Thai Academia in OSH - Asian-Pacific Newsletter on Occupational Health and Safety

ILO is a specialized agency of the United Nations

Thai Academia in Occupational Safety and Health Information

by Mahidol University and ILO/FINNIDA ASIA-OSH

Preface

Purpose

Description of the project

Academia OSH directory

Appendices

Preface

It requires inter-organizational multidisciplinary efforts to improve occupational safety and health (OSH) in a country. Too often, academic and other educational institutions' resources are forgotten. Therefore, we wish draw the attention to their OSH capacities. Academic institutions have especially a great deal to offer in OSH research, information, and training activities. Moreover, they have many highly qualified academic staffs and scientists with specific knowledge and skills.

This directory is an outcome of a joint-effort between the ILO/FINNIDA ASIA-OSH programme and the Department of Occupational Health and Safety (DOHS) of the Faculty of Public Health, the Mahidol University, during 1998-1999. The Directory of OSH in Thai Academia comprises information on OSH activities, capabilities, and interests of 28 universities, 87 faculties and institutes, as well as 67 departments of Thailand.

Universities, technical or research institutes deal not only with primary health and safety concerns but also with those of productivity, economics, employment, labour relations, social security, equality, human rights, and environment 3/4 all important for OSH. We hope that the Directory of OSH in Thai Academia provides the Government agencies, employers' and workers' organizations, as well as non-government organizations with guidance assisting in the future OSH planning, management, training, information, and research cooperation.

We would like to thank the universities, faculties, and departments for their collaboration during the whole project. We are grateful for ILO/FINNIDA ASIA-OSH for supporting and initiating this activity.

For further information, please contact

Chalermchai Chaikittiporn, Dr P.H., Department of Occupational Health and Safety, Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Thailand

e-mail: phcck@mahidol.ac.th

Preecha Loosereewanich, Ph.D. ; Department of Occupational Health and Safety, Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Thailand

e-mail: phplw@mahidol.ac.th

Purpose

This directory makes explicit of Thai academia's OSH capabilities. The objectives of this survey were to: (i) promote Thai academic institutions' OSH cooperation; (ii) allow the Government agencies better understand and identify our capacities; (iii) facilitate international institutions and agencies in identifying Thai academic groups for partnership projects; and (iv) encourage international development agencies to finance projects proposed by Thai academic institutions.

Description of the project (July 1998 - June 1999)

Pre-identification of universities, faculties, and research institutes (July 1998)

We started identifying universities, their faculties, and research institutes through (i) reviewing information in Thai Higher Education in Briefs, (ii) browsing data at existing World-Wide-Web-sites of different universities, and (iii) document consultations at the Ministry of University Affairs. An initial list for the directory content was prepared.

Survey 1: questionnaire for universities (August - September 1998)

For the first survey of this project, we developed a questionnaire 3/4 comprising information on contacts, faculties, programmes of study 3/4 and sent it to 64 universities. The university questionnaire is marked Annex I, at the end of the directory. Two weeks later, we followed up the progress with telephone calls to those universities which had not yet returned the questionnaires. As a result, we received completed questionnaires from 32 universities, 28 of them are included in this directory.

Survey 2: questionnaire for faculties (September-November 1998)

After reviewing the returned university questionnaires and cross checking the initial list, we selected suitable faculties or institutes considered dealing with OSH: faculties of agriculture, dentistry, engineering, law, management science, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public health, sciences, social sciences, and sociology.

Then, we elaborated a faculty questionnaire, marked Annex II, containing information on contacts, study programmes, and departments dealing with OSH. The questionnaires were sent to 199 target faculties. Again, two weeks later, we followed up the progress with telephone calls to faculties which had not yet completed the questionnaires. At the end, we received completed questionnaires from 112 faculties and institutes. 87 of them are included in the directory.

Survey 3: questionnaire for departments (November 1998 - January 1999)

After reviewing the completed faculty questionnaires and cross-checking the initial identification list, we developed a third questionnaire for faculty departments (Annex III) including information on contacts, structures, number of students, study programmes, list of academic staff with qualifications and field of interests, and completed and on-going OSH related research projects. The questionnaire was distributed altogether to 448 departments. We received completed questionnaires from 87 departments and 67 of them are included in the directory.

Developing database and directory

In February 1999, we started reviewing, editing, and entering data from returned questionnaires into a database programme which can be launched with MS Access?. Once the data entering had been completed, information was converted from the database application to a text processor (MS Word?), and the directory was generated. We completed the whole project in June 1999.

In general, survey questionnaires are a low-cost and convenient method for compiling information, although response rate can often be low. This project was not an exception, despite the follow-up efforts made. Use of Thai questionnaires could have resulted in a higher response rate and especially prevent misinterpretations of the contents. Depending on resources, it is always beneficial to send support staff to assist the academic institutes in extracting needed information.

Appendices

Annex I: University Questionnaire

I. Contact Information

Name of University....................................................................

State University Private University

2.Address.....................................................................................................................Province........................Postal code...............Tel.............................Fax. ........................

3. e-mail:...................................................Website....................................................

4. President/Rector............................................................................................

5. Vice-President for Academic Affairs............................................................................

6. Registrar........................................................Tel. .................................................

7. Contact Person.............................................Tel. ...................................................

II. Structure of the University

8. Year established ......................................... 9. Academic year...................................

Number of teacher .................................... 11. Number of student............................

Undergraduate students.....................Master's .......................Doctoral.........................

12. Teaching languages ...........................

13. List of ALL FACULTIES and all of their programs of study with discipline, eg. Faculty of Science: B.Sc.(Chemistry).Also include research institutes. (use separate paper if needed).

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Annex II: Faculty Questionnaire

I. Contact Information

Name of the Faculty..............................................................................

University ..........................................................................................

2. Address ...............................................................................................................

Province.................Postal code.....................Tel...........................Fax. ........................

e-mail: ............................................................Website.......................................... Dean ...................................................................................................................
Deputy Dean for Academic Affairs ............................................................................
Registrar...................................................................Tel. ......................................
Contact person ..........................................................Tel. ......................................
Number of teachers:................................. 8. Number of students...............................

Undergraduate students............................Master's .........................Doctoral..................

9. Information facilities in the faculty:

Computer facility : yes, with internet access yes, without internet access

No computer facility at the faculty.

List of libraries:

II Organization of the faculty

10. Study programs (all degrees) provided in the faculty (please specify discipline eg. (B.Sc (Chemistry))

11. List of departments that involve in teaching, research or service in Occupational Health and Safety and related fields: .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Thank you for your cooperation.

Research Institute Questionnaire

I. Contact Information

1. Name of the Research Institute................................................................................

University ............................................................................................................

2. Address ...............................................................................................................

Province................Postal code.....................Tel. ..............Fax. ....................................

3. e-mail: ............................................................Website..........................................

4. Director ...............................................................................................................

Deputy Director for Academic Affairs/Research ..........................................................

5. Registrar...................................................................Tel. ......................................

6. Contact person ..........................................................Tel. ......................................

7. Number of researchers:..............................8. Number of teaching staff.........................

9. Number of students.............Undergraduate...............Master's...............Doctoral..............

10. Information facilities in the institute:

Computer facility : yes, with internet access yes, without internet access

No computer facility at the faculty.

List of libraries:

II Organization of the institute

11.Training programs provided :

12. List of units that involve in teaching, research or service in Occupational Health and Safety and related fields:.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Thank you for your cooperation.

Annex III: Department Questionnaire

I Contact Information

1. Name of Department: ........................................................Acronym: ...............

Faculty: ................................................University: ................................................

2. Address: ..............................................................................................................

...........................................................................Postal code ..............................

Tel. ...............................................................Fax. ..............................................

3. e-mail: ...................................................Website...................................................

4. Department Head ..................................................................................................

5. Department secretary .............................................................................................

6. Number of teachers .......................................... 7. Number of students.....................

Undergraduate students...........................Master's .....................Doctoral......................

II. Structure of the department

8. Fields of Competence: ...............................................................................................

9. Major research topics: ................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................

10. Study programs provided: ( eg. B.Sc.(Physics) or M.Sc.(Chemistry)

Undergraduate programmes: ......................................................................................

Master's programmes : .....................................................................................

Doctoral programmes : .....................................................................................

11. Other training provided: .............................................................................................

...................................................................................................................

12. List of Academic staff: (use separate paper if needed)

Name Degree(discipline) Field of interests

................................ ...................................................... .......................................

................................ ....................................................... .......................................

III Activities related to occupational safety and health (OSH), environment and working conditions (during the last 5 years)

Teaching in OSH, environment and working conditions related issues.Please briefly

describe the content and duration of the courses.(Use separate paper if needed.)

OSH courses or related topics Content Duration

.................................... ......................................................... ..............................

14. Seminar or workshop on OSH, environment and workings conditions. Please describe the

content, time and duration of the seminars or workshop. (Use separate paper if needed.)

OSH Seminar, Workshop Content Date and Duration

.................................... ......................................................... ..............................

15. Research project on OSH, environment and working condition. Please list projects in

chronological order. Mention also researches in progress.

..............................................................................................................................

16. Other activities related to OSH, environment and working conditions. Use separate paper

if needed.

.................................................................................................................................

17. List of books, periodicals, research reports, theses, dissertation,sciencetific articles, guides on OSH, environment and working conditions since 1993. Please list titles and year published (Please use Vancouver style for references.Please translate Thai article nameinto English with a note that the publication is in Thai language).Use separate paper if needed.

18. OSH services provided to other organizations and agencies. Use separate paper if needed.

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Updated by PAP/SUT/TRS. Approved by BKL. Last update: 1 September 2000.