From left, Prof.
Kumar, Dr. Pritam, Dr. Babel, Dr. Josef Most,
Prof. Rakshit and Mr. Karim. 

On 30 December 2008, Dr. Josef Most, Manager, Engineering Capacity
Building Program (ECBP)/ German Technical Cooperation (GTZ), Technical
and Vocational Education and Training Network (TVET) Reform Programme,
Ethiopia, visited AIT to explore possible collaboration between AIT,
the Ethiopian Ministry of Education and German Technical Cooperation
(GTZ).

Read press report in the Ethiopian media: http://www.

ADRC Executive Director Mr. Koji
Suzuki (left) and AIT President
Prof. Said Irandoust.

With a population in excess of half a billion people who are
regularly impacted by more tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, floods,
landslides, earthquakes, and typhoons than just about any other people
on earth, Southeast Asia is one of the most disaster-prone
areas on the planet.

On 13 December 2008, winners and runners up of the 2008 ASAIHL-Scopus
Young Scientist Awards were formally announced and honored in a
Ceremony held at the Dewan Budaya Hall of the Universiti Sains
Malaysia, in Penang, Malaysia. Earlier in the day, a press conference
was held to announce the winners and was attended by local and regional
media.

The Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) has signed a
second memorandum of agreement (MoA) with the Chulabhorn Research
Institute (CRI) and Mahidol University (MU) for an inter-university
post-graduate education program in environmental toxicology, technology
and management.

“I am fully confident that each of you in one way or the other
will do your part by helping contribute to the betterment of
your communities, societies, regions and world.”

   
            
                   
              ─
AIT President Prof.

By Natnipha
Vimuktanon

As the end of the year nears and the holiday season beckons, many
people’s thoughts turn to home and family. AIT is no different. Taking
advantage of the end of semester break, with the campus conspicuously
quiet of its normal buzz of students and hum of academic energy, AIT
staff and faculty enjoyed a break from their normal routine yesterday
(December 17) to celebrate being a part of the AIT
Family.

The Southeast Asia Urban Environmental Management Applications (SEA-UEMA) Project presents a Research Symposium on Environmental Management Measures for Overcoming the Formal-Informal Dichotomy. The symposium highlights results of researches on environmental management measures applied in formal to informal sectors in selected cities in Asia.

Based on a recent trip to China by Director of AIT
Extension, Dr. Jonathan Shaw, prospects seem good for AIT to
establish a firm physical presence in the People’s Republic of China.
Dr. Shaw represented AIT at the International Forum on
Vocational-Technical Education: Policy Frameworks, Innovative Practices
and International Partnerships, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China,
held in Hangzhou on 17-18 November 2008.

The Extension Director had a meeting with Dr. Zhou
Nanzhao, which followed an earlier meeting between Professor Zhou
and AIT President Said Irandoust in Beijing, where a general MoU
between AIT and UNESCO was signed.

The
Sofitel Centara Grand was the site of the
26th Conference of
ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organization.

To watch the video report, please visit:  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3fv=dHc8d3O6fqY

At the Conference of ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organization
(CAFEO'26), held in Bangkok on November 26, AIT President Said
Irandoust delivered a lecture on the topic “Cross-Cultural
Engineering Education: AIT Reflection” as part of the technical program
on Modernization of Engineering Education.

AIT will hold its 110th Graduation Ceremony on 19 December 2008 at the
AIT Conference Center Auditorium. AIT President Said
Irandoust will present degrees to more than 250 graduates at
the Graduation Ceremony. Professor Dr. Richard A.
Meganck, Rector of UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education,
located in Delft, The Netherlands, will deliver the graduation
address.