National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) (Public Organization), Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI), Thailand, jointly hosted a ceremony at NARIT headquarter, Chiang Mai, to sign on a document for the renewal of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Joint Institute for VLBI[1] European Research Infrastructure Consortium (JIVE) in the Netherlands on 9th January 2024.
The original MoU was signed and issued on 7th November 2019, the major objective in which was initiation of an official collaboration and science observations between national radio telescopes in Thailand and the European VLBI Network (EVN) operated under the JIVE. It would be the foundation to develop the relevant engineering skills and enhance the relevant technologies. This time was just in timing to achieve the renewal because the 40-m Thai National Radio Telescope (TNRT) has been scientifically launched as the open-use Call for Proposals in cycle 0 since 10th October 2023, 10 TST[2], and will be ready to initiate a VLBI collaboration soon.
In the ceremony, Dr. Saran Poshyachinda, the executive director of NARIT, and Dr. Agnieszka Słowikowska, the JIVE director, on behalf of each organization signed on the MoU renewal document finally. While witnesses from both sides were represented by Dr. Wiphu Rujopakarn - the deputy director of NARIT, Dr. Busaba H. Kramer - Staff Astronomer at Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy (MPIfR) and scientific advisor to NARIT, Dr. Koichiro Sugiyama - chief scientist of the Thai National Radio Astronomy Observatory (TNRO) in NARIT, and the observatory staff members.
Dr. Saran Poshyachinda, the signee on behalf of NARIT, stated, “Radio Astronomy plays a very important role as a branch of multi-wavelength and multi-messenger astronomy in understanding of the universe, on the basis of its advantages of observable using ground-based telescopes both day and night, and achievable synthetic aperture as large as, very-long-baseline-interferometry or VLBI. This is a great opportunity to renew the MoU between JIVE and NARIT to strengthen collaboration between our TNRT and the EVN in practice, and to achieve lots of fruitful scientific observations together.”
Dr. Agnieszka Słowikowska, the signee on behalf of JIVE, stated, “I am pleased to be back to NARIT for the first time since 2013. In the last visit, it was the timing to scientifically launch the Thai National Observatory (TNO) with the 2.4-m Thai National Telescope in Doi Inthanon National Park. During this visit, I am amazed to see the dramatic development of NARIT’s radio astronomy and geodesy with the TNRO. I am very much looking forward to fruitfully collaborating with your radio telescope in Thailand soon.”
Dr. Agnieszka Słowikowska visited the TNRO site at the Huai Hong Khrai Royal Development Study Centre in Doi Saket district, led by Dr. Koichiro Sugiyama. In addition, she also visited the Princess Sirindhorn AstroPark and the Advanced laboratory at NARIT headquarters, as well as the TNO site in Doi Inthanon for the first time since 2013, led by Dr. Busaba H. Kramer. These visits resulted in great impression on her for moving forward the intense collaboration between JIVE and NARIT.
[1] Very Long Baseline Interferometry is to be constituted with multiple radio telescopes that locates far away each other, like province to province, country to country, and continent to continent.
[2] https://indico.narit.or.th/event/197/
Related Links
https://www.jive.eu/news/jive-and-narit-renew-collaboration-coinciding-40-m-tnrts-grand-debut
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7163472018829463552
https://www.facebook.com/JIVEVLBI
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