Prince of Songkla University held the 7th PSU Researcher and Innovation Day at the PSU International Convention Centre on the 17th of June, 2013. This annual event aims to honor all the scholars who contributed to the university’s success by creating valuable works of national and international fame. It is the university’s policy to develop its staff’s strength and potential, along with their research skills. On this occasion, the ceremony was opened by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chusak Limsakul, the President of Prince of Songkla University.

Then, it was a seminar on “Research from Mind: Foundation of Research into Usability” by the honor lecturers Dr. Veerapong Pratchayasitthikul, the Dean of Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Prof. Dr. Phadungsak Rattanadecho, Assistant to the Rector for Research and Education Thammasat University, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yongyuth Chalamwong, Thailand Development Research Institute. The event was conducted by Asst. Prof. Akkharawit Kanjana-Opas, the Director of Prince of Songkla University Science Park.

The highlight of the event was a ceremony to award plaques and certificates to researchers who gained national and international awards, the university’s excellent research network awards, the plaques for useful research for a community, the plaques for Songklanakrin Innovations, the plaques for excellent entrepreneur of PSU Business Incubator Centre, the certificates for researchers who gained fame for the university, the certificates for outstanding theses, the 2012 PSU Researcher Grand Slam and Blue Jacket awards, with the 200 researchers who joined in this activity.

The 2012 PSU Research Grand Slam is an award granted to the honored researchers who have continually got awards in this event for five years, and have gained awards on the international level as well. They must be model researchers or have excellent research. Their works must be referred or mentioned in the top 20 ranking in the ISI database, and their works must be useful for the community. Nine researchers received this award this year: Dr. Alan Frederick-Geater from the Faculty of Medicine, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Duangporn Kanthachote from Faculty of Science, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Theerapol Srichana from the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Poonsuk Prasertsan from the Faculty of Agro-Industry, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Proespichaya Kanatharana from the Faculty of Science, Prof. Dr. Supayang Voravuthikunchai from the Faculty of Science, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Supinya Tewtrakul from the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Assoc. Dr. Saowalak Pongpaichit from the Faculty of Science, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aran Hanpongkittikun from the Faculty of Agro-Industry.

This year, the Blue Jacket award went to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Poonsuk Prasertsun from the Faculty of Agro-Industry. On this occasion, she also delivered a speech, stating that in order to be a successful researcher must use a “5 M 1 E” theory, as follows:

• Mind: do research with love and happiness.
• Man: colleagues are an important part of success.
• Money: must have proper and enough budgets to do research.
• M&M (Materials & Methods): search for information and methods, including the research instruments used.
• Management: must have an effective management.
• Environment: good environment and comfortable workplace atmosphere are necessary, along with the right tools and place, and the right people (colleagues).