Opening Ceremony of KU-KU Exchange Program 2024

          On 3^rd September 2024, in Meeting Room 201, 2nd floor of Vajiranusorn Building, Faculty of Agriculture, Kasetsart University, Bangkhen Campus, the IAD held the opening ceremony for the KU-KU Exchange Program 2024. From 3-14 September 2024, the program is a two-week cross-cultural exchange and study tour between Kasetsart University and Kyoto University. It provides participating students, lecturers, and staff from Kyoto University with academic knowledge in agriculture, fisheries, forestry, agro-industry, economics, environment, and other related fields at KU and through field trips.

          At the opening ceremony, Prof. Dr. Dokrak Marod, Vice President for Research and Internationalization, together with the KU executives and faculty members including Asst. Prof. Dr. Weerachai Matthayatthaworn, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, Faculty of Agriculture; Asst. Prof. Dr. Chayun Piponlabanun, Deputy Dean for Academic Affairs and International Affairs, Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics; Dr. Warapon Bunkoed, Researcher from the National Corn and Sorghum Research Center (Suwan Farm), Faculty of Agriculture; and IAD representatives, warmly welcomed the delegation from Kyoto University and Kyoto University ASEAN Center. The delegation included 14 Chinese and Japanese students from various faculties such as Law, Engineering, Agriculture, Pharmacy, Science, and Integrated Human Studies, as well as 2 lecturers: Prof. Higuchi Hirokazu and Prof. Kamitakahara Hiroshi.

          After Prof. Dr. Dokrak Marod provided the opening remarks, Prof. Higuchi Hirokazu explained the details of the program to prepare participants for their trip to Chiang Mai in the afternoon and Chanthaburi towards the end of the program. Prof. Higuchi Hirokazu mentioned that the locations for the excursions have been adjusted from the previous year, as most of the students expressed interest in studying the coastal areas of Thailand. As a result, Chanthaburi, a province on the eastern coast of Thailand known for its tropical fruits, was added to the itinerary.

          After all participants in the opening ceremony took a group photo, a special lecture on the topic “Paddy Fields in Thailand and Rice Activities” was given by Asst. Prof. Dr. Weerachai Matthayatthaworn, an expert in agronomy. Following the lecture, the participants visited the rice farm of the Faculty of Agriculture and then had lunch together. Additionally, the closing ceremony of the program will be held on 13th September 2024, at Thira Sutabutra Auditorium, 2nd floor, the Kasetsart Golden Jubilee Administration and Information Center Building, Kasetsart University, Bangkhen Campus.