On July 8, 2024, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chuthamanee Suthisisang, Acting Director of the ASEAN Institute for Health Development of Mahidol University and Executive Secretary of the ASEAN University Network-Health Promotion Network (AUN-HPN), along with Dr. Choltis Dhirathiti, Executive Director of the ASEAN University Network (AUN), presided over and welcomed participants to the HURS Workshop 2024. The event, held under the theme “Improving Healthy University Implementation Based on Healthy University Rating System (HURS)“, is part of the AUN-HPN’s agenda.
During the workshop, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thunwadee Suksaroj, Acting Deputy Director of Administrationat the ASEAN Institute for Health Development ofMahidol University and Deputy Executive Secretary of the AUN-HPN, introduced the role of the AUN-HPN Secretariat in driving health promotion policies and cooperation among ASEAN universities.Following this, Prof. Dr. Chartchalerm Isarankura-Na-Ayudhya, Dean of the Graduate School at Mahidol University and Chair of the Working Group on HURS Development, presented and explained the updated criteria for the Healthy University Rating System (HURS) Version 2024. These updates include new assessment questions aimed at clarifying this year’s HURS evaluation process for the participating universities. This will ensure a more accurate understanding of the criteria and a smoother data submission process. The workshop also provided practical training where participants, both those attending in-person at the Jamjuree Ballroom, Pathumwan Princess Hotel, Pathum Wan District, Bangkok, and online via Zoom Meeting platform, could practice entering university data into the system and engage in discussions about its functionalities.
Moreover, the workshop served as a platform for meaningful exchanges among delegates from universities across Southeast Asia and beyond. Representatives from institutions that received the prestigious 5-star and 5-star+ ratings in the 2566 assessment cycle—including Universiti KebangsaanMalaysia, Universitas Indonesia, Universitas Gadjah Mada, De La Salle University, Burapha University, and King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi—shared their best practices for fostering health promotion in universities. The event drew 160 participants from 56 universities spanning Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Singapore, Myanmar, Thailand, and Japan, fostering a robust dialogue on advancing health promotion initiatives in ASEAN universities.
Photo credit: ASEAN Institute for Health Development, Mahidol University