On 29 November – 2 December 2023, MFU Executives including Assoc. Prof. Dr.Darunee Vattanasiriweach, Vice President; Dr.Nichan Singhaputargun, Acting Head of the Global Relations Division; and Dr.Phitsanuruk Kanthawee, lecturer in Public Health programme of the School of Health Science were invited by Mr. Nawabzada Mir Jamal Khan Raisani, Minister for Sports, Youth Affairs & Culture of Balochistan to attend the 1st Quetta Youth Festival in Balochistan, Pakistan.
Mr. Narut Soontarodom, Consul General of Thailand in Karachi; Mr. Nawabzada Mir Jamal Khan Raisani, Minister for Sports, Youth Affairs and Culture of Balochistan; and MFU executives paid a courtesy call on Mr. Malik Abdul Wali Kakar, Governor of Balochistan; and Mr. Mir Ali Mardan Khan Domki, Chief Minister of Balochistan on 30 November 2023. Both sides discussed ways to strengthen Thai-Balochistan and Pakistan relations through the existing bilateral cooperation framework especially in areas of trade and education.
Moreover, Mae Fah Luang University and the Ministry for Sports, Youth Affairs and Culture of Balochistan agreed to offer four full scholarships for Pakistani students to study postgraduate programmes at MFU. The Ministry and MFU are also planning to organise a training for Balochistan province in collaboration with the Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA) and the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Karachi.
In addition, the delegation of Mae Fah Luang University not only visited the City School Quetta Campus A Level to promote MFU study programmes for international students, but also visited University of Balochistan, University of Sardar Bahadur Khan Women’s University, and Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences to discuss the possibilities of academic cooperation in terms of student mobility, visiting scholar programme, scholarship, and joint research or joint online lectures in the fields of social sciences; social innovation; peace and conflict studies; science; gender studies; energy planning; and water management.
During a participation in the 1st Quetta Youth Festival, Assoc. Prof. Dr.Darunee Vattanasiriweach, MFU Vice President shared her perspectives in a panel on Thailand & Pakistan Education while Dr.Nichan Singhaputargun, Acting Head of the Global Relations Division shared his insights in a panel on Peace & Conflict Studies. The university also set up the MFU Corner to display the university’s facts and figures and informationon study programmes, research and achievements.
Altogether, this visit is an invaluable opportunity for MFU to develop academic, research and training collaboration with educational institution and government organisations in Balochistan. The future cooperation will indeed contribute to the people’s well-being and the mutual development of both Thailand and Pakistan.
