The Thailand Science Research and Innovation (TSRI) in collaboration with the Natural Sciences Research Foundation of the People’s Republic of China (NSFC) have joined forces to address the problem of ‘Climate Change’ by creating an eco-friendly culture, sharing knowledge and cooperating with research to solve global environmental problems, for the 11th consecutive year.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chanathip Pharino, Director of Strategic Future Mission and important research and innovation initiatives of the Thailand Science Research and Innovation (TSRI), along with Prof. Dr. Wang Lin from the Center for Monsoon System Research, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) or the Chinese Academy of Sciences, presided over the academic conference on Climate Change “The 7th China-Thailand Joint Conference on Climate Change”, organized by the Research and Coordination Center for Global Warming and Climate Change (THAI – GLOB), TSRI in collaboration with The National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), through the 25th to the 30th of November 2019, at the Holiday In Resort Hotel Krabi, with Dr. Montip Sriratana, Director of the Climate Change Strategy Center National Research Office (NRCT) joining this conference to raise awareness for this project. From the beginning of the fiscal year 2020 onwards, the project will be implemented under the management of the National Research Office, after the country’s research system reform and TSRI changes its mission.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Amnat Chidthaisong, Researcher from the Joint Graduate School of Energy and Environment, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, and Supervisor of the Coordination and Development Research Center Project on Global Warming and Climate Change, Thailand Science Research and Innovation (TSRI), referring to the scope and importance of this joint-conference said, “It is part of the development of knowledge and research for both Thailand and China for the 7th consecutive year under the memorandum of cooperation between the TRF and NSFC, which have been in joint operation biennially since 2008 as an exchange area for findings based on research collaboration. This is the room needed for researchers in the environmental circle, who are interested in addressing climate change issues, and which will lead to further cooperation as the event is comprised by over 60 researchers from Thailand and the People’s Republic of China.”

This has been an important mission over the past 11 years of cooperation, with the ultimate goal of elevating researchers and research on climate change in Thailand to a high international level. By creating research cooperation, it is possible to increase the competitiveness of Thai research on a level beyond what would be achievable without cooperation.

“As the Chinese government foresees that research has a major impact in national development, it invests in research with a relatively high budget. This support is crucial for better research opportunities and cooperation with China, throughout the past years, has been very good for Thailand due to researchers in many projects working continuously with Chinese researchers. In Thailand, many research-oriented projects lack the budget and the manpower to drive the work. Having China as a research partner under this cooperation, creates a network of research partners that will both benefit the researchers themselves and Thailand. Thai researchers participating in the research under this cooperation come not only from the academic side, but are also policy makers or operators themselves, such as researchers from the Meteorological Department, Rice Department, thus allowing researchers to have the practical ability to use the information to support their work.”, added Assoc. Prof. Dr. Amnat Chidthaisong.