On Tuesday, June 11, 2024, at 1:30 p.m., at Meeting Room No. 9, 2nd Floor of the Golden Jubilee Administration and Information Center Building, Kasetsart University, Dr. Chongrak Wachrinrat, President of Kasetsart University, was honored to chair the welcoming remarks for the academic meeting between Kasetsart University (KU) and the Asia Hub of Michigan State University (MSU). He was joined by administrators including Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tanin Kongsila, Vice President for the University Council Affairs and Human Resource Development; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chamaipak Maiklad, Assistant to the President for International Affairs; and Asst. Prof. Dr. rer. soc. Supapatpimol Simlee, Assistant to the President for International Affairs. They welcomed and discussed academic collaboration with Dr. Jiaquo Qi, Director of the Asia Hub of MSU, along with Ms. Jennifer Wago, Deputy Director, and other executives from the Asia Hub of MSU during their official visit to Kasetsart University.

Before starting the academic discussion, both universities exchanged an overview of their respective institutions. Dr. Jiaquo Qi, Director of the Asia Hub of MSU, provided information that the Asia Hub is a platform for exchanging data and work experiences in agricultural and environmental research with leading universities both domestically and internationally. It was initiated by Michigan State University, USA, and Nanjing Agricultural University, China, with cooperation from over 30 universities in Asia. In 2022, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tanin Kongsila, Vice President for the University Council Affairs and Human Resource Development, along with four professors from Kasetsart University, attended and presented their work at the Inauguration Ceremony of the CIAERA & 2023 Asia Hub Annual in Hainan Province, China.

Dr. Jiaquo Qi expressed interest in academic collaboration with KU by exploring the possibility of establishing an Asia Hub in Thailand and providing academic support such as inviting KU administrators to participate in the Asia Hub Annual Meeting 2024 and the Consortium for Innovations in Agricultural Education and Research in Asia (CIAERA) from November 12-15, 2024, in Chiang Mai Province.

At the end of the discussion, KU administrators and lecturers agreed to promote the establishment of an Asia Hub in Thailand and participate in the Asia Hub meeting in November 2024 in Chiang Mai Province. Finally, Dr. Chongrak Wachrinrat, President of Kasetsart University, presented a souvenir to Dr. Jiaquo Qi, Director of the Asia Hub, and they participated in a group photo session.