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Between May 25 and June 3, 2025, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mullika Chomnawang, Deputy Dean for Innovation Management and Business Relations, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Krit Thirapanmethee, Chair of the Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University (MUPY), undertook an official visit to Sydney, Australia. This academic mission was part of a strategic initiative to foster internationalization through academic mobility and institutional partnerships, financially supported by Mahidol University's Scholarships for Academic and Supporting Staff Mobility, Fiscal Year 2025.
The MUPY delegation engaged in a series of academic meetings and research collaboration discussions with two esteemed institutions: (1) the School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, and (2) the Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney (UTS).
At UTS’s Faculty of Science, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chomnawang and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thirapanmethee met with senior academic leaders, including Distinguished Prof. Dr. Alaina J. Ammit (Associate Dean, Research), Prof. Angela Dawson (Associate Dean, Research, Graduate School of Health), and Prof. Kylie Williams (Head, Discipline of Pharmacy, Graduate School of Health). The dialogue focused on shared interests in pharmacy education and academic programmes and laid the foundation for future student exchange opportunities at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The discussions signaled the commencement of a promising academic partnership between MUPY and UTS.
At Macquarie University’s School of Natural Sciences, the delegates held fruitful discussions focused on initiating a collaborative research project on bacteriophages targeting multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, particularly Acinetobacter baumannii. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thirapanmethee engaged with Dr. Paul Jaschke, Senior Lecturer in Synthetic Biology and Associate Investigator at the ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology. The collaboration centers on the isolation and characterization of bacteriophages using environmental and clinical samples, application of molecular tools such as whole genome sequencing, and the study of phage efficacy against bacterial biofilms. Both institutions affirmed their commitment to further this research through joint academic seminars and collaborative workshops.
The visit also focused on enhancing postgraduate education through proposed cotutelle and joint/co-supervision Ph.D. programs. These initiatives aim to foster international academic mentorship, promote interdisciplinary research, and enrich student experiences through co-organized seminars and research symposia. Key themes discussed included antimicrobial resistance and bacteriophage therapy.
Beyond formal meetings, the delegation participated in a seminar class with undergraduate students at Macquarie University, where they shared academic insights and engaged in intercultural dialogue. The visit also included research exchanges with Assoc. Prof. Amy Cain and Dr. Mehrad Hamidian, whose work centers on antimicrobial resistance genomics and mobile genetic elements, respectively. These engagements not only expanded MUPY’s international research network but also laid the groundwork for future scientific collaboration.
