AIT President Said Irandoust on 29 October 2007 took part in the “Partners Consultation Meeting on Strategic Proposal Development for Extension of the Southeast Asia-Urban Environmental Management Applications Project (SEA-UEMA)”. The meeting was attended by 31 of AIT's key partner representatives and also the Project Officer from the Canadian Embassy.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thailand sent an official communication on 30 October 2007 to all of AIT's partners currently on the Board, inviting further responses on the Board approved new AIT Charter. The Ministry will subsequently convene a meeting on 17 December 2007 to formally adopt the Charter, to which current partner countries and international entities, as well as new and prospective members, currently not on the Board, will also be invited to take part.

The Environmental Engineering and Management field of study is organizing an Annual Review Workshop on "Asian Regional Research Programme on Environmental Technology Phase II (ARRPET II)" to be held during 12-14 November  2007, at  AIT.

The Asian Regional Research Programme on Environmental Technology Phase II (ARRPET II), coordinated by AIT, is funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). ARRPET involves 18 National Research Institutions (NRIs) in 8 Asian countries, namely: China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.

The Mindanao Polytechnic State College (MPSC) signs a Memorandum of  Understanding with AIT on 29 October. The MoU was signed between
Dr. Ricardo Rotoras (above, second from left), Rector of MPSC and Prof. Said Irandoust (right), AIT President.

The MoU enables cooperation between AIT and MPSC for academic areas of mutual interests and to work together in human resources development and capacity building.

By Shawn Kelly

It’s a typical academic lecture for Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri, one of the world’s most sought after climate change scientists. Speaking in New Delhi, the dapper chairman of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), joint winner of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, eases into his presentation.

General Electric (Thailand) will organize "GE Learning Day" at the GE Conference Center, All Seasons Place, Bangkok, on 19 November 2007 for graduate students. This company visit will give the students an opportunity to know more about GE and learn about their career opportunities.

AIT President Said Irandoust participated in the opening ceremony of the AIT-TU-NSTDA Sports Day event held on 26 October 2007, at the Gymnasium 7 of Thammasat University, which was attended by the officers, faculty and staff from the three neighboring institutions.

On 24 October 2007, one of AIT most respected faculty members from the Urban Environmental and Management Program, School of Environment Resources and Development, Professor A.T.M. Nurul Amin (above), delivered a Professorial Lecture on "Legacies in Planning Education: Economic Aspects of Informal Sector and Urban Environmental Management".  It was attended by members of the AIT community as well as by AIT former faculty colleagues, Professor Amin's friends and former students, as well as representatives from some of AIT's partner institutions.

On 24 October 2007, AIT President Said Irandoust together with Professor Vilas Wuwongse, Vice President for External Relations met with Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, ASEAN Secretary General Designate. The meeting provided us with an opportunity to formally convey on behalf of AIT, our congratulations to Dr. Surin on his appointment as the next ASEAN Secretary General, which will take effect from January 2008, and to update him on some of the Institute's recent activities.

AIT is proposing the concept of establishing a joint center involving areas such as Remote Sensing, Geographic Information Systems, and Information and Communications Technology in honour of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. The proposed Center would combine efforts and strengths of other centers and organizations involved in these fields in Thailand and overseas, and other relevant national and international agencies.