22 October 1998

First Thai engineering fellows arrive for AusAID project

The University of Queensland is hosting its first fellows under an AusAID program to help Thai universities overcome perceived personnel shortfalls in science and engineering.

The University will host 11 Thai academics from six universities over the next 12 months for the Thailand-Australian Science and Engineering Assistance Project (TASEAP).

Thai institutions involved are Chulalongkorn University, Ubonratchathani University, Srinakarinwirot University, Mahidol University, Khon Kaen University and King Mongkut Institute of Technology at Ladkrabang.

One TASEAP priority area is materials processing and manfacturing in which the University of Queensland is a national leader. The Department has a strong manufacturing and materials engineering course, and hosts the Co-operative Research Centre for Alloy and Solidification Technology (CAST).

Associate Professor Andrejs Atrens was approached to co-ordinate the program. He will spend five months in Thailand next year assisting on curriculum issues and research areas.

Dr Atrens said the AusAID project had three components including his continuing involvement; the fellowship scheme; and visits by Australian University specialists to Thai institutions.

This month Associate Professor Rowan Truss of the University of Queensland's Mining, Minerals and Materials Engineering Department will conduct polymer workshops in Thailand.

University academics will also hold workshops in Thailand on manufacturing and solidification (Professor Pra Murthy and Professor David St John of the University of Queensland ) and bioceramics (Dr Karlis Gross of Monash University).

The first three Thai engineering academics arrived at the University of Queensland in October for two months - Dr Sawai Danchaivijit of Chulalongkorn University, Kittima Sillapasa of Ubonratchathani University and Phongphen Palitnonkeat of Srinakarinwirot University.

Dr Danchaivijit and Mrs Palitnonkeat are revising and renewing curricula in their respective University departments. Dr Danchaivijit's task is to change his departmental curriculum from metallurgical engineering to materials engineering, and during his two months in Australia he hopes to work out a general framework.

His University has an annual engineering student intake of 700 undergraduate students, compared with the University of Queensland's annual intake of 450 engineering students.

"Our department is going through the same curriculum development process so there are many people here for Dr Danchaivijit and Mrs Palitnonkeat to consult," Dr Atrens said.

Ms Sillapasa is undertaking a research project on magnesium corrosion, to gain experience in using new technologies.

Dr Atrens said he expected the project to lead to long-term collaborations for both the University of Queensland and its Thai partners.

"We are building friendships and continuing links in curriculum development and research in areas such as solidification and polymers," he said.

Dr Sawai Danchaivijit said Thailand had a large automobile parts industry, with many international manufacturers such as BMW, Mercedes, Ford, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo assembling vehicles in his country. Thailand also has steel mini-mills and blast furnaces, and the country's gold metallurgy, petrochemical and polymer industries were strong.

Dr Atrens said the project would assist Thai universities to further prepare their engineering graduates for 21st century industries.

For further information, contact Dr Atrens, telephone 07 3365 3738.