Government Gazette on January 11. Only four other civil servants were appointed professors of higher educational institutions in the announcement. Besides being Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Preecha is now a full professor in the field of genetics, Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Technology at MSU.

Professor Dr. Preecha is to be congratulated on his dedication and hard work in achieving his professorship. He provides a fine example to current and future students of Mahasarakham University.

Dr. Supachai and the full executive committee of Mahasarakham University were on hand to heartily congratulate Dr. Preecha in a ceremony held in the conference room of the President’s building.

HRH PRINCESS SIRINDHORN OPENS MSU BUSINESS SCHOOL BUILDING

On December 21 Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn officially opened the new Mahasarakham University Business School (MBS) building which has been named the Sirindhorn Administration Building in Her honour.

The Mahasarakham University Business School (MBS) is now officially the name of what was previously known as the Faculty of Accountancy and Management. It is under the gracious patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Sirindhorn who, besides officially opening the building also planted a tree in honour of Her Father, His Royal Highness King Bhumibol.

Dean of the Mahasarakham Business School Associate Professor Dr. Phapruke Ussahawanitchakit gave the opening address to HRH Princes Sirindhorn, the Board of Accountancy and Management and official guests.

The new MBS building has eleven floors and covers over nine thousand square metres of floor space. Besides housing the internationally recognised Mahasarakham University Business School, the building will also provide for undergraduate and graduate research, community services, administrative staff, exhibitions etc.

The new Sirindhorn Administration Building will now become the centre for learning, education and technology for international standard business administration at Mahasarakham University.

The MBS already provides business administration courses of international standard through its popular International Business Management Bachelor Degree course taught in English.  

MSU 44TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS DECEMBER 1 – 9

 Mahasarakham University celebrated its 44^th Anniversary from December 1^st to the 9^th. MSU President Dr. Supachai Samappito and Vice President for Special Affairs Dr. Suracha Amornpan gave the opening addresses at the opening ceremony. MSU held nine days of celebrations with the main road into the Khamriang campus closed nightly.





Faculties set up stalls along the road and a party atmosphere was present every night with thousands of students coming to shop, watch the nightly talent shows or concerts and generally get together to have a good time.

Many, many events were held on campus including Buddhist ceremonies, theatre, talent shows, sports demonstrations.

On December 9 the closing ceremony was held with an awards ceremony and talent quest winners performing.

The fireworks displays for both the opening and closing ceremonies were spectacular. The closing ceremony stood out as something special with many people floating khomb, making for spectacular scenery adding to the bright lights and activity centred around the area of the President’s building on the closing night.

Click on the separate links for OPENING CEREMONY PICTURES and CLOSING CEREMONY PICTURES

MSU FACULTY OF MEDICINE 8TH ANNIVERSARY

On  November 21 nine monks participated in the ceremony commemorating the eighth anniversary of the MSU Faculty of Medicine. The ceremony,, commencing at seven am, was well attended by students, staff and executives of the  university. As is traditional, after the blessing ceremony, alms were presented to the monks.

MSU Faculty of Medicine currently has a six year open university program in Medicine as well as a graduate program in Applied Thai Traditional Medicine, a Department of Medical Science, a Geaduate Business Center plus post doctoral studies in health sciences.

Students for the Faculty of Medicine practise at hospitals in Mahasarakham, Kalasin, Roi Et, and Mukdahan hospitals as well as many community medical centres.

Later in the day MSU President  Dr. Supachai Samappito gave a progress report on the progress of the four hundred million baht two hundred bed campus hospital which is due for completion in October next year. He also reported on a future Center of Applied Thai Traditional Medicine located next to the Medical Center. This center will cater to patients receiving Thai traditional medical attention as well as producing traditional medicines and herbal products.

FACULTY OF CULTURAL STUDIES YOUTH MUSIC PROJECT

On October 21 MSU Faculty of Culture organised a youth project entitled ‘The Little String Band’. The project invited participation from various educational institutions in Mahasarakham.

Besides giving children participating the opportunity to perform and encourage other children to join the project the Little String Band project also raised funds for the Red Cross.

 Money and goods to the value of twelve thousand baht were presented to the Acting President of Mahasarakham Red Cross branch.

Projects such as these with performances by young role models encourage the next generation of Isan children to participate in community events which in turn benefit the whole of the community.