Visiting AIT on 18 February
Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI)
Prof. Roger Karsperson, Executive Director of Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) visited AIT to discuss possible linkages and collaboration between SEI and AIT. He was accompanied by Mrs. Jeanne Kasperson.
Established in 1989, SEI is an independent, international research institute specializing in sustainable
development and environment issues. The establishment followed an initiative by the Swedish Government to develop an international environment/development research organisation. It works at local, national, regional and global policy levels. The SEI research programmes aim to clarify the requirements, strategies and policies for a transition to sustainability. These goals are linked to the principles advocated in Agenda 21 and the Conventions such as Climate Change, Ozone Layer Protection and Biological Diversity. SEI along with its predecessor, the Beijer Institute, has been engaged in major environment and development issues for a quarter of a century.
The Institute has its headquarters in Stockholm with a network structure of permanent and associated staff worldwide and centres in Boston (USA), York (UK), and Tallinn (Estonia). There are regional offices in Brussels (Belgium). The Bangkok office is at AIT, co-located with UNEP Offices. The collaborative network consists of scientists, research institutes, project advisors and field staff located in over 20 countries.
Prof. Roger Karsperson and Mrs. Jeanne Kasperson (fourth and sixth from left) are seen at the lunch meeting with AIT President, Prof. Jean-Louis Armand (fourth from right). Also in the photo are from left: Mr. Karma Rana, Executive Assistant to President; Mr. Vikrom Mathur, Asia Representative/SEI; Prof. Mario T. Tabucanon, Provost; Mr. Surendra M. Shrestha, Director of UNEP Environment Assessment Programme for Asia and the Pacific; and Prof. Chongrak Polprasert, Dean, School of Environment, Resources and Development.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Dr. Richard Kiang, Goddard Space Flight Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Washington, D.C., U.S.A., came to AIT to dicuss possible collaboration between Goddard Space Flight Center and AIT's Space Technology Applications and Research (STAR) Program on using remote sensing for health risk assessment.
Photo shows from left: Dr. Michiro Kusanagi of STAR Program; Dr. Kiyoshi Honda, STAR Program Coordinator; AIT President, Prof. Jean-Louis Armand; Dr. Richard Kiang; and Prof. Huynh Ngoc Phien, Dean, School of Advanced Technologies
Mekong River Commission Secretariat
Dr. R. Al-Soufi (center), Senior Advisor (Technical Issues) of the Technical Support Division, Mekong River Commission Secretariat, accompanied by Dr. Kittipong Jirayoot (left), Water Resource Modeller of MRC Secretariat, are seen being welcomed by Prof. Mario T. Tabucanon, Provost, during their visit. They also met with AIT faculty members from Water Engineering and Management Program and Space Technology Applications and Research Program to disucss on flood hydrology, disaster prevention, Mekong flood related publication, and research works.