Many universities around the globe have partnerships with other universities and many seek global partnerships. In order to evaluate their chances of cooperation with Dutch universities, a delegation of Thailand’s Chiang Mai University paid a visit to the EUR on 8 September.
The EUR is seeking new research partnerships, especially in Asia, and was therefore happy to receive the Thai delegation, lead by Chiang Mai University’s president prof. dr. Pongsak. The Thai were formally welcomed by the EUR’s Rector Magnificus, prof. dr. H.G. Schmidt and delegates of the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) and Erasmus MC. The latter was included in the visit as well.
Cooperation between both universities is most likely to start in the fields of economics and medical science. During a lunch in the Faculty Club, the dean of ESE, prof. P.B.H.F. Franses said a review and comparison of both economics faculties’ study programmes should take place. He hoped for Thai PhD students coming to Rotterdam.
The meeting was instigated by Nuffic, the Dutch organisation for cooperation in higher education, who also sent a representative. The EUR was not the only university the Thai visited during their four-day stay in Holland. Delft University had already been visited and Wageningen and Eindhoven were the next ports of call.
Besides their president, the Thai delegation consisted of the deans of four of their faculties: Economics, Medical Science, Agricultural Science and Engineering. Chiang Mai is Thailand’s second largest city and lies in the north of the country. KL
