Khon Kaen University

Khon Kaen University From Isan Wisdom to Globalization: Health Scenario Khon Kaen University (KKU), the first public university to be established in the Northeast of Thailand, has the vision of being a learning-based, research-based, and quality-based university that is focused both on regional and national development. Over the past 46 years, the university has been following a strategy to drive its operations to achieve objectives according to this vision. Research, in particular, is seen as a crucial task that the university emphasizes in order to create work or new knowledge in each field in response to the needs of communities and society. KKU is one of nine institutions selected to pioneer the Thailand National Research University project which has the aim of raising the standard of Thailand’s universities to an international level through research and development. This marks an important milestone in the history of higher education for Thailand. Various activities have been vital in driving KKU to become a research-based university. A major project has been the establishment of the 40-year Khon Kaen University Research Fund along with 12 specialist research centers in 2002. An additional 24 research centers and 15 research specialist groups were later established to cover three major fields: science and technology; health sciences; and humanities and social sciences. In addition, some research centers have been collaborating with other universities and private organizations. Utilizing the results of research is regarded as a crucial activity, and for KKU this has played a great role in its operations. The university has set up a department to take responsibility for each mission, such as: the Academic Services Center, the Khon Kaen University Science Park, and the Srinagarind Hospital, which is the largest hospital in the region. KKU has entered into collaboration with over 200 organizations, educational institutes and international research institutes, in more than 25 countries. This includes cooperation with international organizations such as: the Mekong Institute, the Greater Mekong Sub-region Academic and Research Network (GM-SARN), and Greater Mekong Sub-region Tertiary Education Consortium Trust (GMSTEC). Cooperating with communities in projects that promote sustainable development is another crucial role that the university continues to perform. KKU cooperates with communities in the Northeastern region and communities in other regions of the country. KKU has also transferred knowledge and research experience to promote sustainable development with neighboring countries. Life Science is one of the strongest research fields of Khon Kaen University. Several research projects and technology transfers have been conducted in order to continuously fulfill the needs of the northeastern part of Thailand’s population, as well as those of the Greater Mekong Sub-region’s (GMS’s). Furthermore, researches aiming to discover new knowledge have also been explored for future development. Examples of researches mentioned are as follow: Plant Breeding Research Center for Sustainable Agriculture (PBRCSA) Although Thailand is the cradle of agriculture covered with high diversification of useful plants for basic necessities, it is not perpetual. Research on plant breeding of these plants is urgently needed to ensure farmers have a sustainable way of living by developing new varieties which are higher-yielding, resistant to pests and diseases, drought-resistant, or regionally adapted to different environments and growing conditions. Plant breeders are trained and encouraged to use locally available techniques with self-sufficient resources and awareness of environmental protection. PBCSA was established in 2002 by academic staff members of the Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen University. It was the result of a meeting among the academics to share ideas and experiences on plant breeding research for people in the Northeast region of Thailand, aiming to enhance sustainability and self-reliability of the people and support the local agro industry. The Centre for Research and Development Medical Diagnostic Laboratories (CMDL) The CMDL was developed in 2002 from a consortium of research groups at the Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, aiming in research and development at both basic and applied levels. Based upon basic knowledge gained locally on local health problems, it is anticipated that targeted medical diagnostic kits could be produced and finally manufactured in the country, reducing imported products and leading to self-sustainability and an excellent research center for the region. With the good track record of the research groups at the Faculty of Associated Medical Science, the CMDL emphasis is on four areas of research and development: prevention and control of thalassemia, cancer, transplantation, and molecular immunology and laboratory diagnosis of infectious diseases. Tropical Feed Resources Research and Development Center (TROFREC) Feed is an important factor attributing to livestock production systems to increase efficiency and/or to lower cost of production. In Thailand, there are many kinds of feedstuffs with diversity in quantity and quality. Their uses in producing meat, milk, and eggs can be exploited efficiently. Moreover, development of value-added feed products can be further exported to foreign markets as a means to obtain national income. Thailand is situated in a tropical area and shares many similarities with a number of tropical countries. Research works generated in Thailand can be transferred and modified for application in other countries. The main objective of establishing TROFREC is to conduct relevant research activities with feed development and utilization improving livestock production in tropical areas, and to foster and strengthen collaborations with other institutions in Thailand and other countries. Therefore, the Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen University has deemed necessary and promoted the importance of TROFREC in accordance with increasing needs of feed resources and their uses for efficient animal production. Fermentation Research Center for Value Added Agriculture (FerVAAP) Fermentation technology is one of the core technologies, which plays an important role in agro-industry, especially the biomanufacturing industry. It requires multidisciplinary collaboration across disciplines aiming at the improvement of the production processes, and the innovation of bioprocesses and products to obtain high value-added products with high efficiency. Thailand is an agro-industrial-based country, while “fermentation technology” is an important technology for the production of diverse commercial products. Envisaging this vital and significant role, FerVAAP was established in 2002 with the main objective to become one of the “excellence centers” among the 12 research centers initiated. FerVAAP has been currently mandated to focus on R&D activities in the areas of fermented foods, alcoholic beverages, fine biochemicals and other bioproducts, and renewable energy. Applied Taxonomic Research Center (ATRC) Thailand’s tropical forests are the biologically diverse habitats of approximately 20,000 species of plants and 87,500 species of animals. However, to date only 8,000 species of plants and 18,000 species of animals have been identified, i.e., the majority of these living organisms are waiting to be studied. The results obtained are certainly are vital for the existence of people not only in this region but for the entire environmentally deteriorating world. The ATRC was established in 2002. One of the center’s missions is conducting basic and applied taxonomic research on medicinal herbs and fungi, identification of human allergy-causing pollen, classification of bioindicators (zooplankton, aquatic insects, and algae) for environmental assessment, and characteristics of DNA fingerprinting for agricultural crops. Mittraparp Highway, Muang District | Khon Kaen, Thailand 40002 T: +66 (0) 4320 2222 42 | www.kku.ac.th

Khon Kaen University

Khon Kaen University

From Isan Wisdom to Globalization: Health Scenario

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Published In

December 2010

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