Khon Kaen, Thailand – A team of dental students from Khon Kaen University has won the first-ever HED+Kathon competition with their innovative interdisciplinary educational game, “Intermedix.”

The team, named “Ru Na Mai Ru Step,” secured the championship during the Final Pitching round of the event held on April 25, 2027, at the Faculty of Medicine’s Mitraparp Conference Room.

The winning team consists of five students from the Faculty of Dentistry: Pithipatra Pentamwa (5th year), Peerapat Matra (4th year), Apisara Khamchiang (4th year), Muthita Rujiwipat (3rd year), and Apassara Suttikul (3rd year).

Their award-winning project, “Intermedix,” is a simulation game designed for students in the health sciences. The game aims to enhance knowledge, develop practical application skills in realistic scenarios, and promote effective interprofessional collaboration.

The competition, officially titled “HED+Kathon KKU: Pitching, Mini-Workshops, and Student Networking,” was organised by Khon Kaen University’s Faculty of Medicine as part of its Health Professional Education Development + Research and Innovation (HED PLUS KKU) project. 

The event provided a platform for interdisciplinary student teams from health sciences and other fields across the country to generate ideas, develop innovations, and address challenges in health education. The goal is to align educational practices sustainably with national and international trends in medical and public health education.

Competing teams were drawn from various faculties at Khon Kaen University, including Medicine, Associated Medical Sciences, Engineering, and the International College, as well as a team from the Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy at Thammasat University.

The victory underscores the strengths of Khon Kaen University’s dental students — their academic rigour, innovative thinking, and ability to collaborate across disciplines — skills considered crucial to the future development of the nation’s healthcare system.