from ISSMGE Bulletin: Volume 1 Issue 4 (p.2)
The 2nd Thai Young Geotechnical Engineers Meeting
Following on the success of the 1st Thai Young Geotechnical Engineers Meeting (tYGEM) held at Khon Kaen City in 2006, the 2nd tYGEM was held in Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand from 20 to 21 October 2007. The venue was at Srinagarind Dam, located 120 km west side from the capital Bangkok. The meeting was organized by the Geotechnical Engineering Subcommittee, the Engineering Institute of Thailand under H.M. the King’s Patronage (EIT), in cooperation with the Geotechnical Engineering Research and Development Center of the Kasetsart University. 130 delegates from Universities in Thailand registered for this meeting.
The purpose and objective of this meeting was to bring together both senior and young geotechnical engineers from various universities to stay together so that they could meet and interchange ideas in an informal atmosphere. The organizing committee would like to encourage the young geotechnical delegates to develop a wider scope of thinking in the geotechnical engineering field. Attendees will not only be comfortable in exchanging technical leanings, but the organizing committee wishes to form personal linkages with peers across universities.
In the opening ceremony, the Chairman of the Geotechnical Engineering Subcommittee Dr.Watcharin Gasaluck described the significance and aims of this meeting and then the Chairman expressed that the Geotechnical Engineering Subcommittee of EIT is always supporting the activity of younger generations who will bear the future of the geotechnical engineering in Thailand.
The meeting was started with the technical sessions. In 5 technical sessions chaired by junior lecturers from various universities, each participant had the opportunity to make a 10 minutes presentation on a project or research topic which they were currently or had been recently involved in the graduate study. The fruitful discussions and comments from the senior members give a good idea and encourage the younger members in continuing a good research work. The summary session was conducted in the main conference room after a whole day and long presentations by a senior geotechnical engineer, Dr.Warakorn Mai-Rieng, the Head of Civil Engineering Department, Kasetsart University. Dr. Warakorn stated the high success of this meeting with the full achievement of the objective.
All audiences agreed that this kind of meeting should be continued as long as possible under the support from EIT and from the local universities. The next meeting will tentatively be organized next year by the Ubonratchatani University which is located in the Northeastern part of Thailand and located about 500 km from Bangkok. The academic part of the meeting was completed by the official dinner with a variety of local foods and drinks. The 2nd tYGEM has finally finished with a technical excursion. A technical visit to the Srinagarind Dam– One of major dams in Thailand which is located on the active faults and with many geotechnical works, was organized for the conference delegates.
Reported by Dr.Pongsakorn Punrattanasin, the Engineering Institute of Thailand
From ISSMGE Bulletin: Volume 1 Issue 4 (p.2)
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