NSTDA recognizes the importance of international cooperation in enhancing its main missions. The agency establishes and maintains linkages with partners from all over the world on both bilateral and multilateral bases.
Bilateral Cooperation. NSTDA maintains strong linkages with a wide range of agencies and institutes locating in countries across the globe, many of which are formalized by official documents such as MOUs and agreements. NSTDA has bilateral collaborations with over 20 countries, including Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Israel, Japan, Korea, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Nepal, Russia, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Uganda and Vietnam.
Multilateral Cooperation. NSTDA actively participates in and dialogues with a number of committees/working groups concerning science, technology and innovation issues in the inter-government organizations such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the United Nations (UN), and the European Commission (EC). The agency recently joined the Alliance of International Science Organizations in the Belt and Road Region (ANSO) and was selected to become a member of ANSO Governing Board. Contributing to a strong tie with ASEAN, NSTDA experts represent Thailand in the following ASEAN sub committees under the ASEAN Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation (ASEAN COSTI): Microelectronics and Information Technology, Materials Science and Technology, and Biotechnology.
NSTDA employs several mechanisms to promote collaboration between Thai and foreign scientists, ranging from organizing seminars and workshops bringing together scientists from Thailand and overseas to explore collaboration, to offering post-doctoral fellowships and establishing joint laboratories and joint programs with foreign partners.
NSTDA high-calibre scientists constantly seek opportunities to work with international partners to address challenges faced locally and globally. Click here to view examples of our outstanding international projects.
In addition to research collaboration, NSTDA also engages international partners in its human resource development and technology transfer missions. For example, TAIST-Tokyo Tech is a graduate program in engineering, under the collaboration of NSTDA, Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) and five Thai universities. The courses are taught by professors from Tokyo Tech, with participation from Thai counterparts; whereas researches are conducted at NSTDA research laboratories, under the guidance of Thai and Japanese professors and NSTDA researchers. Another example is collaboration between NSTDA and Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology to establish the Thailand-China Technology Transfer Center (TCTTC) at the Thailand Science Park. The Center has been instrumental in facilitating technology transfer and dialogues between companies in Thailand and China by regularly organizing activities, such as trade mission, business matching, study tour and technology/product demonstration, encompassing a wide range of industry from seed industry, to IT and bio-medicine. One notable example is a collaboration with the Guangzhou Seed Trade Association and Academy of Agricultural Sciences to establish a seed field trial which included more than 200 varieties of Thai vegetables as a part of the “2018 Spring Guangzhou-ASEAN New Vegetable Variety Exposition” which was a first of its kind event showcasing Thai seeds in a large-scale field trial in China.