Malaysian university's visit means future collaboration
On 8 September 2006, a delegation from the Universiti Teknologi Petronas, Malaysia, made an official visit to AIT. The visit was in reciprocation to an AIT School of Engineering and Technology delegation's visit to Malaysia a few months ago. They discussed collaboration between the two universities, mainly with regard to AIT's Offshore Technology and Management program.
From the visit of UTP delegation, the expected collaboration between AIT and UTP will include a 10-week internship program at UTP for the Professional Master of Engineering degree in Offshore Technology and Management students after a year coursework.
There will be also faculty exchange in which some AIT faculty members such as Prof. Worsak and Prof. Bergado will be invited. UTP further expected more academic collaboration between UTP's two new postgraduate programs related to petroleum (MSc Petroleum Engineering and MSc Process Integration) and AIT's petroleum-related programs (OTM and Geoexploration and Petroleum Geoengineering).
UTP's Process Integration Program (in collaboration with Institut Francais du Petrole-IFP) fits with the curriculum of the Offshore Operation and Management module of the OTM program of AIT.
According to the proposed agreement, AIT master's students will be able to do their research work at UTP as part of their internships (most likely in Petronas), especially in the field of OTM. UTP is going to provide living expenses US$500 per month per head and tuition fee is waived. The research topic will be credited if the students pursue a PhD program in UTP later.
The UTP delegation included Assoc. Prof. Ir. Dr. Ibrahim B Kamaruddin, director of Postgraduate Studies; Dr. Zainal Ambri B Abdul Karim, head of the Student Industrial Internship Programme; and Ms. Kamaliah Mohd, senior executive, Postgraduate Studies Programme.
During their visit to AIT, the UTP representatives met with Prof. Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai, dean of SET, Dr. Joko Widjaja and Dr. Pham Huy Giao of SET.
Also welcoming the delegation is Prof. Dennes T. Bergado, acting coordinator, Geotechnical Engineering, SET and Mr. Sanjeev Jayasinghe, head, External Relations and Communications Office.
The UTP delegation also interviewed five AIT students who are interested in continuing their doctoral research at UTP.