The Ministry of Science and Technology of Thailand and the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) recently agreed to advance research collaborations in food innovation and smart and efficient farming.
On 10 December 2018, Dr. Soranit Siltharm, Permanent Secretary of Science and Technology of Thailand and Mr. Iain Stewart, President of NRC signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote scientific collaboration between the two countries in a ceremony presided over by Dr. Kanyawim Kirtikara, Vice Minister for Science and Technology of Thailand. As one of key pillars of Thailand 4.0 is to make Thailand a food innovation hub through engagement in agriculture and biotechnology research, this partnership therefore will facilitate connections and business opportunities for companies in Thailand’s Food Innopolis and Cannada’s Protein Industries Supercluster, as well as expand the tie to other countries in ASEAN.
Following the official signing, NRC hosted the Women in Engineering and Science in Thailand Symposium. From 1996 to 2004, NRC hosted 21 Thai women in its laboratories under Women in Engineering and Science (WES) program. Former participants were invited to speak at the symposium to share their career highlights and the positive impact the program had on their careers. These WES participants have built decades-long careers in both Thailand and Canada, and several are now working in research agencies and universities in Thailand.
NSTDA representatives participating in this event included Dr. Thitapha Smitinont, NSTDA Executive Vice President, Dr. Nuttaporn Pimpha, NANOTEC Research Unit Director and Dr. Cattarin Theerawitaya, BIOTEC Researcher and former WES fellow.