Collaboration Meeting with Delegates from Chulalongkorn University, Thailand

On July 10, 2024, a delegation of 29 representatives from the School of Pharmacy, Chulalongkorn University, led by Dean Prof. Pornanong Aramwit, who is also the Acting Vice President for Research and Innovation, visited the School of Pharmacy at Monash University Malaysia. The delegation included several esteemed faculty members such as Associate Prof. Jittima Amie Luckanagul, Vice Dean of Global Engagement, and other key administrators and professors.

Dr. Mark Cheong, Deputy Head of Education, School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia.

Professor Pornanong Aramwit, Dean of Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Acting Vice President for Research and Innovation of Chulalongkorn University, Thailand.

The visit commenced at 9:00 AM with the delegates arriving at the Monash campus, where they were greeted by Prof. Paul Ho and Associate Prof. Celine Liew. The formal proceedings began with a welcome speech by Dr. Mark Cheong, Acting Head of the School and Deputy Head of Education at Monash. This was followed by an introduction to the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Chulalongkorn University by Dean Prof. Pornanong Aramwit and Associate Prof. Jittima Amie Luckanagul.

Delegates from Chulalongkorn University, Thailand.

The morning session focused on educational collaboration opportunities. Dr. Athirah Bakhtiar, and Assoc. Prof. Celine Liew presented the various programs offered at Monash, including the Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours), Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Science, and Master of Pharmaceutical Science. Innovations in teaching, such as the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) and MyDispense, were showcased by Dr. Yeap Li Ling and Dr. Leong Siew Lian, respectively. An open discussion on student transfers, internships, and educational innovations followed, highlighting potential areas for collaboration.

After a lunch break, the afternoon session focused on research collaboration. Associate Dean Prof. Pithi Chanvorachote presented the research activities at Chulalongkorn's Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Monash's research strengths across various disciplines, including pharmacy practice, pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmaceutics and pharmaceutical technology, and medical biosciences, were then outlined by Dr. Saw Pui San, Assoc. Prof. Mahendran Sekar, Prof. Paul Ho, and Assoc. Prof. Ng Khuen Yen. This led to an open discussion on research exchange, co-grant applications, expertise mapping, and industrial opportunities.

The visit concluded with a gift exchange, photo session, and a networking tea break, reinforcing the potential for future collaboration in both education and research between the two institutions.