Monday October 2, 2023 at 17:30 p.m. – Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen University held the opening ceremony of the Laboratory and Technology Transfer Building, “Mim Insectarium x Creative Park” at the “Honey Bee Nest”, Entomology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen University. The opening ceremony was presided over by Assoc. Prof. Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, M.D., the President.
Assoc. Prof. Darunee Jotishyangkoon, Ph.D., Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture reported to the President that the building used to be a lecture building for the course “Apiculture” of the Department of Entomology, but has not been in use for over 20 years because of shortage of personnel. It was not until the program recruited an apiculture expert in order to train some 21st Century skill for the students that the building has been renovated for the teaching and learning of the Department, research, and technology transfer of the products arising from instruction and research. The values of the products can be added to circulate the revenue for the “Honey Bee Nest”.
“In addition to its use as a place for skill training on modern entrepreneurship and empowering future KKU research work, the building can be used as a learning resource and recreation spot for Khon Kaen University staff and the public.”
KKU President Assoc. Prof. Charnchai Panthongviriyakul expressed his appreciation over the concept and background of the building. It can be seen that the place has been pinned for its values and culture of Khon Kaen University, i.e., SMART, or social dedication, management on true information, international access, and technology and innovation creation.
“Thank you for the Department’s dedication, devotion and collaboration of all sections for the bee nest mission. It can be seen that this building is not only a place for teaching and learning, but also an incubation place for training students with unlimited necessary 21st Century skills before they graduate so that they are prepared to grow in the wide society.”
At the event, representative Entomology-majored students of the Faculty of Agriculture welcomed KKU administrators, deans, lecturers, staff, and the public who joined the event. The guests and the host joined in singing the song, “The World of Bees” to reflect that the world is beautiful and so wide that every life has to develop itself all the time for survival in the present society. The honey bee nest is just like a room in a house that incubates the students until they are ready to go out the wide world.”
“….The beautiful and wide world has a lot of dangers, but all lives on earth still struggle to live on…This small bee is trying to get away from the danger, the trouble to save its own life and the companion…”
KKU personnel and participants walked around the building of “small honey bee nest”, where the operations are divided into 4 parts: 1) Buzzy Bee Farm or the first Thailand’s farm to produce honey from Manuka tree that has high nutritional content when compared to honey from other trees. There is the Happy Veggie Garden or vegetable plantation with organic management by using natural pests or bio-products produced by the Department to control insects and pests, the outcome is fresh product free of chemicals to serve the customers.
2) Production of Small Entrepreneurs – at the back of the building are classrooms and research room for making the products for selling, including honey jelly, honey, balm, soap, fragrant candle, and soft drink with no syrup or sugar ingredient, but only contains home-made honey. The front part is for training the skills of the 21st Century for the students, i.e., in efficient communication, presenting products, planning, organizing the front system, team working as good leaders and followers.
Photo: Mim Insectarium & Creative Park
3) Live Insects and Arthropods Museum – a 4-dimension learning resource of living things and a recreational place for KKU people and the public. This month there will be a show of the “electric-blue tarantula” discovered by Dr. Narin Chompoopuang of the Department of Entomology.
4) Activity Space – for learning and training in emotion, conduct, and mental aspects for youths through various and different activities every week. On the opening day, the Agriculture students prepared activity for young kids to learn and play on the “decoration of a forest for ancient animals” and watch the demonstration of butterfly stuffing by the students.
Mim Insectarium & Creative Park is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 18:00 p.m. at Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen University. For more information, visit: Facebook Page: MiM – Insectarium & Creative Park.
News: Panit Khatnak
