AIT signs MOU with Ministry of Education, Government of Pakistan
AIT entered into a new era of partnership with the Government of Pakistan by signing a Memorandum of Understanding on December 17, 2002.
This is a historic event since the last MOU with the Government of Pakistan lapsed in December 1996, and much effort, dedication and hard work especially during the last one and a half years between the President's Office and the Pakistani Embassy in Bangkok, has culminated in the signing ceremony.
The MOU will serve to strengthen the partnership between the Ministry of Education, Government of Pakistan and AIT in meeting the human resources development needs of Pakistan in the fields of science, engineering, technology and management. The MOU further provides a scheme in which the Government of Pakistan and AIT will jointly sponsor scholarships for Doctoral and Master's degree programs offered through the Schools at AIT.
The Government of Pakistan, through the Ministry of Education, shall be responsible for providing major scholarship support for Pakistani nationals identified for participation in the program and meeting the eligibility criteria of the Ministry and Admission criteria of AIT to study in a Master's or Doctoral degree programs at AIT. The Ministry and AIT joint scholarship support will be allocated on the basis of the two term AIT fellowship scheme for the Master's and the four term fellowship scheme for the Doctoral.
The MOU will be effective for a period of five years and it is envisaged that an allocation of 10 Master's and 10 Ph.D. scholarships will be offered through the joint funding criteria on a yearly basis.
Prof. Jean-Louis Armand, AIT President, and H.E. Major General (Retd.) Muhammad Hasan Aqeel, Ambassador of Pakistan to Thailand, exchanging the signed MOU at the conclusion of the MOU Signing Ceremony.
Prof. Jean-Louis Armand, AIT President; H.E. Major General (Retd.) Muhammad Hasan Aqeel, Ambassador of Pakistan; Mr. Nafees Zakaria, Counsellor; Prof. Mario T. Tabucanon, Provost; Prof. Chongrak Polprasert, Dean of SERD; Prof. Himangshu Paul, Dean of SOM; Prof. Huynh Ngoc Phien, Dean of SAT; Prof. Tawatchai Tingsanchali, Faculty of SCE; Mr. Naveed Anwar, Assistant Director of ACECOMS; Mr. Benjamin Gargabite, Admissions and Scholarships Officer; Mr. Sanjeev Jayasinghe, Assistant to the President and responsible for initiating and coordinating the MOU and charge of Pakistani Government Cooperation; together with Pakistani staff and students.
H.E. Ambassador Muhammad Hasan Aqeel also informed AIT President, Prof. Jean-Louis Armand, that the Ministry of Education has also approved and will allocate Pakistan Rs. 450,000 (approximately US$ 7,450) per annum for the actual expenditure incurred on the 'research work' to be undertaken by Pakistani students in Pakistan.