On Monday 11 March, the Norwegian ambassador Kjetil Paulsen and the Minister of Energy, H.E. Dr. Siri Jirapongphan, presided over the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on research and educational cooperation in process safety science and engineering. It is a collaboration that will commence between the Norwegian company Gexcon AS and King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT).
The Minister of Energy, H.E. Dr. Siri Jirapongphan embraced the MoU and its relevance for the continuing development of human resources and the energy sector in Thailand. This was also emphasised by the Secretary-General for Higher Education Commission, Dr. Suphat Champatong and the President of KMUTT, Assoc. Prof. Sakarindr Bhumiratana, as specially invited guest to this ceremony.
With the MoU signed, students at both the graduate and post graduate levels at KMUTT will be given the opportunity to learn how to work with Gexcon’s ‘FLACS’, a 3D software tool for modelling explosion, dispersion and fire consequences for all typical flammable and toxic release scenarios. KMUTT and Gexcon will also cooperate in conducting scientific research and arranging international conferences, seminars, and workshops related to the field of Process Safety Science and Engineering. The signing of the MoU marks the start of a shared effort of contributing to enhance safety and risk management in Thailand, which may in the end produce knowledge that can be utilised worldwide.
CEO of Gexcon, Mr. Sturle H. Pedersen emphasized that the main mission of Gexcon is to avoid accidents and save lives worldwide. With the MoU, KMUTT is now an important partner in this effort. “Knowledge is crucial for avoiding disasters. For that reason we collaborate with multiple world leading universities. We are therefore very happy to cooperate with KMUTT. This MoU contributes to our shared vision of making the world a safer place.”
Increased competence on process safety science and engineering reduces the risk for accidents causing major environmental disasters. H.E. Kjetil Paulsen addressed the importance of this by stating: “We cannot succeed in the future if we do not deal with environmental issues and climate change.”
Source: Royal Norwegian Embassy in Bangkok
