Visit to King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL)

　On May 23, 2025, I visited King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL). The visit coincided with my stay in Bangkok for the IEEE international conference ICBIR 2025, which had commenced the previous day. During this time, I was invited by KMITL’s International Affairs Office to tour some of their facilities, including the Faculty of Engineering.

　I was accompanied by Professor Ryo Taguchi, Vice President of Tokyo City University and an external trustee of our university. From KMITL, we were welcomed by Associate Professor Ruttikorn Varakulsiripunth, Vice President for International Affairs; Associate Professor Somyot Kaitwanidvilai, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering; Professor Uma Seebonruang, Associate Dean of Engineering; and Associate Professor Nattawut Chaomuang.

　Our visit began with the newly established Department of Robotics Engineering, where we received an overview of the faculty’s initiatives in a conference room. We learned that the Thai government is strategically prioritizing the development of human resources in mathematics, artificial intelligence, big data, and the semiconductor sector. KMITL is working to foster global collaborations in these areas and is actively engaged in both welcoming international students and sending Thai undergraduate students and graduate students abroad.

　Next, we moved to the Department of Electronics Engineering and visited the semiconductor experimental facilities. Assistant Professor Kriangkrai Sooksood, who serves as Associate Dean and is affiliated with the department, and Lecturer Satana Pongampai, Head of the Department, provided an in-depth explanation of the department’s activities, with a particular focus on current efforts in semiconductor education. The facility maintains a cleanroom environment and is equipped with machinery capable of producing semiconductors with dimensions of around 1 micron. Most of these machines were provided by JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) and are now quite dated; we were informed that they are scheduled to be replaced with new equipment next year.

　Our final visit was to the Laboratories of Food Factory, where we were introduced to ongoing research and development in the field of food processing. The facility is engaged in the production of long-lasting, safe, and fresh-tasting processed goods made from tropical fruits such as pineapple, mango, and durian. We learned that this lab is supported by investment from many Japanese companies, and much of the large-scale equipment installed there is made in Japan, highlighting the long-standing collaboration between KMITL and Japanese industry.

　KMITL expressed a strong interest in our university’s efforts to foster advanced talent in the fields of digital transformation (DX) and green transformation (GX). We look forward to developing further collaboration with KMITL in the future.


               Photo 1 : In front of a Robotics Engineering laboratory                          Photo 2 : Entrance of the Department of Electronics Engineering       Photo 3 : Laboratories of Food Factory