Luang Prabang Region Sustainable Tourism Project
The first phase of a project under a feasibility study for the conservation of biodiversity and the development of sustainable tourism in the Luang Prabang town region with a focus on the Nam Khan river valley, which is financed by the French cooperation, will involve AIT in the transfer of funds according to AIT President Said Irandoust and Dr. Vincent Rotgé, Director of the International Rivers and Heritage Institute, who met May 15 2007.
AIT will be fully integrated into the subsequent phases of the project, particularly in the area of sustainable tourism development which is one of the academic programs planned to be developed.
The discussion with Dr. Rotgé, highlighted several promising areas for collaboration such as: 1] doctoral and postdoc mobility (scholarships from IIFP and/or French cooperation); 2] exchange of researchers and regular students in partner French universities; 3] design and submission of joint proposals of development projects to international financing institutions; 4] involvement of AIT in ongoing activities of the IIFP under an EC grant in Niger river (Mali); 5] participation in joint educational ventures -e- learning, etc.
Interested faculty and staff could contact Mr. Jean-Philippe Thouard (thouard@ait.ac.th), Coordinator of the French Cooperation for further details.