Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs supports AIT’s new Asia – Africa Initiative

At a ceremony on November 16th, HE Mr. Nitya Pibulsonggram, Minister of Foreign Affairs, handed over the financial donation to Professor Said Irandoust, President of the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok. The minister said the contribution signifies the Royal Thai Government’s continued efforts to enhance cooperation with Africa.

“This support will go specifically to AIT’s Asia-Africa Initiative for Higher Learning in Science and Technology,” Mr. Pibulsonggram told an attending delegation which included ambassadors and representatives of African countries Kenya, Morocco, Egypt and South Africa. In praising the positive impact that Thai-based AIT has had on the development of human resources in the Asian region, the foreign minister added: “We believe that this project will provide a sustainable platform for long-term knowledge sharing between Thailand and Africa that would compliment human resources development for African countries.”

The Asia-Africa Initiative has been devised to enhance and encourage academic and technical cooperation to support various developments in Africa, especially human resource development. It will focus on science and technology and will correspond to the objectives of the Global Partnership for Development and the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) under the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

AIT President Said Irandoust remarked that the project would emphasize scientific and technological best practices that have contributed to the development of Asia in general and Thailand in particular. AIT, in collaboration with the public and private sector, intends to take the lead to reach out and assist Africa in meeting some of its development challenges, President Irandoust said.

Beyond the science and technology domain, the project supported by the Thai government and implemented by AIT will also explore business sector linkages. “Today marks the beginning of an enhanced trilateral partnership between Thailand, Africa and AIT,” foreign minister Pibulsonggram stressed, pointing to the upcoming ‘Doing Business in Africa Workshop’ www.asia-africainitiative.ait.ac.th, Minister of Foreign Affairs to take place from 3-4 December in Bangkok, which is organized by AIT and is supported the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The forum will lay the ground work for Thai business in exploring opportunities and investment in Africa. 

A regional university that has long served the educational needs of Southeast Asia and South Asia, today AIT and is expanding its educational focus and coverage to Central and Western Asia, as well as to the Middle East and Africa. AIT currently has students enrolled from Cameroon, Guinea, Malawi, Morocco, Nigeria, and Togo, and boasts 48 alumni from 12 African countries.

President Irandoust (right) offers a gift of thanks to
Thailand's Foreign Minister, HE Mr. Nitya Pibulsonggram.