ไทย
Prof. Dr. Hsungrow Chan, Dean of the College of Science, National Pingtung University (NPTU), visited the Department of Mathematics and the Department of Statistics at Khon Kaen University (KKU) to further develop collaboration in mathematics and statistics between KKU and NPTU. During his visit to the Department of Mathematics, he was welcomed by the department’s faculty members, led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Somnuek Worawiset, and engaged in discussions on various issues, including scholarship opportunities as well as student and staff exchange. In addition, Prof. Dr. Hsungrow Chan shared experiences of KKU students who had previously participated in exchange or cooperative education programs at NPTU.
For the visit to the Department of Statistics, Asst. Prof. Dr. Sukanya Ruangsuwan, Head of the Department of Statistics, together with the department’s faculty members, warmly welcomed Prof. Dr. Hsungrow Chan. The discussion covered a range of collaborative topics, including research, further study opportunities, and student and staff exchange. Over the past two years, Prof. Dr. Hsungrow Chan has served as an advisor to five cooperative education and exchange students from the Department of Statistics. Following this, Prof. Dr. Hsungrow Chan met to discuss further collaboration with Asst. Prof. Dr. Angkana Boonyued, Dean of the Faculty of Science, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Wuttichai Srisodaphol, Assistant Dean for Administration.
In addition to academic collaboration in mathematics and statistics, another key objective of Prof. Dr. Hsungrow Chan’s visit to Khon Kaen University was to discuss preparations for bringing a group of Taiwanese high school students to participate in a science communication exchange program at KKU, scheduled for July 2026. In this regard, Dr. Sukhum Ruangchai, Assistant Dean for International Affairs and Public Communications, accompanied Prof. Dr. Hsungrow Chan on visits to several locations and meetings with administrators of strategic units at Khon Kaen University, including the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum, where staff from the Museum and Lifelong Learning Resources Center kindly provided guided tours of the exhibitions.
Subsequently, Prof. Dr. Hsungrow Chan met with Prof. Dr. Thidarat Boonmars, Vice President for Enterprise and Sustainable Society, to further discuss the activities to be arranged for the exchange students. The discussion was conducted in a friendly atmosphere, and suitable activity themes for high school students were selected. In addition, Prof. Dr. Hsungrow Chan visited the KKU Herbarium at the Faculty of Science, where he was welcomed by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pimwadee Pornpongrungrueng, the museum curator, who provided a tour and discussed possible activities for the visiting Taiwanese high school students.
For the exchange activities scheduled in July 2026, students from the Science Classroom in University-Affiliated School (SCiUS) program at Khon Kaen University Demonstration School will also participate. To ensure the smooth implementation of joint activities between students from both countries, Prof. Dr. Hsungrow Chan met with Asst. Prof. Dr. Chaiyapong Ruangsuwan, Director of the SCiUS Program, to jointly design activities that will promote both academic and cultural exchange in an effective and meaningful way.
This visit to Khon Kaen University marks an important milestone reflecting the strong relationship between Khon Kaen University and National Pingtung University, Taiwan. The partnership began with cooperation in cooperative education and student exchange, which led to the signing of a faculty-level Memorandum of Understanding between the Faculty of Science, Khon Kaen University, and the College of Science, National Pingtung University in 2023. In 2025, as the collaboration expanded to cover other faculties/colleges of both institutions, a university-level Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Khon Kaen University and National Pingtung University. This development underscores the strong commitment of the Faculty of Science and Khon Kaen University to building and strengthening international academic networks, paving the way for the university to gain greater recognition on the global stage.