As part of its 50th Anniversary celebrations, AIT last week marked its
original birthplace on the campus of Chulalongkorn University by
unveiling a permanent landmark on the exact site of its founding nearly
fifty years ago.
At a special Golden Jubilee ceremony on August 20 at Chulalongkorn
University’s downtown campus, senior officials of both schools paid
tribute to the moment on 8 September 1959 when, AIT’s predecessor, the
SEATO Graduate School of Engineering, was formally established in
affiliation with Chulalongkorn University, Thailand’s oldest
university.
Specially invited guest of honor, HE Mr. Fidel V. Ramos, former
President of the Republic of the Philippines, presided over the
ceremony and cut the ribbon to unveil the new commemorative plaque
marking AIT’s establishment. He said he was proud to contribute a
modest part in celebration of a new milestone in AIT’s “great history”.
The former president affectionately called AIT his “own Alma Mater,”
referring to the Doctorate of Technology he was conferred by AIT in
1998.
In his remarks, the President Ramos reflected on the era in which the
SEATO Graduate School of Engineering was born, and spoke of the
important role played by school in contributing to the peaceful rise of
the region. “We stood up together!” President Ramos implored. “Not
through force of arms, but through the power of knowledge, education
and civic action.”
It was during the height of the cold war and ideological
confrontation, he said, that the school was set up for students from
the region with funding from eight South-East Asia Treaty Organization
member countries, namely Australia, France, New Zealand, Pakistan, the
Philippines, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States of
America. “AIT was a key part of this, and is in a class of its own for
serving to bring students together from around the region in the search
for education that is generous, inspiring and humane,” President Ramos
concluded.
In his opening remarks, the Chairman of the AIT Board of Trustees, HE
Dr. Tej Bunnag echoed President Ramos, reminding all gathered of the
instrumental role played by Thailand’s HE Mr. Pote Sarasin, the
Secretary General of SEATO, who believed that the best way to achieve
peace in the region was to develop the area by harnessing the vast
potential of its people through top flight education in engineering and
technology. “His idea was somewhat revolutionary. He wanted to develop
a first-class facility in the region, staffed by the best professors
from the SEATO member countries, and attended by a select group of
Asian students,” Dr. Tej explained.
The former Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs told the audience of how
the SEATO Graduate School of Engineering began with a Royal Decree
signed in 1959 by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who was
similarly convinced that security, peace and prosperity in the
Southeast Asian region would be based on national development,
understanding and friendship. He further praised the instrumental role
of the HM the King of Thailand, saying: “As we celebrate this
commemorative event it remains for me to declare with grateful
appreciation, honor and pride the guidance of His Majesty’s vision
fifty years ago when initiating the founding of what is now the Asian
Institute of Technology.”
Chulalongkorn University housed the predecessor of the Asian Institute
of Technology for 14 years from 1959 until 1973, when the Institute
moved to its present-day campus in Pathumthani, on the site offered by
the Royal Thai Government. Dr. Tej reminded the body that it was at
Chulalongkorn University on May 4th, 1968 that His Majesty the King of
Thailand graciously presided over the Eighth Annual Graduation of the
SEATO School of Engineering, the first in which AIT conferred its own
degrees “We take great pride in our association with Chulalongkorn
University, a world class institution that has also grown and blossomed
over the years just like AIT,” Dr. Tej said.
Chulalongkorn University Vice President Prof. Dr. Kua Wongboonsin also
paid special mention of the lasting ties and regular connection the two
academic institutions have shared for the past half century. “Even
though fifty years have gone by, AIT has succeeded in its mission and
has grown ever stronger with each passing year so that it is now aiming
to extend its reach to beyond the Asia-Pacific region to provide its
services to the global community.”
The Dean of Chulalongkorn’s prestigious Faculty of Engineering, Assoc.
Prof. Boonsom Lerdhirunwong, told the audience of his “deep connection
to AIT” that stems not only from the mutually shared history but
“because of the shared and common goal to deliver the best education to
promising young minds to serve the Asia-Pacific region by building upon
their innate talents and creating future leaders in science and
technology.”
In his concluding words of thanks to Chulaongkorn University,
President Said Irandoust said that although proud of its history AIT
was not about to rest on its laurels. Stressing the future and AIT’s
plans for pushing forward innovative approaches to higher learning in
Southeast Asia, President Irandoust, said: “The Asian Institute of
Technology has a continued mission to strive towards and a big dream to
realize to become a key part of Thailand as a knowledge hub for all of
Asia.”
Dr. Tej expressed his hope that the landmark would stand the test of
time as a constant reminder of AIT’s humble beginnings so that the
Institute could be guided with confidence towards the next fifty years.
The event was attended by senior AIT officials and prominent alumni.
The event was moderated by Mr. Tom Mintier, public relations consultant
for Amata Corporation PCL.
Media coverage of the unveiling a permanent landmark on the exact site
of AIT's founding at Chulalongkorn University on the occasion of AIT's
50th Anniversary celebration on 20 August:
https://oldweb.ait.ac.th/news-and-events/2009/ait-in-the-news/aug/ait-50-yrs-anniverasary