On October 7, during the degree conferment ceremonies at Chitralada Technology Institute (CDTI) in Thailand, Chengdu University's (CDU) collaborative research project titled "Evercare Journey: Smart Travel and Health Monitoring for Seniors" was presented to Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, Chairperson of the Institute Council of CDTI and Honorary Professor of CDU. Chaphiporn Kiatkachatharn, Director of Thai Educational and Cultural Exchange Center of CDU, and Dr. Fu Jing, one of the project's advisors, were invited to attend the event. The National Broadcasting Services of Thailand reported on this event in their 8 PM news segment.
Thai students showcased the project's background and research objectives through a video presentation in Chinese, English, and Thai. The video detailed the theoretical framework, research methodology, and main findings, while also proposing practical and feasible solutions. They highlighted an innovative application software designed and developed based on the thrust-pull theory and the design thinking framework. This software monitors the health data of seniors traveling independently in real time, addressing their health and safety needs and intelligently customizing personalized travel plans.
This project is an interdisciplinary research project. In March of this year, guided by the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange and recommended by the Thai Educational and Cultural Exchange Center, CDU’s Stirling College signed an inter-institutional cooperation agreement with CDTI's Faculty of Digital Technology. In April, an interdisciplinary mentoring team comprising Dr. Yu Xi, Dean of Stirling College, Dr. Fu Jing from the College of Tourism and Culture Industry, and Dr. Yu Xiaodong from the College of Computer Science, integrated resources from various disciplines such as big data technology, tourism management, and health sciences. They selected five students from across the university to serve as researchers for this project, collaborating with Thai faculty and students. The participating students came from Stirling College, the College of Tourism and Culture Industry, the College of Computer Science, and the Law School. After more than four months of online discussions and field research, the Chinese and Thai teams jointly developed the "Evercare Journey: Smart Travel and Health Monitoring for Seniors" program.
During the project summary meeting in August, Professor Khunying Sumonta Promboon, President of CDTI, praised the sincere collaboration between the two university teams. She noted that the faculty and students have actively implemented the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the research outcomes have significantly contributed valuable solutions to enhancing the health and well-being of senior citizens (SDG-3), thereby validating the successful practice of the applied education philosophy of both institutions.
This project marks the first attempt by Stirling College to organize interdisciplinary international research collaboration among faculty and students, holding profound value in cultivating interdisciplinary applied talents with an international perspective and the ability to materialize innovative thinking.
Editor: Min Xiuling Executive Editor: Lyu Jia
