Between 13–18 April 2026, the Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences at Khon Kaen University advanced its academic collaboration with the National University of Singapore (NUS) by organising an innovation development programme in Singapore to address the needs of an ageing society. This initiative followed a joint project in January 2026, where both institutions identified key innovation challenges for the elderly in Thailand.

The project was led by Dr. Weerapong Sujarit from the faculty’s international relations team and Dr. Piangdaw Ardchaithorn, a lecturer in the gerontology programme. They accompanied a delegation of ten third-year Physical Therapy students to participate in a knowledge exchange and innovation showcase.

As part of the “BN4102 Gerontechnology in Ageing” course at NUS, students from both universities collaborated on solutions for elderly care. The visit was supported and funded through the office of Associate Professor James Kah, Vice-Dean for Outreach & Special Projects at the Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Design and Engineering, NUS.

Dr. Weerapong Sujarit stated, “The goal of this activity was to provide students with the opportunity to learn from the real-world context of Singapore’s healthcare and elderly care systems. It also fostered the exchange of knowledge in physical therapy innovation and gerontechnology. Examples of innovations studied and developed include the Sabia Stand and Sabia Lift, which are designed to reduce dependency and promote greater independence for the elderly in their daily activities.”

Furthermore, the delegation visited key institutions, including the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the College of Design and Engineering, NUS, where they also participated in an NUS Campus Tour. They observed operations at several of Singapore’s leading elderly care and rehabilitation facilities, such as the Singapore Christian Home, NTUC Health Active Ageing Centre (AAC), NTUC Health Senior Day Care, and NTUC Health Rehabilitation & Physiotherapy @ Kampung Admiralty. The group also visited the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) to learn about its approaches to health and technology education.

Throughout the programme, the students engaged in valuable exchanges with peers and faculty from the partner institution, gaining insights into Singapore’s healthcare service model for its ageing population, which serves as an important benchmark for health system development in the region.

This project marks a significant step in the KKU-NUS partnership, focusing on experiential learning and global competency. By integrating innovation with clinical knowledge, the collaboration aims to produce graduates capable of addressing the sustainable challenges of an ageing society in the ASEAN region.