The Education and Digital Affairs Division of Khon Kaen University has launched an innovative system, KKU Emergency Alert, designed using the university’s intelligent platform, KKU IntelSphere. This system provides earthquake notifications within a 2,000-kilometer radius of Khon Kaen University through Google Chat.
The initiative follows the recent 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar, which caused tremors felt in parts of Thailand, including Khon Kaen Province. The tremors were particularly noticeable in high-rise buildings on the KKU campus on March 28.
On Saturday, March 29, 2025, Asst. Prof. Dr. Denpong Soodphakdee, Vice President for Education and Digital Affairs at KKU, announced the development of the KKU Emergency Alert system. The system integrates data from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), a leading geological research agency, to send real-time earthquake alerts via KKU’s Google Chat platform.
The KKU Emergency Alert system is configured to monitor earthquakes within a 2,000-kilometer radius of the university. Initially, the alert threshold is set for earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.5 or higher, with plans to increase the threshold to 6.5 in the future. The system updates every minute to ensure timely responses to seismic events.
Asst. Prof. Dr. Denpong emphasized that the university chose Google Chat and Telegram for emergency notifications instead of commonly used platforms like LINE. This decision was made to avoid confusion with general communication and to clearly distinguish emergency alerts from routine messages.
KKU staff and students who wish to join the alert system can access it through their KKU email accounts. Simply navigate to the “Chat” section, click “Browse Spaces,” and search for the keyword “Emergency” to join the group. Alternatively, users can download the Google Chat application for easier access to notifications via the following links:
- KKU Staff: https://kku.world/emergency
- KKU Students: https://kku.world/stdemergency
This initiative underscores KKU’s commitment to leveraging technology for safety and preparedness in emergency situations.
