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Tag: Thailand

Chiang Mai University Faculty of Nursing is the first nursing school in Thailand to use AR and VR

Posted on by Editorial Team

The devastating effect of the COVID-19 pandemic has been seen in hospitals,  communities, and economies. The pandemic also forced the world, particularly the education sector, to adapt and change resulting in an uptake of disruptive innovation that forever changes higher education.

At NurseCMU, the Chiang Mai University Faculty of Nursing in Thailand, the in-person clinical practice was greatly limited by the pandemic. Students spent more time in simulation with high fidelity manikins and other activities meant to provide students with clinical skills while observing social distancing.

Finding new ways for students to gain clinical experience suddenly highlighted certain opportunities for nursing education.

Dean Thanee Kaewthummanukul, NurseCMU’s Dean since October 2020, immediately implemented his vision for keeping NurseCMU at the forefront of nursing education and research, building on the vision established by former Dean Wipada Kunaviktikul during her four terms as Dean.

Dean Thanee felt that augmented and virtual reality (AR and VR) could address many of the problems encountered during the COVID pandemic. The use of AR/VR technologies is increasingly part of health professional education. However, content is predominantly geared towards medical students and not appropriate for the Thai context.

NurseCMU is the first faculty of nursing in Thailand to embed AR/VR teaching methodologies into its curriculum, working with programmers to develop tailored nursing content.

AR/VR will be implemented beginning in the second semester of the 2021 academic year. This technology helps to solve longstanding issues in clinical practice: how do you give students the opportunity to practice their skills with vulnerable populations while maintaining the safety of the patient?

Initial development focused on the baccalaureate program with VR simulating work in the neonatal and adult intensive care units. Patients in these units are critically ill and space is limited due to the specialized equipment needed. VR provides a safe environment where students can practice their skills in a VR room identical to one they would see in the hospital.

Each student receives ample time to practice their skills under different scenarios and there is no risk to the patient. In fact, VR will allow students to be more prepared for in-person clinical practice in these settings having practiced their skills virtually.

VR is also being used to allow students to experience various scenarios during labour and delivery, while AR will be used to help students learn how to work with patients suffering from mental health issues through an interactive website. Students will be able to meet and interact with patients with different diagnoses and will learn firsthand how their choices will elicit different emotional responses.

As society becomes increasingly reliant on new technologies, nursing education must continue to embrace these technologies to remain relevant, to maintain the interest of students and to take advantage of the new opportunities offered through innovation. At NurseCMU, the future is now.

Thammasat University’s new course aims to inspire and build entrepreneurship

Posted on by Thammasat University

Thammasat University has recently launched a course on Innovation & Entrepreneurial Mindset or Innovation and Entrepreneurial Thinking Process (TU 109) to help nurture and build future entrepreneurs.

The program will have 30 entrepreneurs as “Course Mentors”. They will serve to help spark up ideas and to inspire students by conveying their experiences and coaching.

 The university looks at this course as the first step for students in direction of creating their start-Ups while they are still in the university.

Tee-Pattanapong Ranurak and Tong-Thanet Jirasawaekdilok, the two founders of the premium spa brand Divana and Dii Group, who are the Course Directors of the course said that the new generation is knowledgeable, fast and intelligent. Therefore, teaching using Knowledge-based learning as a foundation, may not be able to keep up with this change.

“We, therefore, develop courses and offer classes with Project-based learning –Activity-based learning and Team-based learning, with case studies supporting the exchange of learning among them,” they said.

“We will construct a variety of classes, gathering real entrepreneurs to share both their success, failures, and errors to optimize learning from actual experiences in a short period of time in person, including inviting experts in setting up companies to enter the stock market, etc., to meet with students in close proximity, the module will be available for students in Semester One of Freshmen Year, so we will be focusing on building passion and inspiring them as well,” added the course director.

“What we will be lecturing about are experiences, passion and the key is that we will be teaching about failures. This is due to the fact that most classes are based on success. As for education from failures, the number is countable,” explained the Course Director of TU 109.

As for TU 109, it was originated from the idea of Rector ​​Assoc. Prof. Gasinee Witoonchart who wishes to foster entrepreneurship skills in the modern world and would like to nurture at least 1,000 students a year on the path of entrepreneurship.

Assoc. Prof. Gasinee therefore has designed and developed the curriculum together with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pipop Udorn, Vice Rector for Academic Affairs. The curriculum has been finalised into 3 modules, namely TU 109, TU 209 and TU 309, which will be providing classes from Basic to Advanced levels, aiming for students to develop themselves so that they can earn money during their years as students.

88 Sandbox, which is Thammasat’s newest ecosystem will be acting as a platform for potential startups within and outside the university.

Assoc. Prof. Gasinee said that TU 109 was initiated from the analysis of global education trends together with micro behaviour, which is based on students’ behaviour and what they are interested to learn about.

“We aim that prior to students’ graduation, they must have come up with their own business and are able to try testing in crowdfunding. In which, we will be having mentors to join the course and provide close guidance. I am confident that students will obtain a deep-seated experience of innovation and entrepreneurship that is good, virtuous, and will definitely be an important force in a better society,” said Assoc. Prof. Gasinee

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pipop said that TU 109 innovation and entrepreneurial thinking process module is a general education course designed to build entrepreneurs who are ready for the world of tomorrow. The teaching approaches must be framed and be in line with the Sustainable Development Goals and focusing on enhancing life’s essential attributes in accordance with Thammasat University’s principles.

“Students will be having a chance to learn both concepts and skills to foster success for start-up businesses, as well as acquiring hands-on practice, both in terms of crowdfunding, 1-minute pitch preparation, storytelling, business analysis using the Business model canvas, and financial analysis,” explained Assoc. Prof. Dr Pipop

Thammasat University introduces cashless canteen to minimize contact

Posted on by Thammasat University

The Property and Sports Management Office of Thammasat University in collaboration with Bangkok Bank are offering the first cashless canteen services at Thammasat University, Rangsit Center.

Services have begun from June 2021 onward to make everyone’s spending more convenient and easier through fast and safe payment channels. The available payment channels are national e-payment by debit and credit cards, PromptPay or QR code, and  Rabbit cards or Rabbit Line Pay.

In the upcoming days, cashless canteens will be established at every food centre under the care of the Property and Sports Management Office, including at Thewson Dome and the faculties of Engineering Science, Science and Technology, Social Science 1, and Social Science 2 at Thammasat University Tha Phra Chan and Thammasat University Lampang campuses.

Thammasat University partners with THPF for creating social support guidelines for children and families impacted by COVID-19

Posted on by Thammasat University

Thammasat University cooperated with the Office of the Thailand Promotion Foundation (THPF) to develop social support guidelines. They have developed the Psychological-Psychosocial Support Booklet for Children and Families during COVID-19 to use as a tool for working with children in communities and children with family members who are infected with COVID-19.

The THPH plans to expand volunteer social service officer services to primary care units in order to create coverage of service in the dimensions of prevention and continual support at the community level.

Dr Kanitta Buranapansak, Head of Social Services, Thammasat University Hospital, stated that the expansion of results from the project to develop capacity, social care models and empower communities to monitor care and social management for patients, a booklet on social care for COVID-patients in the community and a booklet for social workers on social care for COVID-19 patients will soon be prepared.

 “What everyone found is that there is already stress and anxiety from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, more than that, COVID-19 changed lifestyles. After having COVID-19, patients who return home to be quarantined were concerned about quarantine facilities, fearful of infecting people at home, patients or children. In most problems, more than 50 per cent of the patients were family leaders and the main livelihood earner who had to be dismissed from work, lose income or have difficult livelihoods. There was also fear of separation from loved ones or losing loved ones,” Dr Kanitta said.

“In addition, persons with high health risks such as patients with chronic illnesses, disabilities and children had mental health problems. Currently, there are many cases not accepted by communities back in society, particularly cases living in condominiums who the team has to help care for and create understanding.”

Dr Kajeerat Prak-eko, Director of the Bureau of Health System Development Support, stated that volunteer social service officers will work as mentors to help recovered COVID-19 patients to become volunteers in providing consultation to reduce stigmatization among new patients at Thammasat Field Hospital and patients in the area of Pathumthani.

Thammasat University signs MoU to enhance dentistry services through digital technology

Posted on by Thammasat University

Assoc. Prof. Gasinee Witoonchart, Rector of Thammasat University, Professor (Adjunct) Dame Petchara Techakumpuch, Chairman of the Dental Innovation Foundation under Royal Patronage; and Dr Suwannachai Wattanayingcharoenchai, Director-General of the Department of Health, jointly signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for “Digital for Dentistry” research and development to enhance dentistry services through digital technologies at the Dental Innovation Foundation.

This collaboration is an agreement to engage in joint research and development in Digital for Dentistry to create innovations that will lead to benefits in diagnoses, prevention, monitoring, and treatment of illnesses in the public.

The three agencies will collaborate in research and development in areas concerning the nation’s oral health, and this will occur in the form of shared databases, improvements in education, and support in health service provision through the adoption of digital technology.

It aims to allow the public seeking services across the nation to have extensive and effective access to oral health services and highly competent service providers, including promotion in prevention, diagnoses, treatment, and rehabilitation that occur correctly and precisely through the use of technology.

After trials and tests through research and development, all three agencies will deliver services to the Ministry of Public Health, which is responsible for caring for the country’s entire population, and policy agencies such that they can apply data in analysis to improve their systems.

Thammasat University and SDSN Thailand partner to publish an in-depth look at Thailand’s SDG Index 2021

Posted on by Thammasat University

Following the release of Sustainable Development Report 2021 and the SDG Index 2021 by  Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), SDSN Thailand in collaboration with SDG Move and the Faculty of Economics of Thammasat University created a press release and published preliminary information about the status of Thailand in the SDG Index 2021 to accompany the launching of the aforementioned report.

The key challenges of Thailand as revealed by the SDG Index 2021 continue to be the issues of inequality and justice, natural resources and environment, and good governance, rights and freedoms.

Most of these issues are deteriorating or are still difficult to develop. It is, therefore, likely impossible to continue to steer Thailand toward only a “quick win” in sustainable development. Instead, we have to find a sustainable way to manage the “hard-to-win” problems, and they need to be systematically changed to the foundational level.

The full details can be accessed here.

Thammasat joins with the IHRI to promote interdisciplinary research, learning, and innovations

Posted on by Thammasat University

Thammasat University, led by Assoc. Prof. Gasinee Witoonchart, Rector of Thammasat University, signed a memorandum of understanding for academic collaboration for the development of academia, research and provision of academic services with the Institute of HIV Research and Innovation (IHRI), which is led by Dr. Nittaya Phanuphak, Executive Director of the Institute of HIV Research and Innovation, and Professor Emeritus Dr. Praphan Phanuphak Pungpapong, Senior Advisor of the Institute of HIV Research and Innovation, at Thammasat University, Rangsit Campus.

The ceremony was attended by  Prof. Rapeepan Kumhom, Dean of the Faculty of Social Work, Assoc. Prof. Dr Saifon Su-indramedhi, Dean of the College of Interdisciplinary Studies, and Assoc. Prof. Dr Sasitorn Taptagaporn, Dean of the Faculty of Public Health Sciences.

This collaboration is meant to promote cooperation in the development of knowledge in the form of research and studies and provision of academic and social services among experts, specialists, researchers, academics, and related resources of Thammasat University and the Institute of HIV Research and Innovation, including cooperation in the development of personnel, teaching staff, researchers, academics, and organizations to improve academic service and social service quality standards.

Assoc. Prof. Gasinee Witoonchart, Rector of Thammasat University, said, “The signing of this memorandum of understanding for academic collaboration symbolizes integrative and bilateral cooperation, with support in academic activities provided by a coalition of agencies, namely, the Faculty of Public Health Sciences, the Faculty of Social Work, the College of Interdisciplinary Studies, and the IHRI, which will lead and serve as the centre for research and innovations in HIV prevention.”

“This earnest academic and technological collaboration will help expand academic opportunities on every level for the university and provide learning through a variety of formats with innovations spanning several disciplines to meet current and future social dynamics.”

Dr Nittaya Phanuphak Pungpapong, Executive Director of IHRI, said that the signing of this memorandum of understanding for academic collaboration is an interdisciplinary effort meant to develop academia, research and academic service provision through learning management, research, training, and development of knowledge in public health, and this includes the mutual provision of academic and social services, with many parties, involved pushing and driving the organizations to ensure the success of these activities and bringing about greatest benefits for society.

This academic collaboration with the IHRI is a key future collaboration goal in line with Thammasat University’s strategy to promote, support and develop learning management, research, and training to improve public health knowledge in personnel and students and to provide academic and social services that will lead to the production of academic, research and innovation work achievements.

International Faculty hub established at Chula to attract young global talent in post-COVID era

Posted on by bajinderscii

Chulalongkorn School of Integrated Innovation (ScII) has established a post-COVID International Faculty Hub comprising of promising global scholars who have demonstrated an aptitude for solving novel problems creatively.

The School has already brought on board three international faculty members, one each from North America, Europe, and Asia, and it is actively seeking to induct a second cohort in 2022. Known as “Global Innovator Faculty Towards Early-Career Development (GIFTED) Faculty Scholars” awards, these will be prestigious global appointments that will attract top talent from around the world and bring the most recent knowledge from their respective fields,” says Prof. Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai, Executive Director of ScII.

“Each year, we will welcome top scholars from around the globe, and this facility will benefit Thailand’s emergence as a magnet for innovative technology experts,” said Prof. Worsak.

The GIFTED program also celebrates the second century of Chulalongkorn University, Thailand’s premier and most prestigious university. As Prof. Worsak commented, “It only makes sense that ScII, Chulalongkorn University’s newest faculty, should pilot this program.”

Chulalongkorn is pioneering the concept by combining young, energetic rising stars with local experts with years of experience for the benefit of international students. Eventually, the School will serve as a global hub for incubating startups for economic and societal benefits in the region.

The process of selecting the 2021 GIFTED scholars proved demanding because the pool of candidates showed considerable diversity in their expertise along with excellent academic credentials, Professor Worsak added.

The initial GIFTED Faculty cohort is made up of three scholars: Dr. Yon Jung Choi from South Korea, Dr Lisa Kenney from the United States, and Dr. Christopher Dixon from the United Kingdom. The three appointees were chosen from a pool of over 80 applicants representing 24 countries on all continents.

Following the recruitment of three faculty members in July 2021, the University has now issued a second call for exceptional GIFTED Faculty. Prof. Worsak said, “We need entrepreneurs, technologists, and people who are creative and love the challenges of our disruptive world. Recently minted PhDs who are creative problem solvers are the best candidates.”

GIFTED will be announced each year and will be specifically designed to attract the most talented and ambitious students whose academic track record demonstrates the potential to have a significant impact on today’s world.

Dr. Yon Jung Choi, who comes to ScII after a stint as a policy fellow at the Center for Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy at George Mason University, describes innovation as a “powerful tool to bring forth genuine changes in society by challenging pre-developed perceptions and boundaries.”

Excited at the GIFTED Scholar Award, she adds: “My passion is to invigorate students to achieve skills, knowledge, and mindsets to become innovators across fields in business, government, and civil society.” Her recent publications include topics in ethics in Big Data and Artificial Intelligence, collaborative governance for pandemic management, and social innovation for community development.

“I am eager to see Thailand succeed as a leader in innovation,” remarked Dr. Lisa Kenney, who was earlier a Fulbright Fellow at Chulalongkorn University and has also served as a Smart Mobility Advisor with the Greater Buffalo Niagara Region Transportation Council. “I am excited by the opportunity to train the next generation and help make Chulalongkorn University a global leader in innovation education and applied research,” she added.

“The GIFTED program aligns with my approach to teaching, which is to provide students with real-world experience and theoretical foundations through a transdisciplinary lens because modern challenges do not exist in silos, nor do their solutions.”

Dr. Christopher Dixon, who studied Chemical Engineering in the UK, found his calling in process simulation, optimization, and machine learning. “I am excited to work at ScII on new and exciting projects and train the next generation to develop innovative ideas that will make an impact globally,” Chris said.

The theme for this year’s call is “Digital Economy, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and Health and Wellbeing Innovation.” The 2022 cohort of GIFTED Faculty Members will receive a one-time grant of 1 million baht.

ScII’s professor ranked top scientist in Thailand in Entrepreneurship, and Business Management

Posted on by bajinderscii

One of the faculty members of Chulalongkorn School of Integrated Innovation (ScII), the youngest School in Chulalongkorn University, Professor Agachai Sumalee has been ranked the top scientist in Thailand in two fields — Entrepreneurship, and Business and Management, according to the Alpher-Doger Scientific Index 2021 released in August 2021.

Besides being at the top in two fields, Prof Agachai, who specializes in Smart City Design, Intelligence Transport Systems, and Operations Research, is also ranked among the top 10 faculty members at Chulalongkorn and the top 50 in Thailand in overall rankings.

With over 5900 citations, an H-index of 44, and an i-10 index of 92, Professor Agachai’s work is widely recognised and acknowledged for its innovation and entrepreneurship. “It is heartening to receive such recognition from my research.

The real value of research is its positive impact on our life and society,” Professor Agachai said. This is SCII’s and my main mission — to ensure that our research and innovations contribute to the achievement of SDG goals for both Chulalongkorn University and our society, he added.

The AD Scientific Index or the Alper-Doger Scientific Index is a ranking and analysis system based on the scientific performance and the added value of the scientific productivity of individual scientists. It uses the total and the last five-year productivity coefficients of scientists based on the h-index and i10 index scores and citations in Google Scholar. It positions itself as both academic ranking and analysis results.

Chulalongkorn University develops Thai Speech Emotion Recognition Data Sets and Models

Posted on by Chulalongkorn University

Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Arts have jointly developed the “Thai Speech Emotion Recognition Data Sets and Models”, now available for free downloads,  to help enhance sales operations and service systems to better respond to customers’ needs.

Thai Speech Emotion Recognition Model, a cutting-edge AI by Chula faculty members, currently available to the public to download, is interdisciplinary research between Dr Ekapol Chuangsuwanich, a computer engineering scholar from the Faculty of Engineering,  along with Asst. Prof. Dangkamol Na-pombejra and Patsupang Kongbumrung, two dramatic arts experts from the Faculty of Arts.

“Speech Emotion Recognition AI involves so many applications, e.g., a call centre system can assess the mood of customers who call for service if they are angry or irritable and record their feelings from the tone of voice throughout the conversation as statistics of dissatisfied customers.  An AI that can express more natural emotions while communicating with users can also be created to replace the monotonous, robotic voice that we are familiar with,” Dr. Ekapol explained the goals of the project that is a collaboration with Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC) and funded by Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa), and Advanced Info Service, Public Co., Ltd. (AIS).

A library of emotionally diverse voices from performers

Before models of emotional classifications can be established, an audio library is first required. This is where dramatic arts comes in to help create a Thai Speech Emotion Data Set.

Two hundred performers, both male and female performed speech patterns of five emotions: anger, sadness, frustration, happiness, and standard tones. Each performer recorded the speeches in all five emotions, both in a monologue and interactively as a dialogue.

“Usable voices have to be those that express the real emotions that occur in our daily lives, and not overacting ones.  Therefore, a team of directors had to be present to help guide the actors to deliver realistic voices according to the moods,” said Asst. Prof. Dangkamol.

“Moreover, when it’s time to change the sound to convey another emotion, though some actors may still linger on the same mood, the team of directors would coach them to induce new emotions until the actors convey them in the most realistic manner.”

After completing the recording, sound patterns of all five types of emotions were created from the audio data sets and later developed into emotion-classifying models, which according to Dr. Ekapol, the computer engineering scholar, are up to 60-70% accurate.

“We perceive a speaker’s mood by observing the composition of the speech: tone, volume, cadence, whimpers, laughter.  AI works almost similar to the way we sense emotions,” Dr. Ekapol explained.

“AI is tasked with classifying the input speech and matching it with corresponding types of emotions by comparing the input against baseline voices.  Once the AI learns from the input, it will be able to detect the patterns, like the mournful voice would be slightly softer than normal; the happy sound would be mixed with laughter; while the angry voice would be louder than usual.”

Dr. Ekapol pointed out the opportunities to use the Speech Emotion Recognition Models in many types of work according to the users’ imagination as to what they want out of the mood analysis.

“Usage is not limited to only computer workers.  You need to look at what users want to use the emotional assessment for.  For example, it can be used in call centers to assess upset customers, and analyze the subjects about which customers are most upset, and what they talk about.  It can also be developed into avatars or AI robots with facial expressions and moving lips and can respond to users.”

Lecturer Dr. Ekapol also added that speech-based emotion-classifying AI is also useful in various hotline operations, especially the mental health hotlines.

“In the future, we plan to develop it to be applicable in mental health hotlines with depression patients so that the robots can respond emotionally to humans.”

Future models to increase diversity in both sounds and moods

Certainly, the five emotions in the database are not large and varied enough to gauge all of the human feelings. Each gender and age group also expresses the same emotion in a different way which poses a new challenge for the researchers.  They are poised to work on improving the effectiveness of the system and accuracy of emotion detection as well as expanding the models to cover people of all ages.

“We have plans to improve the current models’ efficiency and expand the coverage to more sections of people.  Because most recording actors were students and working-age people, the model may not perform well when pitched against the voices of children and the elderly.  Also, since the recordings were done in the studio, the models may not work as well if the input voices have too much ambient noise,”  Dr. EkaPol said.