This is a sidebar to the story on the NSF grant that will fund undergraduate research in Thailand

Bangkok may be half a world away from Madison, but there are many important connections between Wisconsin and Thailand.

In 1996, Chancellor David Ward’s Asian Partnership Initiative forged connections between the UW-Madison and institutions in Thailand and China–today, there are dozens of collaborations in place, with efforts in other Asian countries planned for the future.

In the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, reaching beyond the borders of the state is considered crucial to advancing the frontiers of sciences, says Ken Shapiro, associate dean for international programs.

“Well-structured, institution-wide relationships facilitate the development of new, innovative programs and create a framework where scholarly collaboration flourishes,” he says. “The Asian Partnership Initiative develops institutional relationships that are responsive to the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.”

The bacteriology research exchange program is one important example of the connections between CALS and institutions in Thailand. Others include:

• Student exchanges with Thammasat University. Jessica Thompson, a senior from West Salem, Wis., majoring in agricultural and applied economics and math, spent the spring semester of 2004 studying in Thailand. “Our world is becoming more connected,” she says. “We need to experience different cultures so we can work with people from other countries and learn to solve problems in different ways.” From another perspective, Tanyaruk Na Wangkanai is spending her year abroad taking classes in political science and Asian studies in Madison on a program facilitated by CALS. Although the classes here are bigger than she is used to, she says that she welcomes the opportunity to take courses outside of her field–something that”s not always easy to do at her home university.
• Environmentally sound potato production. Plant pathologist Walter Stevenson is working with colleagues at Kasetsart University to develop strategies for using less insecticide on potato crops.
• Animal and dairy science. Professors of dairy science Milo Wiltbank, Glen Broderick and Michel Wattiaux, and professor of animal science Jack Rutledge are collaborating with researchers at Khon Kaen University to improve dairy management and embryo transplant technology.
• Science education. Faculty and staff from the Center for Biology Education are working with teacher colleges and universities in Thailand to improve the way K-12 science is taught.