In June, CALS Global Director, Jennifer Kushner, traveled to Korea and Thailand with Chancellor Mnookin and other UW-Madison leaders. The purpose of the visit was to celebrate UW’s 175th Anniversary with alumni at events in Seoul and Bangkok, meet with existing partners, and explore new partnerships in both countries. The trip was organized by the Wisconsin Foundation & Alumni Association (WFAA) and the International Division, in coordination with the Office of the Chancellor.
Members of the delegation included representatives from Wisconsin School of Business, International Division, UW Law School, Center for East Asian Studies, WFAA, Office of Enrollment, and the College of Agricultural & Life Sciences (CALS).
across Asia, driving the country’s economic priorities and working to advance key sectors for the present and
future. KDB is led by Kang Seog Hoon, a UW alumnus who also serves as president of the WAA-Korea Alumni
Association.
In Korea group visits included Korea Development Bank, Yonsei University, Korea University, and Korea Federation of Science and Technology Societies.
In Thailand visits included a special meeting between Chancellor Mnookin and Her Royal Highness (HRH) Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. In this meeting sustainable agriculture was a key topic of discussion and interest.
Also in Thailand, there were planned visits to Chiang Mai University and Chulalongkorn University, as well as cultural activities that included a trip to Wat Pho, Temple of the Reclining Buddha, and a Chao Phraya River dinner cruise.
The 175th Anniversary Alumni events were huge successes drawing 316 attendees in Seoul and nearly 260 in Bangkok. It was great to meet up with CALS alums at both events, and also to meet incoming students. Alumni from countries throughout the region attended both events thanks to great outreach by the UW alumni associations in both countries.
While at Chiang Mai University, Jennifer was able to meet with Jon Roll, a member of the teaching faculty in the Department of Bacteriology, who was there with students as part of the UW Biological Sciences Research Internships in Thailand program. It was great to learn about the interesting research areas they were exploring and to spend time with them as they got to know their new home-away-from-home.
program at the famous Chatuchak Weekend Market in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
During the visit to Chiang Mai University, the delegation learned of their upcoming conference, Innovation for Resilient Agriculture, in February 2025. For more information, contact CALS Global.
Since returning home, CALS Global has been working on several follow-up activities. The first is a dairy innovation initiative being championed by Her Royal Highness (HRH) Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and collaborators at King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi and Chitralada Technology Institute. Several faculty members in the Department of Animal & Dairy Sciences have been involved in the early conceptualization. Additionally, CALS Global has been meeting with faculty at Chiang Mai University on issues related to post-harvest management in the northern highlands.
If you would like to get involved in any of the activities, please reach out to CALS Global.