On 22 August 2008, AIT President Said
Irandoust along with Professor Ram M.
Shrestha, senior Nepalese faculty member in the Energy field
of study, SERD and Mr. Karma Rana, Institute
Secretary, met with Mr. Pramod Pradhan, former
President of the AIT Alumni Association (AITAA) Nepal Chapter. Mr.
Pradhan updated them on the progress of the AIT Center in Nepal
proposal and options being considered. They also explored the
possibility of organizing a one-day workshop at AIT which could address
an array of developmental issues related to Nepal for example ways in
which public-private partnership could be further strengthened, and to
which senior political leaders, representatives from the private
sector, donor agencies and other stakeholders could be invited. It was
proposed that this initiative be organized as an AITAA Nepal led event
in partnership with AIT, the Embassy of Nepal, Non-Resident Nepalese
Association in Thailand etc.
President Irandoust will be forming an AIT-Nepal Task Force, during
which he plans to discuss these matters further with members of the
Nepalese faculty, as well as representatives of staff and students. Mr.
Pramod Pradhan will also be bringing these issues and deliberating them
further with the AITAA Nepal office bearers. During his visit to
AIT, Mr. Pradhan also met with Dr.
Joydeep Dutta, Director of the Center of Excellence on
Nanotechnology and Associate Dean, SET; Head ERCO, Dr. Pritam
K. Shrestha; Head of the Student Office, Ms. Ann
Lopez-Fontanilla; Head of Infrastructure and Advisor to the
AITAA, Dr. H. L. Tien; Mr. Sanjeev
Jayasinghe, Director of the Fund Raising Campaign; and
Ms. Carla Gonzales, Coordinator of Student Affairs
Unit and the Career Center.
