UP offers high-quality and Free WiFi to STUDENTS

Information Technology (IT) is revolutionizing the world. Cambodia and UP are no exception. A modern age needs a modern university and a modern university needs modern technology to develop collaborative and interactive learning. UP is therefore investing in the digital age by providing free WiFi to students. Not only has UP upgraded its WiFi and also added more WiFi hot-spots to cope with the increased number of users but UP has also improved connecting periods (Lease Time) to over ten times better than previously available.

STEM festivals are so much fun! Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics lovers of all kinds come together to share all sorts of hands-on experiences for kids and adults alike. It was the perfect way to spend 3 days with us and learn about STEM together. There were creatures to see and touch up close, hands-on demonstrations and experiments to participate in, robotics demonstrations, photo booths, and much more.

University of Puthisastra presented with various activities including Specimen collection, blood Smear examinations from Faculty of Health Sciences & Biotechnology. While Faculty of Medicine practiced Human Anatomy and medical stitching using pork skin. The Faculty of Business, Entrepreneurship & Technology and the Faculty of English Excellence & Employability presented Rubik’s cube challenge and a general knowledge quiz for prizes – which students loved. Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery conducted Body Mass Index (BMI) with health advice. Furthermore, our Faculty of Dentistry showcased their dental impression and dental molding and drawing that proved very popular with high school students. Likewise, Faculty of Pharmacy presented with various activities including exhibition, demonstration of Paracetamol syrup production, posters, extracurricular activities and research.

Encouraged by the Cambodian Government confirming that STEM is the future of Cambodia, more than 30,000 visitors and high school students joined the 5th Cambodia’s Science & Engineering Festival this year according to STEM Cambodia Organization.

UP Lecturers presentations at CamTESOL

The UP English department recently participated in CamTESOL, one of the largest English as a second language conferences which was recently held in Phnom Penh. The conference draws about 1,500 people from 30+ different countries. Our four UP presenters were Jessica Austin, Jake Pedersen, Jenny Pisani, and Dave Spencer. The UP team not only got a very positive response from the workshops that they conducted but they attend useful workshops that will help improve English instruction at UP.

UP completes its Projector upgrade

Classrooms have changed dramatically over the last couple of decades with the advent of new technologies and equipment such as multimedia projectors, developed to make teaching and learning much more interactive and engaging. Modern universities need modern equipment so over the last few months, UP has committed to replacing all its 28 projectors to improve the quality of teaching and learning. Finally our suppliers have delivered the last batch and all projectors are now operational – just waiting to deliver exciting content.

FIRST COtNFOCAL DENTAL MICROSCOPE AT A UNIVERSITY IN CAMBODIA

University of Puthisastra (UP) has just installed a confocal dental microscope in its modern 19-chair dental clinic on Street 180, Daun Penh District.

The microscope is manufactured by one of the top medical instrument companies in the world – ZUMAX Medical Co. Ltd. and was donated by the company headquarters in China. UP is the only dental school in Cambodia to have a dental microscope and there is only one other in the whole of Cambodia. Dental microscopes are state-of-the-art equipment used by many dental specialists abroad. Dentists use the very high magnification (25X) and illumination inside and around the teeth to perform complex root canal and restorative treatments and other difficult microsurgery in the mouth. This leads to better diagnosis and treatment outcomes. Cambodia only has four endodontic dentists and all four work at UP. All four are being trained to use the microscope this week under the instruction of overseas expert Dr Steven Cohn from Sydney, Australia. The microscope comes with additional attachments that allow photographs and videos to be made so that procedures can be recorded and documented for clinical casework and teaching. This is very helpful for teaching dental students and dentists and for building a data base of treatment procedures. The images from the microscope are also projected onto a computer monitor so that others can also see what the dentist is doing when working inside the tooth or deep in the oral tissues.

The donation of the dental microscope from ZUMAX marks yet another step forward for the UP Dental Clinic, which is improving its range of state-of-the-art equipment – so that its senior students and dentists can provide patients with modern high quality care. UP aims to produce a new generation of modern dentists who, with modern state-of the-art equipment and teaching from international experts, have the best clinical skills possible ” supporting highest quality dental care in Cambodia. UPs dental clinics provides a wide range of dental care using its students and international experts to also provide inexpensive high-quality dental care to those who can least afford it. UP also intends to start a new course in the near future to train specialist endodontists who can treat even the most difficult cases.

Congratulations to UP Pharmacy Alumni on receiving Thai Royal Scholarship 2019!

Ung Huykhim and Oeung Sokunary are good friends who were both graduated as pharmacy students from the University of Puthisastra (UP) in 2018. Upon their graduation, UP recognized their great potential and were employed them as a pharmacy officer and medical laboratory assistant respectively.

But UP was not the only one to recognize their excellence as Huykhim and Vary recently received full scholarship to do their master’s degree at Khon Kaen University, Thailand. Huykhim is going to study ‘Health Consumer Protection and Health Management’ while Vary will study Toxicology.

Both are inspiring examples of curiosity and compassion and UP is very proud. We all celebrate their achievement and are proud that they are a part of our campus community. Congratulations and hooray!

Surprising Starfish

Dr. Keo Samell, head of Pharmacognosy of Faculty of Pharmacy, led pharmaceutical students to conduct and publishing research on Asterias Rubens Linnaeus (or starfish in English or Pkai Samot in Khmer) found in local Phnom Penh markets.

The starfish has been traditionally used to treat inflammatory human diseases such as pain, arthritis, and hay fever. The purpose of this research was to find out the active compounds, isolate them and then develop targeted drugs. The Study was published in Healthtime Magazine

UP BUILDING COLLABORATIONS WITH SURIN HOSPITAL AND BOROMARAJONANI COLLEGE, Thailand

Three UP staff, Ms. Andrea Ryan-Dean, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Mr. Ouk Soksereivotanak, Director of Laboratory Sciences, and Mr. Im Saron Clinical Rotation Officer, Faculty or Nursing and Midwifery visited Surin Hospital and Boromarajonani College of Nursing School, Thailand on Tuesday 26th February 2019. The aim of the visit was to discuss a collaboration with the opportunity of study tour and internship, staff exchange program, and research activity. The advantage of this collaboration is that many speak Khmer in that this region of Thailand, offering great opportunities forUP students who are not strong in English language skills. The UP delegation was received very warmly and we look forward to building a close relationship.

Thailand internship for 21 UP Pharmaceutical Students

UP’s Faculty of Pharmacy is preparing for the departure of 21 UP pharmaceutical students to do a one-month internship at Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Khon Kaen University (KKU).

Their internship will start on March 14th, 2019 and end in April 14th, 2019. Three of them will do internship in Research & Development (R & D), 6 of them will do internship in Community Pharmacy, and the rest of them will do internship in Clinical Pharmacy. This is the 7th time that we sent UP Pharmaceutical Students for international experience at Khon Kaen University (KKU).

Since 2016 UP has sent 100 pharmaceutical students to do internship at KKU. In two weeks’ time, we will send 21 more students to do internship in these three disciplines. This internship demonstrates the strong collaboration between UP Faculty of Pharmacy and KKU Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

UP launches Training Program (CPD) to improve teachers’ skills and expertise

“Are you interested in enhancing your teaching practice, developing new skills and improving your students’ learning? How about learning from your colleagues and sharing your expertise in a collaborative community within UP, discipline or division? UP has good teachers but we want to make them great. Therefore, HR has launched a Continuing Professional Development Plan to upskill academic (and non-academic) staff to provide the best teaching and campus experience for students. Full-time staff who want to develop their skills should contact HR for further details.

dental students learning anatomy in a new fun way!

Year 2 dental students have begun the semester studying general anatomy led by Dr Koeun Kalyan MD. The class uses “Peer Assisted Learning” where apart from the lectures, students engage in small group discussions and rotate from station to station learning about different body systems.

One the most exciting techniques employed has been “body painting” where students draw anatomical structures on each other!! Apart from helping students learn, it is also a lot of fun! UP was first introduced to body painting several years ago following a visit by A/Prof Jenny Hayes and her team from University of Melbourne. Prof Hayes will be returning to UP very soon!

UP Medical Students selected for Global Safe Surgery Program

Two Medicine students were selected to support data collection for Safe Surgery 2020 which seeks to expand access to safe, quality, and affordable surgical care across Southeast Asia. Roeun Ratana (year 8) and Nit Buntongyi (year 7) successfully interviewed for these prestigious positions. They collect data as part of surgical observations in local Cambodian hospitals.

The Safe Surgery 2020 project is being implemented by Jhpiego, Harvard’s Program in Global Surgery and Social Change, Assist International, and local professional societies and universities. The GE Foundation recently donated $25 million to expand the program to South East Asia.

VISIT BY PROFESSOR TETSU OKAMOTO FROM HIROSHIMA UNIVERSITY

Recently UP welcomed Professor Tetsu Okamoto from the Faculty of Dentistry, Hiroshima University, Japan. Professor Okamoto is a good friend of our Board of Trustees – UP Chancellor HE Sok Puthivuth, as well as Prof Chhem Rethy. Hiroshima University has a longstanding MOU with UP and next week two UP dental students will join with their Japanese team of dentists and dental students for an outreach at a school in Siem Reap. Late last year UP dental student Mr Choun Lina won a scholarship to attend a 10 day course in Japan with other international students focusing on new technologies in the dental sciences. Discussions with Prof Okamoto were very fuitful, and included the possibility of extending our MOU to include other UP Faculties, engaging in more student and staff exchange programs, and assisting UP obtain more cutting-edge dental equipment from Japan.

VISIT from belgium nursing and midwife team

Professor Ian Findlay, President of UP and Ms Andrea Ryan, Dean of Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery hosted a visit from a Nursing and Midwife school in Belgium. Plans are underway to develop student exchanges which is very exciting for midwifery students as this will be the first of its kind in Cambodia.