DR PRAPAIRAT SEEPHONKAI RECEIVES ENDEAVOUR RESEARCH SCHOLARSHIP AWARD

Dr Prapairat Seephonkai (pictured left) from MSU Faculty of Science, Department of Chemistry has been awarded an Endeavour Research Fellowship Award to continue her research at the University of Wollongong.

Besides her teaching duties, Dr Prapairat  researches the natural product chemistry of bioactive compounds from plants, medicinal herbs and microorganisms as part of the MSU Natural Products Research Group.

The merit based Endeavour Awards are awarded by the Australian Government and administered by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID). They provide opportunities for study, research and professional development for awardees from the Asia Pacific, Middle East, Europe and the Americas.

Dr. Prapairat was one of twenty seven people from Thailand awarded an Endeavour Scholarship. There were twenty Endeavour Awards, three Australian Leadership Awards Scholarships (ALAS) and four Australian Leadership Awards Fellowships (ALAF).

 Along with her family she attended a reception for Thai Endeavour Awardees hosted by the Australian Consulate at the Grande Sheraton Sukhumvit Hotel in Bangkok on January 12.

Dr. Prapairat will undertake post doctoral research in natural product chemistry at the University of Wollongong for a period of six months commencing in May this year.

Click here for information on Endeavour Awards

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.

MSU RELEASES NEW VIDEO

Mahasarakham University has just released a new video.




The 5.45 minute promotional video named 'Mahasarakham University - Heart of the Northeast'  has no narration, instead showcasing MSU through imagery and text.

 There is some brief history with the video also providing imagery on some of the research institutes of MSU, many of them conducting research unique to northeastern Thailand and the Isan area.






You may also gain an insight into the MSU campus.

Pictured here are some screenshots from the video. There is no need to write more about it.

To let the video do the talking, CLICK HERE

MSU INDUSTRY COOPERATION CENTER FUNDS INNOVATIVE PROJECTS

On October 3 MSU Vice President for Planning and International Relations Associate Professor Dr. Nathanon Trachoo chaired a meeting of the board of the MSU University Industry Cooperation Center (MSUIC) to jointly consider funding project proposals submitted by various MSU faculties/departments. Twenty submissions were considered for the allocation of a total of seven hundred thousand baht in funding with one hundred thousand baht to be provided for each of seven selected projects.

The multi faceted MSU Industry Cooperation Center provides many kinds of assistance in the development of products and/or enterprises originating from MSU students, faculties or departments towards a final goal of establishing a successful business. Commonly referred to as the MSU business incubator, the MSUIC not only provides financial aid, it also provides information linking private enterprise, government departments and research facilities.

Many projects funded and developed with the assistance of the MSUIC are aimed towards community development through value adding to existing products, innovation of existing products and commercialisation of new products developed from existing community produced raw products.

Seven project proposals are to receive funding as a result of the board meeting. Some of the successful projects include the development of household textiles from bamboo, tooth floss from natural products, medicinal herbal compresses and herbal extract rice crop pest removal products.

FACULTY OF VET SCIENCE AT 15TH ESDAR CONFERENCE IN TURKEY

In late September members of MSU Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, led by Acting Dean Dr. Dr. Sukanya Leethongdee  attended the 15^th ESDAR (European Society for Domestic Animal Reproduction) Conference held in Antalya, Turkey. Six faculty members presented papers at the conference covering the subject matter of Thai goats and local fisheries. The papers have been published in the  journal Reproduction in Domestic Animals.

Researchers from around the world attended the conference. MSU Faulty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science has gradually gained recognition as a research faculty well worthy of international standards.

MSU PRIMARY SCHOOL - GOING STRONG, BEING CREATIVE

On September 10 a large contingent of parents, teachers and students from MSU Demonstration Primary School travelled to Central Plaza shopping center in Khon Khaen where the students competed in futsal and tug of war competitions.

Tug of war competitions are immensely popular in Thailand and can be classed as a showcase event at all and any sports days held, whether at kindergarten level, between faculties at colleges or universities or even at veteran age competitions. They inevitably draw a large crowd and in true Thai style the spirit of the competitors enjoying themselves overshadows who wins and who loses the event.

Still, we must give credit where credit is due. MSU Primary School kindergarten tug of war team successfully defended their champions title won the previous year and should be justifiably proud of their efforts.

On September 13 Director of Mahasarakham Primary School, Associate Professor Dr. Maliwan, presented the winning kindergarten tug of war champions to guests at the opening of an exhibition showing early academic works of students from the school.

The two day exhibition was to show works created by young students not only of paintings but also artwork, objects and toys created from natural materials. The concept of the exhibition is to illustrate to parents and others the abilities of the youngsters to be creative and inventive in their work at an early age.

Students also partook in cooking and baking classes on the first day of the exhibition. The primary school student’s projects and creations aims to encourage positive social, intellectual and emotional development from an early age.

MSU ORGANISING REGIONAL SEMINARS ON ANCIENT DOCUMENTS

On August 27 MSU President Dr. Supachai Samappito attended the opening of a seminar which hopefully will pave the way for future networks and regional seminars on the conservation of ancient documents from the Isan area. Over a hundred academics and interested people were in attendance at the conference room in the Faculty of Engineering.

It is not well known internationally there are many ancient documents in northeastern Thailand. These documents are commonly called palm leaf manuscripts and, although they do not look as such, have been written on palm leaves in ancient text. Mostly these ancient texts were written by monks and kept in monasteries.

Mahasarakham University Northeastern Leaf Inscription Conservation Center is a research institute located in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Here are stored valuable palm leaf manuscripts which are going through the slow process of transliteration and transference to digital format.

There are a huge number of palm leaf manuscripts which have not been translated and therefore the modern world is unaware of the knowledge they contain. They may date back as far as the fourteenth century and besides containing information concerned with Buddhist teachings may also contain information about the history behind the many ancient  sites dotted all over the Isan area. Scholars would agree verbal knowledge passed down becomes unreliable after a century or so. Who knows what secrets these ancient palm leaf manuscripts may reveal? It is also excitingly unknown how many have yet to be discovered.

MSU project specialist from the Palm Leaf Inscription and Conservation Center, Associate Professor Dr. Weenah Weespan, spoke at the seminar which discussed ways in which these precious artefacts can best be conserved, transliterated, archived, managed and studied. Those interested can click here to see a brochure (in Thai and English) giving more information about the work of the MSU Northeastern Leaf-inscription Conservation Center.

MSU HOSTS 7TH NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL EXHIBITION

On August 8 MSU hosted the 7^th Annual National Agricultural Conference and Exhibition in co-operation with the National Department of Agriculture.

The exhibition held in conjunction with the conference was in honour of HM King Bhumibol who in the past has been closely involved in the creation of many valuable agricultural projects in Thailand.

In his address to the conference Assistant Professor  Dr.Rampai Kaensakoo, Dean of MSU Faculty of Technology, paid tribute to HM King Bhumibol as the King of Agriculture, who through his development of the sufficiency economy philosophy and patronage of many agricultural projects has seen Thailand develop into a country which can readily compete on the world agricultural stage. He also  noted how it was an honour for Mahasarakham University to host the conference this year as it is the twenty fifth anniversary of MSU’s Faculty of Technology.

More than fifty presentations, special lectures and academic discussion sessions were held during the course of the conference. Two of the objectives of the conference were for promotion and dissemination of scholarly works in agriculture resulting from research done by educational institutions across Thailand and the strengthening of networking ties between these institutions.

Delegates also took tours and excursions to visit and meet farmers involved in agriculture in the northeast.

MSU SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH THE FEDERATION OF THAI INDUSTRIES

On August 6 MSU President Dr. Supachai Samappito signed an in important agreement with the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI). The FTI is a group of private Thai companies which promotes and develops Thai industries at a local and international level as well as linking Thai industries with overseas organisations. The FTI also works with the Thai government on policy planning and development for industry.

The MOU is significant in that it is one of co-operation between MSU and the FTI in education and research, especially within the north east of Thailand. The agreement will enable MSU students to work within FTI industries gaining valuable experience both nationally and internationally.

The MOU will incorporate research industrial economic and social development towards gaining future access to the ASEAN Economic Community.

Representatives of the FTI in north eastern Thailand, Mahasarakham Rajabat University and the Office of the Economic and Social Development Board attended and participated in a tree planting ceremony in honour of the eighty-fourth birthday of HM King Bhumibol as well as to signify the long term intentions of the agreement.

FACULTY OF TECHNOLOGY STUDENTS AT MSU AGRICULTURAL FARM

On August 3 over 300 students from the MSU Faculty of Technology were introduced to the Mahasarakham University Royal Agricultural Center.

Situated eleven kilometres from the main campus in nearby Kantarawichai the agricultural center contains over a thousand acres of land set aside for agricultural research and development emanating from MSU faculty of Technology.

The students were shown existing income generating operations which include dairy cattle and products, livestock breeding, pig farming and egg production.

The MOU farm as it is commonly known is being developing for use as a national youth educational training facility. 

MSU RUBBER PLANTATION PROJECT

On July 23 MSU President Dr. Supachai Samappito opened the Faculty of Technology rubber tree plantation project. Growing rubber trees is gaining popularity in the north east of Thailand.

The rubber tree plantation project is located on twenty acres of land devoted to agricultural technology to the north east of the main campus.

MSU Faculty of Technology will now be conducting training, educational courses  and research on natural rubber sustainability. The plantation project is part of the teaching program of Department of Agriculture.

The training program is also inclusive of local communities.  

SILK INNOVATION CENTER LIVING UP TO ITS NAME

Thai silk is renowned as one of the finest quality silks in the world. Mahasarakham University Silk Innovation Centre is one of the leading research and development centers in Thailand. Continuous research and development on improving and value adding throughout the silk industry is a key factor in the Thai silk industry keeping pace in a modern globalised environment. Below are examples of the Silk Innovation Center’s recent community involvement programs, product development and cooperative agreement involvement.

VALUE ADDING TO SILK PRODUCTS COMMUNALLY

On July 12 one of a series of workshops was held in the first floor conference room at the MSU Silk Innovation Center. The workshop comes under a program Strengthening Communities Through Silk Projects which is funded by the Province of Mahasarakham.

This particular workshop consisted of activities including inventing souvenirs and gifts using residuals of mulberry and silk products and training in the use of natural dyes.

 The workshops are aimed to function from a grass roots level encouraging farmers and community members to become innovative and appreciative of the extra income which can be generated in value adding to residuals of the silk creation process.

These workshops involved students from MSU as well as community members from the nearby Ban Phai district.

The program creates a valuable link between government, the Silk Innovation Center and local communities.

SILK PROTEIN SOAP GAINS OFFICIAL APPROVAL

The Silk Innovation Center has now patented and registered four silk protein products with the Department of Intellectual Property.  The process has taken five years since the products were first developed until approval by the Department of Medical Sciences and the Food and Drug Administration of the Department of Health.

The products which include liquid soap and avocado silk protein cream have proven very popular with people in several provinces in Thailand already. The products are just a few of the many silk related items available from the Bug Bee Silk Shop located in the Silk Innovation Center on Mahasarakham University Campus. 

SERICULTURE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT

On June 29 MSU Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr Preecha Prathepa represented Mahasarakham University in the signing of an important sericulture agreement of cooperation at the Rama Gardens Hotel in Bangkok. The agreement links the Department of Sericulture with many other agencies with MSU including Chiang Mai University, Naresuan University (Phitsanulok), and public organisations the Institute of Nuclear Technology and the National Electronics and Computer Center (NECTEC).

The agreement is aimed towards adding value to Thai silk through continuing basic and existing research as well as the development of new technologies. These include design, packaging, processing and research applications using nuclear technology in innovation for new products incorporating electronics.

The agreement has the full support of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives.

1 MILLION BAHT ALLOCATED FOR 2011 RESEARCH PROJECTS

In mid July MSU President Dr. Supachai Samappito announced an allocated research budget of one million baht for ten future MSU research projects for 2011. Each research project can apply for up to 100K baht.

The budget allocation can be applied for research directly related to the following five subject matters.

1. The development of a mobile phone application(s) covering MSU personnel databases and/or the introduction of e-learning courses. Researchers can apply for up to 100K baht for equipment to develop applications.
2. The development of applications for digital online point of service survey questionnaires for instant customer service feedback.
3. How to increase the response indicators of MSU in relation to World University Survey Rankings (QS, QS Asian, Webometrics etc.).  
4. The development of innovative commercial products expressing the identity of MSU in order to raise the presence of MSU on the international stage. i.e. the branding and packaging an MSU identity for international marketing.
5. The development of a program aimed to reduce accidents at traffic lights within the university.  eg red light cameras, digital vehicle identification forwarded to a central control centre.

More information is available from the Department of Planning, 3^rd Floor in the President’s Building, Mahasarakham University.

FISH SAUSAGES ANYONE?

If you look up Mahasarakham University on Google Earth you may notice it is very far from the sea and would therefore have very limited availability to sources of fresh fish. This is not so.

In northeast Thailand there is a large and thriving freshwater fish and prawn industry. So much so you could say fish and prawns may be described as a staple part of the Isan diet. In many locations you can dine outdoors in the middle of a pond on a bamboo platform on stilts with your dinner swimming live underneath you among the blooming lotus.

Commercial agricultural entrepreneurial company Thanapol Foods Ltd in conjunction with MSU Department of Food and Nutrition have been busy innovating this rich fish resource.

link to Highgreenfish.com (pictured left)

On July 6 at the MSU Conference Center Thanapol Foods Ltd in collaboration with MSU Faculty of Technology Department of Food and Nutrition launched their new product named Green Diamond sausages.

Green Diamond sausages are result of exhaustive scientific research and development studies led by Dr Suwan Angkana of MSU’s Department of Food and Nutrition. The team explored the best physical characteristics of fish species and fishmeat content  to find and develop a successful fish sausage recipe.

 The product was also aided by the MSU Business Incubator program and has attracted research support from the National Office of Science and Technology.

BEAUTY AND SKIN | PATTAYA MAIL

Mahasarakham University’s forward-looking president, Asst Prof Supachai Samappito, records that “Usually, you elevate silkworms in ‘Jor’, as the large, round, prosaic bamboo trays are called in Thai, and the small creatures turn their cocoons in them. Researchers after that detected that if the silkworms are placed on  ....... full story on this link  Beauty And Skin | Pattaya Mail

INVITATION TO JOIN MSU JOURNAL CLUB – MONTHLY ADDRESSES

MSU Division of Academic Affairs and Research have recently created an MSU Journal Club. The Journal club has been created to provide an academic forum among MSU academic staff with Academic Affairs and Research Vice President Assoc. Prof Dr. Preecha Prathepa kindly volunteering to take charge.

MSU Journal Club will be inviting guest speakers from MSU as well as special international invited guests to address members on the last Monday of each month from 10 a.m. until noon in the staff clubhouse located near the President’s Building.

Subject matter is not confined to journalism as the name suggests; any academic topic may be addressed so it is well worth your while to keep an eye on who will be speaking each month.

 For more information you can join the MSU Journal Club on Facebook where information on future speakers and events can be found. ...more pics

JournalClub Msu can be found here on Facebook.

BAMBOO FIBRE EXPORT POSSIBILITIES

On March 9 MSU President Dr. Supachai Samappito, representatives of MSU’s  Northeast Institute of Arts and Culture and Silk innovation Centre welcomed Mr. Yasuo Kihira of Daiko Menka Co. Ltd. of Japan to Mahasarakham University.

After visiting the Silk Innovation Centre silk processing laboratories and the Northeast Institute of Arts Museum Mr. Kahira met with lecturers and staff of MSU Center in Collaboration with Industry (UIC) to discuss the possibilities of marketing products created from bamboo fibre  and value added silk products in Japan. The value adding to raw bamboo in the creation of bamboo fibre products is a result of research conducted at the MSU Northeastern Institute of Arts and Culture. .... more pics

INTERNATIONAL DATABASES ACCEPT MSU JOURNAL OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Mahasarakham University may be classified in the western world as a young university having been in existence as a university proper for only forty-three years. It could safely be assumed few people would know that for the last twenty of these years MSU has been publishing a journal of Science and Technology, Mahasarakham University, both in English and Thai language. Those involved in the publication of scientific journals are well aware of the high standards required for any journal to be accepted into any reputable international journal database.

It is indeed an honour to be able to announce that the Journal of Science and Technology Mahasarakham University has recently been accepted as being of a standard worthy to be included in the following International scientific journal databases: EBSCO, Asian Science Citation Index (ASCI), DOAJ, Index Copernicus International, Academic Index, The Elektronische Zeitschriftenbibliothek EZB, Open J-Gate, Google Scholar and EISRJC.

Other databases upon which assessment is pending are: SCOPUS, ISI Thompson Reuters, Pubmed Central (PMC), MedLine, ProQuest, BASE,   SciTopia Index and Scientific Commons.

The Journal of Science and Technology Mahasarakham University is published quarterly and edited by Sawitree Chowtivannagun and Pradit Terdtoon. ...more pics

The journal can be accessed  free online at  http://thailand.digitaljournals.org/index.php/JSTMU/index

UNIQUE BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES OF NORTH EAST THAILAND

On February 3 MSU Faculty of Science hosted a seminar attended by academics and representatives of the Science Association of Thailand. The technical discussions concerned matters of scientific interest pertaining to the north east of Thailand. Subjects such as rare plants (including mushrooms), biological resources and the dinosaur valley were discussed. Another reason for the seminar was to encourage people of science at Mahasarakham University to discuss projects with members of the Royally Patronised Science Society of Thailand.

Mahasarakham University Faculty of Science is very pro active in biological research in north east Thailand. Research institutes under the Faculty of Science are specifically devoted to biological and paleontological research of subject matter unique to the northeast of Thailand. ...more pics