By Office of Public Affairs
March 28, 2022 — The Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) and Thailand’s Central Institute of Forensic Science (CIFS), Ministry of Justice, renews cooperation with the signing of a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to spur innovation and improve measures for road safety.
CIFS is a national institute established in 2002 to employ scientific approaches to investigate crime, provide consultation on human rights issues, and preserve justice for the people.
Among the ASEAN countries, Thailand has the highest rate of deaths and injuries caused by road accidents and is ranked 9th in the world, according to World Health Organization (WHO) report. The socioeconomic loss caused by this is immeasurable. CIFS has been working with partners in academia to keep improving the country’s forensic science standards, focusing on road accident investigation.
Meanwhile, AIT professor in Transport Engineering, Dr. Kunawee Kanitpong, has been contributing her expertise to improve road safety through her role as the Director of Thailand Accident Research Center (TARC). In 2017, AIT and CIFS signed their first MoU, valid from February 27, 2017, to February 26, 2020, to foster research collaboration to boost road safety, prevent road accidents, and suggest measures that can help reduce injuries and fatalities.
The renewal of the MoU will support the collaboration between the two institutes in sharing information and knowledge on crime scene investigation, identifying factors associated with victims’ injuries, and analyzing autopsy information to explain the cause of road accident-induced fatality. All of which can contribute to preventing road accidents, CIFS Director Pol. Col. Songsak Raksaksakul explained.
Highlighting AIT’s academic strengths and research on applicable technologies, AIT President Dr. Eden Woon stressed that AIT could contribute through technologies such as pattern recognition and bring new perspectives to help envision new policies or infrastructures that could minimize the frequency and severity of road accidents.
Following President Woon’s remarks, CIFS Director of Division of Forensic Science Services, Dr. Panjai Woharndee, added that the outcome of this collaboration could be adopted into the national agenda. “We can deliver an effective policy to the national level, and other institutions can implement it.”
AIT and CIFS have agreed to cooperate in exchanging information and enhancing knowledge, experience, and academic information to analyze road accident investigations.
The signing of the MoU took place in-person at Government Complex Building B in meeting room 1, 8th floor of Ratthaprasasanabhakti Building. Members of CIFS delegation included CIFS Director Pol. Col. Songsak Raksaksakul, Deputy Director-General, Asst. Prof. Worawee Waiyawuth, Director of Division of Forensic Science Services, Dr. Panjai Woharndee.
Delegates from AIT included President Dr. Eden Woon; Transport Engineering Professor Kunnawee Kanitpong; Director of Office of Thailand Affairs Mrs. Chalita Lertwinyu; and Royal Thai Government Manager Mr. Samuch Oulapa.
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More information on CIFS: https://www.cifs.go.th/index.php