Extraordinary Board Meeting
An extraordinary board meeting was held on 7 September 2004. The meeting was chaired by H.E. Mr. Anand Panyarachun, Chairman. H.E. Dr. Thanat Khoman, Chairman Emeritus also attended the event.
Board members or representatives who attended were Dr. Kopr Kritayakirana. Vice Chairman of the Board and Chairman of the Executive Committee; H.E. Mr. Shahed Akhtar (Bangladesh); Professor Jean-Louis Armand, AIT President; H.E. Mr. Laurent Aublin (France); H.E. Mr. Mir Hussain Bakhsh Bangulzai (Pakistan); Professor Voradej Chandarasorn, (Secretary General, Office of the National Education Commission); H.E. Mr. Denis Comeau (Canada); H.E. Mr. Hans Peter Erismann (Switzerland) (represented by Mr. Jacques Lauer, Charge d'Affaires); H.E. Mr. Jonas Hafstrom (Sweden); H.E. Mr. Ulrik Helweg-Larsen (Denmark); Mr. Yadav Khanal, Charge d'Affaires a.i. (Nepal); H.E. Mr. Gerard J.H.C. Kramer (The Netherlands); H.E. Mrs. Ragne Birte Lund (Norway) (represented by Mr. Ola Storberg, Charge d'Affaires); Mr. Sunten Z. Manurung, Charge d'Affaires (Indonesia); Mr. Chainarong Na Lamphun, President, AITAA; H.E. Mr. Hiem Phommachanh (Laos); Mr. Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Director-General, Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, (represented by Mr. Kiattikhun Chartprasert, Deputy Director-General, Department of Information, MOFA); H.E. Mrs. L.K. Ponappa (India); H.E. Mr. Antonio Rodriguez (Philippines); H.E. Dr. Klauspeter Schmallenbach, Head of Delegation, EC (represented by Mr. Johan Cauwenbergh, Charge d'Affaires); H.E. Mr. Atsushi Tokinoya (Japan); H.E. Dr. Herbert Traxl (Austria) (represented by Mr. Thorsten Eisingerich, Charge d'Affaires); H.E. Mr. Heikki Tuunanen (Finland); Dr. Phaichitr Uathavikul; H.E. Mr. Ung Sean (Cambodia); H.E. Mr. Andreas von Stechow (Germany) (represented by Mr. Holger Michael, Minister-Counsellor); H.E. Mr. Yoon Jee-Joon (Korea) (represented by Mr. Kim Bong-Joo, Minister); and H.E. Mr. J.D.A. Wijewardena (Sri Lanka) (represented by Mr. A.S. Khan, First Secretary).
Also invited to attend, albeit in a non-voting capacity, were Professor Charas Suwanwela (Chairman, Presidential Search Committee); H.E. Mr. Jan Axel Nordlander (Vice Chairman, Presidential Search Committee and Vice Chairman, Executive Committee);
and Professor William C. Webster (Chairman, Academic Advisory Panel and member of
the Presidential Search Committee).
The Board endorsed the nomination of new members H.E. Mr. Denis Comeau, Ambassador-designate of Canada, H.E. Mr. Jonas Hafstrom, Ambassador of Sweden, in replacement of H.E. Dr. Andrew McAlister and H.E. Mr. Jan Axel Nordlander, respectively, and of H.E. Mr. Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Director General of the Department of Information and Official Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thailand, nominated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Board acknowledged with regret the resignation from the Board and Executive Committee of M.R. Pridiyathorn Devakula, Governor of the Bank of Thailand, for reasons of increasing workload and constraints on his time.
The Board received the final report and the recommendations of the Presidential Search Committee (PSC) presented by Professor Charas Suwanwela, Chairman of the PSC, who was accompanied by Ambassador Jan Axel Nordlander, Vice-Chairman of the PSC and Professor William C Webster, Chairman of the Academic Advisory Panel. The Board expressed its appreciation to the Committee for the thoroughness and impartiality of its work. Following a general discussion, and two rounds of voting, the search has by now narrowed down to two finalists. In consultation with those members the PSC present at the meeting, it was decided that further deliberations are necessary and will take place at the next meeting of the Board scheduled for 26 October 2004, at which the selection of the next President should be finalized.
The Board expressed its concern at the increase in intensity and violence of the attacks by e-mails anonymously sent to members of the faculty and staff, alumni, members of the Board and its committees, members of the PSC as well as institutions and individuals in Thailand and abroad by one or more individuals posing as AIT faculty members, in spite of previous warnings. Should such attempts at intimidation and destabilization through slanderous allegations, personal attacks and unfounded rumors be allowed to continue, damage to the Institute could be irretrievable.
The administration was directed to conduct an internal enquiry in order to collect evidence and facts pertaining to this matter to be made available to the Board, following which the Board will decide on the setting up of a more long-term strategic committee to address the issue.
In parallel, the Academic Senate was requested to set up a faculty committee to collect the opinion of faculty in assessing the current situation and to make positive recommendations to improve the situation. The Board expressed the wish that appropriate measures be taken by the Academic Senate in order to revive the faculty membership in the Faculty Relations Committee.