Newswise — On Monday, January 9, 2023, at Meeting Room 2, 2nd Floor, Jaiyossompati Building 2, the Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy, Chulalongkorn University Assoc. Prof. Dr. Wilert Puriwat, Dean of Chulalongkorn Business School, and Prof. Dr. Apichat Asavamongkolkul, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, signed an agreement for an academic collaboration between Chulalongkorn Business School and the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, to enhance excellence in academics and management.

According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Wilert Puriwat, Dean of Chulalongkorn Business School, a combination of business know-hows and the knowledge in medicine and public health have become exceptionally significant in today’s society. A collaboration between CBS and the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, is an interdisciplinary integration between two institutions that will empower students with knowledge and experience, with the goal of creating future leaders. What will be achieved in the first stage includes business and marketing projects to develop the knowledge from the two schools, a return of knowledge to the public and society, and seminars on public health management organized for both institutions as well as the community at large.            

Prof. Dr. Apichat Asavamongkolkul, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, explained that one goal is to apply the potential of the two schools to the management of hospitals by integrating both sciences. This will encourage faculty members to create new knowledge on taking care of patients and to conduct research, resulting in more value to students and Thai society. He added that this cooperation will yield more projects in the future.              

Assoc. Prof. Prapat  Wanitpongpan, Deputy Dean for Corporate Communication and International Relations, said that as the first medical institution in Thailand, the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital is second to none in terms of medical insights and houses numerous medical experts, ready to produce quality doctors for society. At the same time, however, input from CBS is much valued to assist in the administration and management. This collaboration is a good opportunity to develop the faculty’s operations to achieve medical standards and sustainable management.

AsstProf. Dr. Ake Pattaratanakun, Head of Marketing Department, Chulalongkorn Business School, views the development of students as the core of this collaboration. CBS and Mahidol University’s Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital will focus on 4 areas of collaboration, namely 1. student development through activities organized for fourth-year marketing students to research and device strategies for the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital and mutual learning between students of both institutions; 2. lecture exchanges; 3. interdisciplinary research; and 4. joint curriculum development for the bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the future. This collaboration is an important move in the effort to revolutionize Thailand’s tertiary level education.