AIT welcomes alumni from Nepal
AIT recently welcomed some alumni who returned to the Institute. On 23 August 2007, Mr. Babu Ram Shrestha, Executive Director of the Local Development Training Academy (LDTA), Nepal, visited AIT and met with the Vice President of Development and Resources, the Director of AIT Extension, and key faculty members in the fields of Gender and Development, the Urban Environment Program and the Regional and Rural Development Program.
Mr. Shrestha is an AIT alumnus, and as the head of LDTA would like to explore opportunities for collaboration with AIT in training programs. LDTA is responsible for developing administrative and managerial capabilities of local institutions, by initiating, designing and delivering various types of training programs based on their needs. LDTA operates eight training centers spread across various parts of Nepal. Altogether 32,330 participants have attended training programs and workshops at LDTA, whose major partners are DFID, USAID, DANIDA, GTZ and SDC.
AIT President Said Irandoust also had an opportunity to briefly interact with Mr. Shrestha as well as another alumnus from Nepal, Mr. Kamal Raj Pande (former President of the AITAA Nepal Chapter), Joint Secretary, Foreign Cooperation Branch, Ministry of Physical Planning and Works, Government of Nepal, who was attending a workshop at AIT.
Dr. Ahmad Lanti (WRE M.Eng.'83), currently the Chairman of Jakarta Water Supply Regulatory Body, at AIT President's request, on 24 August, made a presentation on the 'Multi Purpose Deep Tunnel (MPDT) of Jakarta Water Supply Regulatory Body (JWSRB)'.
There is indeed great potential and opportunity for AIT to be involved in such large- scale feasibility projects, and AIT administration plans on submitting a formal expression of interest letter in the project, as well as putting together a list of faculty from the related fields of study who would be interested in engaging in this project.
Interested faculty and staff members are requested to kindly contact the Vice President for Research, Professor Sudip K. Rakshit, at the earliest opportunity.