On Friday 20 and Saturday 21 February 2026, the Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies (GSGES) hosted the 9th Kyoto University – Mahidol University On-site Laboratory Workshop in Thailand in a hybrid format.
Kyoto University launched the On-site Laboratory initiative in September 2018 as part of its strategy under the Designated National University (DNU) program of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). During the same year, in collaboration with Mahidol University’s Faculty of Engineering, GSGES established the Kyoto University On-site Laboratory at Mahidol University for Educational and Research Collaboration in Environmental Studies.
The workshop on 20-21 February attracted a total of 140 participants, mainly from Kyoto University and Mahidol University, with 69 attending in person at Mahidol University’s Salaya, Kanchanaburi, and Phayathai campuses and 71 joining online.
The main program consisted of four parallel sessions held over two days: (1) Environmental Engineering, (2) Agriculture & Ecosystems, (3) Public Health, and (4) Chemical Engineering. In each of these sessions, researchers from both universities exchanged information on recent research findings and progress within their educational and research activities.
The second day featured a plenary session, which opened with greetings from Professor Yasuyuki Kono, Kyoto University’s vice-president for international strategy, Professor Izuru Saizen, vice dean of GSGES, and Assistant Professor Pattaraporn Posoknistakul, deputy dean of Mahidol University’s Faculty of Engineering. These were followed by a commemorative photograph. Reports from the coordinators of the four parallel sessions then facilitated cross-disciplinary information sharing and discussion. In addition, active discussions were held on new areas of collaboration in education and research, including the expansion of double degree programs.
Finally, the workshop concluded with closing remarks from the Mahidol University Faculty of Engineering’s Deputy Dean Posoknistakul and GSGES’ Dean Chihiro Tanaka.
As in the previous year, the workshop served as a valuable opportunity for the exchange of information on joint research and educational activities between the two universities. It also facilitated discussions on potential future collaborations, making it a highly productive occasion.
