October 8, 2020, the National Institute for Child and Family Development, Mahidol University organized an open house titling “Innovation for Child Development and Protection” in an online platform led by Assoc. Prof. Adisak Plitponkarnpim, M.D., Director of the National Institute for Child and Family Development, Mahidol University, Assist. Prof. Dr. Athiwat Jiawiwatkul, Program Secretary, Dr. Kannika Permpoonputtana, Dr. Sarun Kunwittaya, Dr. Nootchanart Ruksee, Dr. Chadarat Hengsadeekul, Mr. Time Chuastapanasiri, and Mr. Tanawat Thommachot come to join us for giving information about the innovation for child development and protection.
Assoc. Prof. Adisak Plitponkarnpim, M.D., Director of the National Institute for Child and Family Development, Mahidol University explains that the situation of the global society is rapidly changing, especially in the era of globalization in terms of technology, economy, and society. It leads to the changing of the way of life and work and also leads to unsustainable in the future. Therefore, the institute foresaw and wants to develop people who understand these changes in both children and families need to be developed and protected. It is the origin of the curriculum for the development and protection of children.
In addition, the program is open to the public and interested people can join to improve and develop the knowledge and necessary skills to perform the job (Reskill UpSkill Addskill). When the learner has completed this program, he or she can pursue a variety of careers such as learning through play provider, family support provider, child protection and safety manager, and so on. Assoc. Prof. Adisak said.
In this program, the lecturer will teach both on-site and online. On-site, the learner will have the experience to organize the experiments or design the innovation models. Moreover, this program was divided into regular programs and special programs. The regular program organizes classes on Monday – Friday, which is suitable for people who are not working a full-time job whereas the special program organizes classes on Saturday – Sunday which is suitable for people who are working a full-time job. However, both the regular and the special programs will be taught in the same semester, where students can choose to study which program that they are suitable for.
The Innovation for Child Development and Protection Program has a wide variety of interesting core courses and elective courses such as Innovation and design thinking for child development and intervention, Developmental neuroscience for child development and protection, Family support provider, leaning through play provider, Child protection and safety manager, Social Advocacy for child and family development, and so on. All of the subjects in this program are offered by the institute in order to enable the learners to have the knowledge and ability to apply the knowledge to the benefit of both themselves and society.
The NICFD hopes to work together with the learners who have interested in child development and protection in order to create the new innovation for child development and protection and also to drive the policies to benefit Thai society and create a new profession to benefit the care of children and family.
