| 101 Views 3 June 2026 |
From June 3 to 5, 2026, local time in the U.S., a distinguished administrative delegation from the Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University (MUPY), led by Assoc. Prof. Surakit Nathisuwan (Dean), officially participated in the 2026 US-Thai/US-ASEAN Pharmacy Consortia Meeting. The prestigious international conference, themed "Global Collaboration in Pharmacy Education, Practice, and Research," was successfully hosted by the College of Pharmacy, University of Iowa, USA. The MUPY delegation—which 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))—was warmly received by Dr. Jill Kolesar, Dean of the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy, and Mr. Lee Vermuelen, Executive Vice President and CEO of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP). Notably, during the opening general assembly, Assoc. Prof. Surakit Nathisuwan and Asst. Prof. Jennis Meanwatthana represented MUPY on the global stage, extending formal greetings on behalf of the Consortia Board of Directors alongside Prof. Dr. Pornsak Sriamornsak, the President of the Council of Pharmacy Deans of Thailand (CPDT).
Throughout the three-day scientific conference, MUPY representatives actively engaged in high-level intellectual exchanges, policy-making, and research dissemination. On June 3, 2026, Assoc. Prof. Surakit Nathisuwan participated as a key speaker in Plenary Session III, discussing "Models for International Research Collaborations," while Asst. Prof. Jennis Meanwatthana successfully moderated Concurrent Session I regarding competency-driven pharmacy education before attending the exclusive US-Thai and US-ASEAN Board and Deans Meeting. On June 4, 2026, MUPY’s academic prowess was further showcased as Dr. Amaraporn Wongrakpanich co-presented a session on "New Drug Delivery Systems for Thai Herbal Medicine," and Asst. Prof. Jennis Meanwatthana served as a plenary speaker addressing global pharmacy training models. The MUPY delegates also actively participated in the extensive Poster Session, which spanned core research areas including Pharmaceutical Sciences, Experimental Therapeutics, and Social and Administrative Pharmacy, before concluding their mission at the official closing ceremony on June 5.
Rooted in a historic partnership established in May 1994 to elevate pharmaceutical sciences and clinical education, the Consortium has expanded to comprise 18 Thai and 16 US schools of pharmacy. The successful completion of this institutional visit marks a significant milestone in MUPY’s internationalization strategy, cementing robust collaborative ties with elite academic institutions in both the United States and the ASEAN region. This engagement yields invaluable benefits, including future opportunities for joint research initiatives, faculty-student mobility, and pedagogical enhancement.
Strategically, the outcomes of this event align directly with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It contributes substantially to SDG 4: Quality Education by adopting state-of-the-art curriculum models and analyzing artificial intelligence applications in clinical training; SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being by driving global innovations in patient care and pharmaceutical delivery; and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals by maintaining and strengthening multi-stakeholder international networks to advance healthcare standards worldwide.
