| 129 Views 1 June 2026 |
On June 1, 2026, local time in the U.S., the administrative delegation from the Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University (MUPY), led by Assoc. Prof. Surakit Nathisuwan (Dean), officially visited the Retzky College of Pharmacy at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), USA. The delegation also included Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sitaporn Youngkong (Deputy Dean for Global Partnerships and Corporate Communication), Assoc. Prof. Thanarat Suansanae (Deputy Dean for Education), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Brompoj Prutthiwanasan (Deputy Dean for Graduate Studies and Information Technology), and Asst. Prof. Jennis Meanwatthana (Deputy Dean for the Doctor of Pharmacy Program (International Program)). The MUPY delegates were warmly welcomed by Professor Glen T. Schumock, Dean of the Retzky College of Pharmacy , alongside Professor Alan Lau, Director of International Clinical Pharmacy Education , who delivered the opening remarks and provided a comprehensive overview of the college’s premier departments and academic programs.
The primary objective of this institutional visit was to exchange insights on global pharmacy curriculum innovations, experiential education, and advanced instructional technologies. The morning session featured a series of academic presentations by UIC’s key executives, including Assoc. Prof. Kristen Goliak on curriculum innovations and Dr. Sheila M. Allen on experiential education and skills teaching. A significant highlight was the panel on Consortium and ASEAN perspectives, featuring distinguished insights from Prof. Dr. Sumon Sakolchai, President of Burapha University Council, and Assoc. Prof. Surakit Nathisuwan. In the afternoon, the MUPY delegation toured the college’s state-of-the-art facilities , exploring the Patient Care Skills Lab, OSCE-based proficiency evaluation systems, and the MyDispense pharmacy simulation framework. The visit concluded with parallel interest tracks covering advanced Clinical Practice (such as Telehealth, Pediatrics, and Emergency Medicine) , Pharmaceutical Sciences Drug Discovery at the UICentre , and Pharmacy Systems, Outcomes, and Policy (PSOP).
This strategic visit successfully enhanced academic collaboration and paved the way for future collaborative research and student-faculty exchange opportunities, directly benefiting MUPY’s International Doctor of Pharmacy program. Structurally, this initiative strongly aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically contributing to SDG 4: Quality Education by adopting international pedagogical innovations and technologies to upgrade institutional learning, and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals by fostering robust, cross-continental academic networks dedicated to advancing global healthcare education and pharmaceutical sciences.
