Highlights

Amid growing concerns over waste and climate change, Pinrat Pinweha, a Ph.D. student in Chulalongkorn University’s Technopreneurship and Innovation Management Program (CU TIP), has pioneered an innovative solution by creating “synthetic leather from coffee grounds.” By combining discarded coffee waste with Thai natural rubber, her eco-friendly innovation offers a sustainable alternative to traditional animal and plastic-based leathers, significantly reducing carbon emissions. The project, which recently earned a silver medal and a special award at the 50th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva 2024, exemplifies how Thailand’s local resources and creativity can contribute to a circular and low-carbon economy for a greener future. 

For the first time in Thailand, the BALAC Program at Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University, now features a course titled “Dracula and Modern Culture” where students can connect interdisciplinary arts in their analysis of Gothic literature to better understand modern culture. The Program draws over 300 applicants each year, with only 120 accepted.

Anatomy instructors at the Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, have developed Zero Formalin (ZF)—a formalin-free animal specimen preservation solution—to create safer classrooms and reduce health risks for students and staff. The solution is now used for all animal bodies in anatomy classes. 

A student team from Nutrinex, Department of Food Technology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, has developed “Pork Knuckle Trio”—a nutritious alternative to traditional braised pork leg.  Designed for the elderly, the product is high in protein but low in sodium, fat, and sugar. The product won Second Runner-up in the FoSTAT Food Innovation Contest 2025, a national-level food product innovation competition, under the theme “Food Innovation for the Silver Generation.” 

Across the Asia-Pacific, millions of girls face barriers that limit their potential — and change cannot wait. Dr. Christina Warning, a distinguished alumna of Chulalongkorn University and Asia-Pacific Team Leader for Plan International in Germany, has dedicated her career to one mission: amplifying “the woman’s voice, the girl’s voice.”

A lecturer at the Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, has discovered teeth fossils of hyenas, orangutans, and several other mammals, aged between 200,000 – 100,000 years in a cave in Krabi. These form an important piece of evidence indicating that the South of Thailand was once large grasslands mixed with forests during the Ice Age and may have been a migration route for Homo erectus moving from Africa to the Java islands. 

The Center of Excellence in Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, has launched one of the world’s first projects to perform long-read whole genome sequencing in newborns. The initiative screens for 113 genetic diseases, with the goal of early prevention and treatment, opening a new frontier in precision medicine and improving lifelong health outcomes. 

A lecturer from the Department of Chemical Technology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, has invented the MICROCAP air purifier, which uses photosynthetic algae to absorb carbon dioxide and produce 20 times more oxygen than trees. 

“Smart Salt,” an innovative low-sodium salt developed by Paul Patsapong Chomchey, Ph.D. candidate at Chulalongkorn University and Executive MBA alumnus, has won a Gold Medal and Special Award at the 2025 Silicon Valley International Invention Festival. Using Nano Chitosan technology, Smart Salt cuts sodium by more than half while preserving full flavor, offering a breakthrough solution to the global health challenge of excessive salt consumption. 

Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness (GNH) has captured global attention as a unique development philosophy, emphasizing holistic well-being over mere economic metrics. Yet, as Mr. Namgay Tshering, Former Finance Minister of Bhutan and alumnus of Chulalongkorn University’s Master of Public Health program, points out, the concept often raises questions: “People tend to ask whether every Bhutanese is happy. GNH is not about individual happiness alone—it’s about collective wellbeing, sustainability, and inclusivity.”

Chula ARi, an integrated interdisciplinary project for an urban aging society, uses research to return data to communities and co-develop a comprehensive elderly care model covering economics, society, health, environment, and innovation. The project also encourages pre-senior citizens to prepare early for the challenges of a rapidly aging population. 

The C2F, or Second Century Fund, of Chulalongkorn University supports research that addresses social, environmental, economic, and national policy challenges. In 2025, over 1,000 scholarships will be awarded, with nearly 700 million baht allocated to drive academic advancement and move the university to world-class status. 

The Chulalongkorn Bariatric and Metabolic Institute (Chula BMI) launched ObesityConnects, a Line Official platform to connect obesity patients to continuous treatment from specialists, while offering preventative information and daily health check-up features for the public who wish to stave off obesity.

A research team from Chulalongkorn University has developed a new herbal-based alternative to reduce the risk of prostate enlargement, highlighting the Crinum species and Black Galingale as targeted inhibitors of disease mechanisms without affecting sexual performance. This award-winning research earned an international gold medal and created new opportunities to advance Thai herbal medicine in the global health market. 

As Vietnam strives to meet the demands of a rapidly growing economy, the country faces a critical challenge: how to secure energy that is both reliable and sustainable. Dr. Nguyen Anh Duc, a distinguished alumnus of Chulalongkorn University’s Petroleum and Petrochemical College and General Director of the Vietnam Petroleum Institute (VPI), has dedicated his career to one mission: transforming Vietnam’s energy sector through innovation and artificial intelligence, ensuring sustainable and reliable energy for the country’s future. 

Thailand and Sasin School of Management are making history (again)! The latest publication from Dr. Drew B. Mallory, Director of Research at the Neurodiversity at Work Research Centre (NWRC) at Sasin, Inclusion Ambassador, and Professor of Organizational Behavior and Management, breaks ground on inclusive leadership research with the first study worldwide to describe the leadership of professional transgender leaders. This pioneering work reveals how Thai trans* leaders are uniquely shaping the future of inclusion, proving that diversity isn’t just ethical—it’s a powerful catalyst for innovation. Discover how Thailand is leading the way and read “The T*Factor: An Exploratory Framework of the Intersection of Gender, Culture, and Trans* Leadership” for free in Sex Roles.

The Performing arts are a powerful form of communication that cultivates human potential. Chulalongkorn University’s “Performing Arts” curriculum, offering bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, focuses on creating graduates who will be both artists and academics, further developing the innovation of performing arts, adding value for the creative economy, and enhancing the value of soft power, leading to various career paths in the modern world.

A professor from the Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University has organized an online course “Earthquake, a Terrifying Wrath,” to monitor the powerful fault activities in Thailand, while pointing out that the clay layer of the Bangkok sedimentary basin absorbed and amplified the tremors and suggesting Cell Broadcast, a disaster alert, to reduce future calamities. 

Say goodbye to obesity with the Chulalongkorn Bariatric and Metabolic Institute (Chula BMI)—King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital’s one-stop center for comprehensive, holistic obesity care. A team of doctors and multidisciplinary specialists, including experts in medicine, surgery, nutrition, and behavioral therapy, is now ready to provide patients with guidance on preventing obesity before it’s too late.

“Albumin Extract for Dogs from Lipemic Plasma” is a new veterinary product that turns discarded, fat-rich plasma into dog-specific albumin, offering a safer treatment for dogs with conditions like shock or low blood protein.