A Kyoto University – Mahidol University On-site Laboratory Mini-workshop was held at Mahidol University (Main venue: Salaya Campus) on September 15 and 16, 2025.
Kyoto University collaborates with overseas universities and research institutions to establish locally operated laboratories (On-site Laboratories). The Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies (GSGES) has participated in the On-site Laboratory program with Mahidol University since 2018.
This mini-workshop was a separate initiative from the annual workshop, primarily aimed at jointly proposing new collaborative research projects (mainly concerning sustainable water and waste management systems for peri-urban areas using energy-saving and low-maintenance decentralized technologies). Approximately 60 researchers and students participated from Kyoto University and Mahidol University. A notable feature was the higher number of onsite Japanese participants (22) compared to the regular workshop, made possible by support from the university headquarters.
The workshop opened with a welcome address by Prof. Thanapat Wanichanon, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Mahidol University. This was followed by an explanation of the mini-workshop’s purpose by Prof. Shinya Echigo of GSGES. In the second half of the morning session, researchers from Mahidol University presented on Thailand’s challenges related to the above issues in four research areas: (1) Environmental Engineering, (2) Agriculture and Ecosystems, (3) Public Health, and (4) Chemical Engineering. This was followed by a plenary discussion on how to consolidate these into a project.
In the afternoon, each subcommittee held more detailed discussions (the Public Health session was held on the afternoon of the 16th at Phayathai Campus). This provided an opportunity not only to address issues tackled by the entire On-site Laboratory but also to initiate various collaborative research projects.
This mini-workshop enabled young researchers, including students, from Kyoto University to visit Mahidol University and gain an understanding of the local situation. Furthermore, several new project proposals are now being advanced, making this a highly productive workshop in many aspects.
Plenary session
Parallel session (Public health)