Building a Thailand–Japan Research Partnership: Lessons from a Collaborative Study on Social Media Use among Pharmacy Students

This poster describes the development of a Thailand–Japan research partnership through a collaborative study of social media use among pharmacy students at Chiang Mai University and Kindai University. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study collected survey responses from 333 Thai and 236 Japanese students, alongside qualitative interviews with five students in each country. Preliminary findings suggest that students use social media for both academic and everyday purposes, reporting benefits such as learning, communication, and relaxation, alongside challenges related to time management, sleep, and concentration. Beyond these findings, the collaboration demonstrates how joint study design, ethical coordination, data interpretation, and shared decision-making can strengthen international research partnerships. This experience provides a practical model for cross-country collaboration and future initiatives promoting healthier social media use among university students. Key words International Research Collaboration; Social Media Use; Pharmacy Students; Mixed-Methods Research; Thailand–Japan Partnership