The Beginning of CES-CHEM, an AUN/SEED-Net Consortium

Building chemistry with consortium members under the Research and Education Grant for the University Consortium (REd-UC)

On July 25, 2023, the Consortium of Continuous Process Enabling Sustainable Chemistry or CES-CHEM held a kick-off meeting with almost 20 participants, including all consortium members and the AUN/SEED-Net Secretariat, to announce their collaboration, marking the start of a successful partnership. The meeting began with opening remarks from Professor Dr. Kasem Choocharukul, the Assistant Executive Director of AUN/SEED-Net. Assistant Professor Nayot Kurukitkoson, the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Burapha University, then addressed the audience. Lastly, each consortium member introduced themselves and expressed their commitment to contribute to the project’s success.

The CES-CHEM consortium aims to promote innovative chemistry through chemical engineering research and educational collaborations between academics and industries. The consortium is led by Burapha University and encompasses Kyushu University, Kyoto University, Tohoku University in Japan, the National University of Singapore, and Nelson Mandela University in South Africa. Additionally, there are five industrial partners: Phytochem Products Inc., AIST, iFactory Inc., EYELA, and HITACHI Ltd.

This consortium has the largest number of partners, extending the ASEAN-Japan network beyond its current scope. In addition, the CES-CHEM has numerous industrial partners from both the government and private sectors. It emphasizes the importance of the connection between universities and industries, which is essential for meeting AUN/SEED-Net’s goals. Moreover, the group can receive cost-sharing from third parties, demonstrating its ability to sustain itself even after the AUN/SEED-Net financial support ends.

At the end of the meeting, members of the consortium discussed the possibility of holding a seminar at the CES-CHEM International Meeting in Thailand. The conference is planned to take place in December 2023. This will be their first seminar, and several exciting activities are planned, such as keynote speeches from academic and industrial partners from within and outside the consortium. Stay tuned for additional information.

On behalf of the AUN/SEED-Net Secretariat, we congratulate the CES-CHEM for winning the Research and Education Grant for the University Consortium or REd-UC Grant. Out of the 47 proposals submitted for a highly competitive grant, CES-CHEM stood out and was one of the seven chosen for an award. We greatly value the enthusiasm and initiative shown by Burapha University, the leading university of this consortium, and are committed to providing our utmost support to CES-CHEM. We are excited to witness the upcoming outputs and outcomes from all of you.