On 15 November 2023, the PSU Faculty of Medical Technology, in collaboration with the International Peace Foundation (IPF), with the support of Mitsui Fudosan Co. Ltd., Dusit Thani Hotel & Resort, Kasikorn Bank, and BMW, held a special lecture by Dr. Sir Richard J. Roberts, Nobel laureate in Medicine. The talk, titled “Spreading Peace through Science and Commerce in Emerging Economies” was held under the JAPAN-ASEAN BRIDGES Event Series in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Japan-ASEAN relations, and the 55th anniversary of the establishment of PSU.
The opening ceremony was honored by Ms. Supamas Isarabhakdi, Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI). Mr. Uwe Morawetz, Founding Chairman of IPF, gave a report, while PSU President Asst. Prof. Dr. Niwat Keawpradub and Prof. Dr. Amornrat Phongdara, Dean of the Faculty of Medical Technology, welcomed participants at the PSU International Convention Center in Hat Yai.
Dr. Sir Richard J. Roberts is the Chief Scientific Officer of New England Biolabs in Massachusetts, United States. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his discovery of split genes and mRNA splicing.
From 1972 to 1992, he worked at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and served as Assistant Director of Research under Dr. J.D. Watson. He began working on Type II Restriction Enzymes, which had just been discovered in 1972. Over the subsequent years, more than 100 of these enzymes were discovered and characterized in Dr. Roberts' laboratory, which sequenced the 35,937 Nucleotide Adenovirus-2 Genome and created some of the first programs for sequence assembly and analysis.
The discovery of Dr. Sir Richard J. Roberts completely changed the way biologists think about genes, and led to significant advances in various fields, including cancer research.
MHESI Minister Ms. Supamas said that over the past 55 years, PSU has played an important role in driving the development of the southern region and the country, in terms of education, research and innovation, academic services, and healthcare. The JAPAN-ASEAN BRIDGES Event Series is another significant event at PSU designed to inspire researchers, faculty members, students, and all participants to elevate the community and society to a higher level.
PSU President Dr. Niwat explained that over the past 55 years, PSU has been a leader in academic and innovation in southern Thailand and the national level. The JAPAN-ASEAN BRIDGES event series is not only celebrating the 55th anniversary of the university, but also an opportunity to raise awareness of research networking, and a significant step towards the development of a better society.
PSU is hosting a series of five Nobel laureates’ special lectures from November 2023 to March 2024, with support from various faculties. The next four lectures are scheduled as follows:
Faculty of Science
Date: November 29, 2023
Time: 2:00 PM
Topic: The importance of science for peace-building
Speaker: Prof. Takaaki Kajita, Nobel Laureate in Physics
Venue: L1 Auditorium, Pradit Cheuychit Lecture Center, Faculty of Science
Faculty of Pharmacy
Date: January 31, 2024
Time: 2:00 PM
Topic: Personalized medicine revolution: Are we going to cure all diseases and at what price?
Speaker: Prof. Aaron Ciechanover, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry
Venue: The Thongchan Hongladarom Room, Conference Center, Faculty of Medicine
Faculty of Economics
Date: March 1, 2024
Time: 2:00 PM
Topic: The prospects for global financial stability
Speaker: Prof. Robert F. Engle III, Nobel Laureate in Economics
Venue: Conference Hall, PSU International Convention Center
Faculty of Medicine
Date: March 27, 2024
Time: 3:00 PM
Topic: The role of basic science in biotechnology
Speaker: Prof. Randy W. Schekman, Nobel Laureate in Medicine
Venue: Thongchan Hongladarom Room, Conference Center, Faculty of Medicine
