As a relatively new university, UBU is in the process of establishing itself as an institution involved in and promoting fields of research that are beneficial to the local area, the north-east region, the country and the international community. Categories (adapted from the NISS Directory of Networked Resources) of research include Agricultural Science, Engineering, Health Science, Humanities, and Social Sciences.
Further details may be obtained from research@ubu.ac.th
See Research Directory for a detailed list of research completed and/or being completed by UBU academics.
A selection of research at UBU involves:
Research in Agriculture The Franco-Thai Collaboration
The Franco-Thai Collaboration is a bilateral association to promote education between France and Thailand, to provide a framework for the expansion of relationships among members with education communities, and to develop French education in Thailand and Thai companies in France.
In the Franco-Thai Collaboration programs, UBU Faculty of Agriculture has participated in:
1. Collective Learning Process for Integrated Renewable Resource Management in Southeast Asia: Modeling for Resilient Ecological and Social Systems in 2005 hosted by Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University
2. Improving Soil and Water Management in the Undulating Ecosystem of Northeast Thailand in 2006 hosted by Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen University
In 2008, the Department of Fisheries in the Faculty of Agriculture at UBU hosted the program Conservation of Freshwater Ecosystems to Sustain Fish Biodiversity, a Food Resource for the Near Future with the Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen University, Faculty of Fisheries, Maejo University, and Le Commissariat de Energie Atomique (CEA) de Sarclay and Ecole Sup้rieure d’Agronomie de Toulouse (ENSAT). The main propose of this program was to exchange knowledge about the fisheries resources for sustainable development.
Other activities include:
1. Thai researchers studied and analysed data in France in June 2007 and June 2008.
2. Thai researchers attended a training session titled Application of modeling to aquatic ecology at UBU in December 2007
3. Publication of research in international magazines
4. Agreement regarding joint supervision of theses at UBU and University of Paul Sabatier in Toulouse
5. Organisation of a conference titled Sustaining Fish Biodiversity, Fisheries and Aquacultures in the Mekong Basin at UBU on 3-5 September 2008
The program is under the direction of Assoc Prof Tuantong Jutagate of the Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Agriculture, Ubon Ratchathani University.
Research in the Faculty of Engineering
The Faculty of Engineering at UBU has a strong research profile of studies funded through the university and by external agencies. Some of the topics of research projects financed by the university and their amounts of research funding are:
- bricks for the construction of energy-efficient buildings (703,100 baht)
- use of ultra-sonic in pipe-laying (443,100)
- effects of land use on pumping water (423,400)
- manufacture of particle board from recycled materials (421,600)
- air-conditioning (421,600)
- use of solar energy for baking (411,200)
- water supply to rural communities (388,500)
- waste disposal composting (326,700)
- energy-saving in the milling of rice (255,500)
More information about these and other projects in the Faculty of Engineering can be obtained by accessing the facultys website at www.eng.ubu.ac.th and/or contacting Sdhabhon Bhokal on nyakobo@gmail.com or nyakobo@hotmail.com
Assist Prof Dr Vinich Promarak
The Advanced Organic Materials and Devices Laboratory in the Department of Chemistry within the Faculty of Science at UBU focuses on molecular organic electronics and nanotechology for optoelectric and clean energy applications.
The lab is under the leadership of Assist Prof Dr Vinich Promarak D.Phil. (Oxon.) (Organic Chemistry).
Vinich won the 2007 Young Scientist Award from the Foundation for the Promotion of Science and Technology under the patronage of His Majesty the King. His contact details are +66 45 433 110-2 ext. 4510 (phone) and pvinich@sci.ubu.ac.th (email).
The labs most recent publication is:
Vinich Promarak, Musubu Ichikawa, Taweesak Sudyoadsuk, Sayant Saengsuwan, Siriporn Jungsuttiwong and Tinnagon Keawin, Thermally and electrochemically stable amorphous hole-transporting materials based on carbazole dendrimers for electroluminescent devices, Thin Solid Films, 2008, 516, 2881-2888.
Contact information for the group is:
Advanced Organic Materials & Devices Laboratory
Department of Chemistry
Faculty of Science
Ubon Ratchathani University
85 Sathollmark Road
Warinchamrap
Ubon Ratchathani
Thailand 34190
Phone +66 45 433 110-2 ext. 4484
Fax +66 45 288 379
E-mail tsudyoadsuk@yahoo.com
Website http://chem.sci.ubu.ac.th/adom/
Dr Michael Hare
in the Faculty of Agriculture, has a long record of work within the pasture and seed research area. He and his group have been successful in obtaining funding to the value of 25 million baht from the Thailand Research Fund for six programs in the dairy production industry. Since 2003, a workingrelationship has been developed between the UBU team and Grupo Papalotla, a Mexican seed company, to produce brachiaria hybrid seed. The decision to produce seed in Thailand was due forage seed quality, smallholder experience and professionalism, and public sector involvement inforage seed production. Grupo Papalotla also wanted tobreak into the Asian market for forage seed. In addition, there was an expectation that seed yields of brachiaria hybrids may be higher in Thailand, because of intensive agronomic management and hand harvesting of seed from small fields, than in Brazil and Mexico under extensive management and machine sweeping of seed from the ground from large fields. Low seed yields in Brazil and Mexico (less than 200 kg/ha) meant that the price of brachiaria hybrids seeds was 3-4 times higher than that of seeds of other commercial Brachiaria in Latin America.
Grupo Papalotla now employs Michael and 7 researchers to produce seed of several forage species. The seed is produced by local farmers on contract in Mukdahan, Amnart Chareon, and Ubon Ratchathani provinces. The seeds are processed and packaged at the university and then exported overseas, mainly to countries in Central America, but also to Vanuatu, Cambodia, Vietnam, and China.Other markets will develop in the future.
Currently, research is well underway to select new brachiaria hybrids with high forage production and high seed yields. These promising new forages are now being processed for Plant Variety Rights.
Recent publications by Michael include:
- Hare, M.D. and Wongpichet, K. 2007 (eds) Forages: A Pathway to Prosperity for Smallholder Farmers. Proceedings of an International Forage Symposium,Faculty of Agriculture, Ubon Ratchathani University, Thailand.
- Hare, M.D., Tatsapong P. and Saipraset, K. 2007 Seed production of two brachiaria hybrid cultivars in north-east Thailand. 1. Method and time of planting. Tropical Grasslands, 41, 26-34.
- Hare, M.D., Tatsapong, P. and Saipraset, K. 2007 Seed production of two brachiaria hybrid cultivars in north-east Thailand. 2. Closing date. Tropical Grasslands, 41, 35-42.
- Hare, M.D., Tatsapong, P. and Saipraset, K. 2007 Seed production of two brachiaria hybrid cultivars in north-east Thailand. 3. Harvesting method. Tropical Grasslands, 41, 43-49.
- Hare, M.D., Tatsapong P., Phengphet, S. and Lunpha, A. 2007 Stylosanthes species in north-east Thailand: dry matter yields and seed production Tropical Grasslands, 41, 253-259.
Michael Hare can be contacted at michaelhareubon@hotmail.com
| Research Archives |
Dr Anun Chaikoolvatana
from the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences is undertaking a 3 month (February to April 2008) position as an ITRC Research Visiting with the Scholar International TB Research Centre in South Korea. The project is involved with the development of therapeutic drug monitoring in second line drugs for MDR-TB management.
Anun can be contacted on kkjc5476@yahoo.com
Dr Brendan Whyte
is a geographer, currently teaching mathematics and statistics in the Faculty of Management Science. His research interests cover cartography, and historical, political and military geography. Brendans recent research includes Siamese involvement in World War One, international enclaves in Europe, the use of maps as vexillological blazons, and a worldwide analysis of visa-free travel privileges.
- Whyte, B. Whyte, S., (forthcoming, 2008), The Inscriptions on the First World War Volunteers Memorial, Bangkok, Journal of the Siam Society.
- Whyte, B., (forthcoming, 2008), Visa-free Travel Privileges: an Exploratory Geographical Analysis, Tourism Geographies, 10(2).
- Whyte, B., (2007), On Cartographic Vexillology, Cartographica, 42(3):251-262. Whyte, B. (2007), The Role of Siam in World War One, Strategy and Tactics, 245:34-36.
- Whyte, B. (2007), Baarle-Hertogs war: a Clandestine Radio Station in Unoccupied Belgium: 1915-18, Strategy and Tactics, 241: 31-34.
- Whyte, B., (2007), The Enclave Problem, The Statesman, Calcutta, Sun 22 & Mon 23 July.