CES-CHEM Meeting 2023

The consortium of Continuous Process Enabling Sustainable Chemistry (CES-CHEM), under a Research and Education Grant from the University Consortium (REd-UC), successfully organized the CES-CHEM Meeting 2023 on December 7–8, 2023. The event was held at the Bangsaen Heritage Hotel in Chonburi, Thailand, and attended by over 50 participants from universities and industries in ASEAN-Japan and South Africa.

The meeting commenced with welcoming remarks from Assistant Professor Dr. Nayot Kurukitkoson, Acting Vice-President and the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Burapha University, and Mr. Shimazu Hideki, JICA Advisor to AUN/SEED-Net. Members of the AUN/SEED-Net and CES-CHEM consortium were then introduced, followed by several exciting keynote speeches and discussions on chemistry technologies, sustainable chemistry process development, future chemical processes, and digital-driven process development. During the event, graduate students were invited to showcase their research and innovation progress. It was inspiring to witness the enthusiasm and energy of the future generation of leaders.

At the meeting, Professor Paul Watts from Nelson Mandela University in South Africa delivered a keynote address on his expertise, including organic chemistry, drug synthesis, and flow chemistry. In his insightful words, he shared his teaching experiences at the university where the number of female students exceeds that of male students, reflecting their commitment to promoting equity in education. His experiences resonated with the inspiring quote by Nelson Mandela, "Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world." His talk was well received and provided valuable insights to the attendees. Professor Watts is a renowned expert in his field, and his presentation was a testament to his knowledge and expertise. His contribution enriched the conference, and attendees were grateful for the opportunity to learn from him.

Aside from the presentations, the university also organized talks from its industrial partners, namely AIST, EYELA, HITACHI, Ltd., and Phytochem Products Inc. These talks aimed to emphasize and strengthen the collaboration between academia and industry in addressing real-world societal issues and promoting sustainability. Furthermore, a booth exhibition was organized by the consortium to showcase the latest advancements and technologies to attract attention and engage participants.

This gathering has been expanded to incorporate presentations by scholars from external universities who are not members. This includes contributions from Professor Taikaichi Watanabe of Okayama University and Professor Jisong Zhang of Tsinghua University. Additionally, a dedicated session has been arranged to showcase the research of invited graduate students hailing from Burapha University, VISTEC, Kyushu University, and Kyoto University.

Following the conference, CES-CHEM held a research collaboration meeting to provide a platform for future opportunities. It is exciting to see more success stories, and further updates on the CES-CHEM consortium can be found at https://ces-chem.buu.ac.th/. 

AUN/SEED-Net would like to express its sincere appreciation to Associate Professor Dr. Nopphon Weeranoppanant, leader of the CES-CHEM, all consortium members, speakers, and participants for organizing this remarkable event and facilitating the collaboration. This meeting is not just a gathering but a celebration of the power of international cooperation. Despite any differences, all parties share the common goal of advancing the boundaries of chemical engineering for the greater good.