NERS NEWS— Hat Yai, Thailand – July 22, 2026 – The third and final day of the Student Exchange Program between Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) and Prince of Songkla University (PSU) concluded with a meaningful series of academic activities, community health promotion initiatives, and reflections on the international learning experience. The final day’s program provided students with opportunities to deepen their understanding of community health services, exchange research findings, and strengthen the academic partnership between Universitas Airlangga and Prince of Songkla University.
The day began with a visit to the Elderly Health Promotion and Rehabilitation Center, a healthcare facility dedicated to health promotion and rehabilitation services for older adults. During the visit, students learned about various programs designed to enhance the quality of life of the elderly through promotive, preventive, curative, and rehabilitative approaches. They also observed how healthcare professionals actively engage families and the community in supporting older adults’ independence, enabling them to maintain active and productive lives. This visit provided valuable insights into Thailand’s elderly healthcare system and highlighted the importance of community-oriented healthcare services tailored to the needs of the aging population.
The program continued with the Community Health Promotion Project in Moo 3 Bann Mai, Khong Rang Subdistrict, where participants visited a community-managed stingless bee farm. The visit showcased an example of community empowerment that utilizes local resources to promote health while improving the community’s economic well-being. Students gained firsthand knowledge of stingless bee farming, including colony management, honey harvesting techniques, and the various health benefits of stingless bee honey. Beyond its economic value, the initiative demonstrated how community-based innovation can contribute to building healthier and more sustainable communities. Through this experience, students recognized that health promotion extends beyond education and healthcare services, encompassing community empowerment strategies that enhance overall quality of life.
The next session featured the Nursing Knowledge Sharing: UNAIR × PSU, an academic forum designed to facilitate the exchange of knowledge between Universitas Airlangga and Prince of Songkla University. Three research presentations focusing on community health were delivered during this session. The first presentation was given by Dr. Retno Indarwati, entitled Associated Factors of Successful Aging among Community-Dwelling Older Adults in a Rural Area of Indonesia: A Cross-Sectional Study, which explored the factors influencing successful aging among older adults living in rural communities in Indonesia. The second presentation was delivered by Dr. Nur Arifah Astri, titled Healthy Eating Habits to Prevent Hypertension, emphasizing the importance of adopting healthy dietary habits as a strategy to prevent hypertension within the community. The third presentation was presented by Mr. Patompong Kaewmorakot, a Master’s student in the Community Nurse Practitioner Program at PSU, entitled Effects of Self-Management Program with LINE Application on Recurrent Preventive Behaviors and Blood Pressure in Muslim Ischemic Stroke Patients with Uncontrolled Hypertension. The study demonstrated how the use of the LINE application could support patient self-management, improve adherence to recurrent stroke prevention behaviors, and contribute to better blood pressure control. The knowledge-sharing session concluded with an engaging discussion among faculty members and students from both universities, fostering the exchange of ideas, broadening research perspectives, and strengthening international academic collaboration.
The program then continued with a wrap-up presentation delivered by Universitas Airlangga students as a reflection on the entire three-day Student Exchange Program. During this session, students shared their learning experiences, highlighted the new knowledge they had gained, and expressed their impressions of Thailand’s educational system and healthcare services. The presentation served as both an evaluation and a celebration of the academic learning, field experiences, and cross-cultural exchanges they had experienced throughout the program.
The final day of the Student Exchange Program at Prince of Songkla University marked the conclusion of a comprehensive international learning experience, encompassing exposure to elderly healthcare services, community empowerment through local resources, scientific research exchange, and meaningful reflections on global learning. It is expected that the program will enrich the competencies of Universitas Airlangga students, enhance their global perspectives, and prepare them to become adaptive, innovative, and professional nurses capable of delivering patient-centered and community-oriented healthcare services at both the national and international levels.
Authors : Lintang Prameswari
