Schedule

The Nuclear and Plasma Science Society (NPSS) of IEEE has started organizing International Schools on Nuclear Instrumentation back in 2014. Since then, schools have been held in Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, South Africa and Senegal. Plans for the near future include schools in Morocco and Indonesia.

The schools aim at an audience of students (Master / PhD). School size has varied between 25 up to 60 students, the length from 3 to 10 days. The program usually consists of a balanced mixture of lectures and a series of hands-on exercises. Originally concentrated around experimental nuclear physics we have broadened the scope and already organized a few schools focusing on medical imaging and physics.

Lecturers come from a wide pool of senior experts. To allow a broad coverage of subjects we nowadays invite some lectures to be given remotely. The core of the schools, however, are the exercises. Students work together in small groups on laboratory experiments. Taking advantage of the miniaturization and digitization of nuclear instrumentation (Silicon photomultipliers, integrated electronics, data acquisition systems using small computers like RaspberryPi) we have developed a series of portable experiments that can be carried in normal airplane luggage to the site of the school. Examples are measurement of speed of light using cosmic rays, time of flight experiments, usage of silicon detectors in nuclear instrumentation, and demonstration of PET nuclear imaging.

The organization is shared between NPSS and a local partner. Most funding, including some travel support for attending students, can be covered by NPSS. Some in-kind contribution of the local partners is expected.

The second part of the contribution to the NuVirLab project will be presented. The “Nuclear Virtual Lab” was started in 2022 as a collaboration between VNU-HCMUS and NPSS. It aims at the development of web-based tools to allow students to perform virtual experiments in nuclear physics, as well as making professional nuclear physics databases (such as NIST / PSTAR) more accessible.

The field of education has witnessed significant changes and positive influences as a result of the progress in science and technology. The effective utilization of technological advancements and research outcomes plays a crucial role in enhancing the quality of educational programs. In this report, various teaching activities are presented, incorporating the latest research findings and endeavors aimed at augmenting students' practical skills through laboratory work. These activities are based on research projects conducted by the Department of Physics at the University of Science, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City.

In this talk, I will introduce two internship programs in Taiwan, i.e., Taiwan Experience Education Program (TEEP) and International Internship Pilot Program (IIPP). Starting from 2015, Taiwan’s Ministry of Education (MOE) proposed TEEP program to invite international students to participate in short-term professional internship projects in Taiwan’s universities and colleges. In 2023, National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) announced the international internship pilot program (IIPP) and hope to help foreign students engage in advanced studies or start a career in Taiwan. From TEEP program interns can receive 15,000 NTD subsidy per month for 6 months at most. From IIPP program, interns will receive 30,000 NTD subsidy monthly, 3 months at most. In my laboratory, so far 6 interns from Vietnam and the Philippines from these programs have joined my research projects about ion trap for antibody detection, nanodiamond for biomedical applications, MALDI sample preparation, and ultra-high weight polymer analysis. 

Besides, our department provides advanced physics experiments for college students and workshops about general physics experiments for junior and high school students. For example, college students can learn modern technologies such as AIoT, 3D printing techniques, and imaging tools to do advanced physics experiments of slit diffraction, Mie scattering, phase transition, torsion pendulum, gravity, etc. In the workshops, junior and high school students also learn some technologies such as Arduino and Labview software, AI recognition, and Python simulation to solve scientific problems from International Young Physicists Tournament (IYPT) and do general physics experiments. With the help of modern technologies, learning physics can be effective and fun. 

References

1. https://teep.studyintaiwan.org/

2. https://iipp.tw/

3. https://sites.google.com/view/lab-maker

4. https://sites.google.com/gms.ndhu.edu.tw/iots

5. Avinash A. Patil, Zhe-Xuan Liu, Yi-Pang Chiu, Thị Khánh Ly Lại, Szu-Wei Chou, Chun-Yen Cheng, Wen-Min Su, Hong-Ting Liao, Justin Benedict A. Agcaoili, Wen-Ping Peng*, Development of a linear ion trap mass spectrometer capable of analyzing megadalton MALDI ions, Talanta, 259, 12455 (2023)

6. Avinash A. Patil, Thị Khánh Ly Lại, Yi-Pang Chiu, Zhe-Xuan Liu, Justin Benedict A. Agcaoili, Che-Jen Lin, and Wen-Ping Peng*, Generation of Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polystyrene MALDI Ions with Copper Cationization Reagents (2023)

7. Avinash A. Patil, Mhikee Janella N. Descanzo, Justin Benedict A. Agcaoili, Cheng-Kang Chiang, Chia-Liang Cheng, Huan-Cheng Chang, Wen-Ping Peng*,  Carboxylated/Oxidized Diamond Nanoparticles for Quantifying Immunoglobulin G Antibodies Using Mass Spectrometry, ACS Applied Nano Materials, 4, 8922−8936 (2021)

8. Avinash A. Patil, Thị Khanh Ly Lại, Chi-Wei Wang, Guan-Fu Chen, Bo-Xun Du, Cheng-Kang Chiang, Wen-Ping Peng*, Generation of multiply charged ions from homogeneous MALDI microcrystals, International Journal of Mass Spectrometry, 462, 116539 (2021)

The impact of climate change presents a formidable challenge to global ecosystems, economies, and societies. In this context, understanding the role of women in climate change mitigation and adaptation is of paramount importance. The international frameworks and policies increasingly emphasize the need to integrate gender perspectives into climate change responses since women, particularly in developing countries, bear the disproportionate burden of climate change impacts. Collected data show that climate-induced disasters and environmental degradation intensify existing gender disparities, affecting women's livelihoods, health, and overall well-being. This talk explores the intricate connection between women and climate change, highlighting their unique strengths, indispensable contributions to the global decision-making process, and huge potential for transformative action. 

The Department of Nuclear Engineering at Chulalongkorn University has been established since 1973 for the M.Sc. and M.Eng. programs and 1997 for the Ph.D. program. In 2016, the Bachelor's Degree in Nuclear and Radiological Engineering was founded. Even though Thailand has not had a plan for the first nuclear power plant in the near future yet, the utilisation of nuclear and radiological technology in industrial and medical applications have been constantly rising. The Department of Nuclear Engineering at Chulalongkorn University, being the one and only Nuclear Engineering program in Thailand, aims to produce the much-needed workforce to serve the society. 

Nuclear Engineering is a multidisciplinary area. Thus, the curriculum of Bachelor's Degree in Nuclear and Radiological Engineering covers a broad range of expertise including nuclear instrumentation, industrial and medical applications of nuclear and radiological technology, nuclear reactor and nuclear power plant technology, particle accelerators, nuclear materials, nuclear power, environmental radiation, nuclear waste management and plasma fusion, etc. The structure of B.Eng. The curriculum is mainly based on lectures and laboratories. Field trips are also offered occasionally to provide practical experience and motivation to the students.

An interest of students in a medical application of nuclear technology has been fast growing. The subject ‘Nuclear Technology in Medical Application’ is one of the selective subjects in the curriculum aiming to provide the knowledge related to radiopharmaceuticals as radioactive tracers in medical imaging, external beam radiotherapy, image acquisition technology for medical diagnosis such as Computed Tomography (CT), Positron Emission Tomography (PET), Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT), etc. This subject is divided into 3 parts as taught by 3 main professors who are experts in each area. In the first part, students learn the principles of image acquisition for all the imaging modalities as mentioned above, emphasising on the method of image reconstruction. To get hands-on experience, some experiments and demonstrations on MATLAB programming are designed to let the students try creating their own images and learning about different reconstruction algorithms. In addition, the latest research results about a deep-learning method to generate synthesised CT images with improved image quality for radiotherapy planning verification are also shared and discussed in the class. Experts in the fields are also invited to give special lectures on ‘Engineering Principles of Nuclear Medicine Imaging’ and ‘Numerical Application (CFD) of Nuclear Imaging’. In the latter topic, some interesting Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) case studies are shown to illustrate how nuclear images can be used to evaluate important medical parameters.

This presentation underscores the diverse benefits of integrating hands-on activities in the STEM curriculum, spanning from enhancing critical thinking and problem-solving skills to promoting real-world application and career readiness. However, the successful integration of such activities necessitates a clear alignment with standards and a robust assessment framework. By aligning activities with well-defined standards and incorporating transparent assessment procedures, educators ensure the pedagogical effectiveness and relevance of practical engagements. Moreover, a proposed model of collaboration between educational institutions, particularly schools and universities, will be presented. This model aims to cultivate a synergistic partnership to facilitate the implementation of meaningful practical activities in the STEM curriculum. A notable example is presented—a high school STEM project centered around the theme of environment protection. 

Service Learning (SL) is an experiential learning method in which both learners and communities benefit as learners apply academic knowledge to address community needs. Through this approach, learners acquire a comprehensive understanding of their subjects, professional and social skills, and a sense of social responsibility, serving the community.

In addition to providing an overview of SL, the presentation will showcase several exemplary SL projects implemented at VNUHCM-University of Science since 2013. Specifically, we will analyze the technological aspects used in these projects to explain the roles of technology in community-integrated educational activities. 

Keywords: Service Learning, Technology, Service Learning Project

The presentation highlights the role of technology in supporting visually impaired individuals in general and inclusive learning of visually impaired students (VIS) in particular. Specifically, personal computers, screen reader software, and smartphones are identified as crucial tools that enable them to access knowledge and information quickly and efficiently. Additionally, the challenges in inclusive education for inclusive teachers (IT) and VIS are also presented, including a clear shortfall in the specialized training of IT, difficulty for VIS in accessing learning materials, and particularly the existence of Braille barrier between IT and VIS during their teaching and learning. On this basis, a Math Importer and Reader (MIR) toolkit supporting VIS in reading and composing Math documents with complex symbols on a computer will be introduced as a feasible solution. This practical solution also enables IT to easily monitor and assess the VIS’s inclusive learning without the need for Braille translation assistance of inclusive support teacher, as was previously required.

Keywords: visually impaired students, inclusive teachers, MIR toolkit.