On 24 February 2022, the President of Mae Fah Luang University, Assoc. Prof. Dr.Chayaporn Wattanasiri and MFU executives warmly welcomed the delegates from Thailand International Cooperation Agency led by the Director-General, Mrs. Ureerat Chareontoh. The purposes of this visit were to strengthen relations and discuss further academic cooperation for scholarships under the Thailand International Postgraduate Programme (TIPP) and the Annual International Training Courses (AITC) 2023 – 2025.
During the meeting, TICA discussed scholarships provision and academic cooperation in the areas complying with the government’s policies such as Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) Economy Model, climate change, SDGs and practical applications of research findings with the Deans of the School of Agro-Industry, the School of Science, the School of Cosmetic Science, the School of Health Science, the School of Nursing and the School of Social Innovation.
Moreover, TICA and MFU discussed possible collaboration in medicinal plants between Thailand and Peru under the Alternative Development project of TICA and Peruvian Agency for International Cooperation (APCI). Then, the delegates from TICA visited the Medicinal Plant Innovation Center of Mae Fah Luang University and the MFU Herbal Medicine Laboratory.
Since 2008, MFU has continuous cooperation with TICA in providing scholarships for international students to study at MFU. In academic year 2020 – 2022, there are 35 TIPP scholarship recipients from Antigua and Barbuda, Bhutan, Botswana, the Gambia, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Somalia, Swaziland, Timor-Leste, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia who are studying Master of Public Health Programme in Border Health Management, Master of Science Programme in Postharvest Technology and Innovation, Master of Arts Programme in International Development and Master of Science Programme in Innovation Food Science and Technology at MFU.
Additionally, MFU successfully held three Annual International Training Courses; R&D in Postharvest and Processing Technology for Food Security (2017); Sufficiency Economy – From Theory and Practices to Standardization (2017); and R&D in Postharvest and Processing Technology for Food Security (2019). MFU and TICA also plan to organise the online Annual International Training Course of ‘Advanced in Beuaty Technology: Thai Spa and Aesthetic Products’.