On
April 9, 2008 AIT President Said Irandoust along with Professor Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai, Dean, School of Engineering and Technology (SET) and Dr. Joydeep Dutta, Associate Dean SET, met with Professor Gautam Dasgupta, Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, ColumbiaUniversity. The discussion focused on Professor Dasgupta's possible appointment as a visiting scholar / professor for a month or two at the AIT as he takes his sabbatical leave in the spring of 2009 when external funding sources will fully bear all costs. This cooperative research plan envisions Dean Worsak's visit to ColumbiaUniversity in 2009. Professor Dasgupta will teach a seminar course on the application of computer algebra in continuum mechanics and finite elements. In addition, he will deliver four general lectures for the entire AIT community on "Security Engineering."Professor Dasgupta has regularly visited Dean Worsak and the Department of Civil Engineering, AIT. He has presented seminar lectures on formulations and computation related to the finite element method and held tutorials on computer algebra. Dean Worsak, Dr. Dutta and he also organized a National Science Foundation,
USA, sponsored international conference on engineering mechanics, structural mechanics, mechanics of materials including nano-mechanics and nano-technology. Following that successful conference, they worked together on a National Science Foundation, USA, sponsored project on Cambodia that focused on their historic monuments, development of tourism and initiation of graduate engineering programs. Dr. Dutta reported at the meeting the discussions he had with the directors of the Build Bright University, Phnom Penh and Siem Reap and Institut de Technologie du Cambodge, Phnom Penh. Dr. Dutta also discussed about a preliminary plan for AIT to offer special MS and PhD programs for Cambodian Government officials who could only obtain one semester per year of leave.