» KKU organizes the symposium on “Global Food Safety: Production, Health and Market” (1780 Views)

On October 5-6, 2017, the symposium on “Global Food Safety: Production, Health and Market” was opened by Prof. Dr. Supachai Pathumnakul, Vice President for Research and Technology Transfer, followed by opening remarks from Dr. Sam Pardue, Dean, College of Agricultural and Environmental Science, University of Georgia (UGA) and Dr. Watcharas Leelawath, Executive Director of Mekong Institute (MI), and together with KKU administrators and representatives welcomed the guest speakers, delegates and participants joining the symposium. Dr. Pathumnakul expressed that all the participants will gain substantial benefit from this comprehensive two-day symposium that will provide them with best applicable knowledge and ideas for implementation in the future.

This symposium was co-organized in collaboration between Khon Kaen University (KKU), University of Georgia (UGA), and the International Relations Division, Khon Kaen University. Before the start of the first morning session, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Monchai Duangjinda, Dean, Faculty of Agriculture and Prof. Dr. Amrit Bart, Asst. Dean and Director, Office of Global Programs, UGA appraised the audience with a talk on “Achievements from the past to Future Work Cooperation: Challenges for Change”.

The objective of the symposium was to strengthen academic and research collaborations and to be an international platform for exchanging ideas and experiences to meet new challenges in Food Safety among all related stakeholders including universities, governments and private sectors. This two-day international conference will offer the enlightenment on current Food Safety concerns and trends in Thailand, the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) and Global. Meanwhile, KKU actively commits towards achieving the world class research university status along with innovating the academic world by supporting and co-organizing such invigorating interactive symposiums. In addition, UGA and KKU would jointly promote and support staff and student exchanges and collaborative research.

Moreover, on the last day of the symposium, Dr. Sam Pardue also had a meeting with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kittichai Triratanasirichai, President of Khon Kaen University and KKU administrators at the end of the symposium to summarize the outcomes of event. In addition, Prof. Sam Pardue along with all the five Professors from UGA discussed several ideas regarding Food Safety issues that had been raised during wrap up session at the symposium by participants from Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Bangladesh & expertise from UGA. These ideas would greatly contribute to the development of research proposals among the related parties to jointly conduct research by finding appropriate supporting grants from external organization especially, USAID, in the near future. They also discussed the possibilities to co-organize a symposium again on Global Food Safety next year in cooperation with the Faculty of Medicine, the Faculty of Technology, and the Faculty of Agriculture and also set up a research centre for food safety. Organising a workshop on academic honesty was also discussed at the meeting which will be co-organized by UGA and the Faculty of Medicine, KKU in the near future.

This symposium was the culmination of the joint collaboration between KKU and UGA to facilitate pathways of engagements in cooperative educational services and research activities for mutual benefit of both institutions and the regional communities in Thailand, specially the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). University of Georgia (UGA) is having a well-known internationally for its active food safety centre under the College of Agriculture & Environmental Sciences.

Co-written by Gurdeep Singh and Wadinlada Thuratham

Additional contribution by: Saowanee Namthachan

Photo by Sakhin Khaochaimaha

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