ASSOC. PROF. SAKARINDR BHUMIRATANA, Ph.D.
Dr. Sakarindr Bhumiratana is currently President of King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT) and is a member of the National Reform Council where he is the Chair of the Committee on Science, Technology, Innovation, Research and IP. He completed dual bachelor degrees with highest honors in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering from the University of California Davis in 1971. He went on to complete his doctorate at the University of Wisconsin Madison in 1975, before undertaking a post-doctoral project on the dynamics of polymeric fluids at the same university.
On returning to Thailand, Dr. Sakarindr took up a position with the Department of Chemical Technology at Chulalongkorn University for a number of years before joining the Department of Chemical Engineering at KMUTT, where he served as Chairman in 1979. He also held positions as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, School of Energy and Materials in 1982, as well as the Faculty of Engineering in 1987. Dr. Sakarindr was appointed the Executive Director of the National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in 1991, where he served for a period of eight years before returning as Senior Vice President for Administrative Affairs at KMUTT from 2000-2004. He was then appointed as President of the National Science and Technology Development Agency, where he served until 2010.
Dr. Sakarindr was a recipient of the ASEAN Meritorious Service Award in 2005 and was accepted as a Fellow of the International Academy of Food Science and Technology in 2006 and the Petroleum Institute of Thailand Distinguished Fellow in 2012. He is the Chairman of Thailand National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Board and Ajionomoto Foundation (Thailand) Board of Directors. He is currently a member of the National Economic and Social Development Board, the Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Agency, the National Science and Technology Development Board, Thailand Environmental Institute, Thailand Management Association Council, as well as serving on various university councils. He was Chairman of ASEAN Subcommittee on Food Science and Technology under ASEAN COST, of which he was Thai representative for over a decade. He has also served as a member of the SME Bank Board, BOI, Food Committee of FDA, ARDA, Japanese AIST Advisory Board, Scientific Directors of ILSI-SEA and several other organizations.