“More than many
graduating classes, you are now a part of an elite group who really can
change the world.”
- Mr. Mechai Viravaidya
18 December 2009
To view the graduation ceremony,
click here.
Graduation Gallery is at the following URL :
https://oldweb.ait.ac.th/news-and-events/2009/events/graduation-ceremonies-112th/
Acclaimed Chairman of the Population and Community Development
Association (PDA), Thailand, Mr. Mechai Viravaidya, gave
the Convocation Address at the 112th Graduation Ceremony of the
Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) on 18 December 2009.
“More than many graduating classes, you are now a part of an
elite group who really can change the world,” the pioneering
Thai social entrepreneur told 199 new graduates representing 14
countries at the Institute’s December Graduation Ceremony at its
Pathumthani campus. “You all can change the world by doing something
for the poor.”
Mechai, one of Time Magazine’s ‘Asian Heroes’ for 2006, said
this could be the educated generation that applies its skills to end
poverty. “The poor lack two important things: business skills and
access to credit,” he said, stressing the need for “Barefoot MBAs” who
can apply their expertise to assist those in need. “Only making money
for the rich is a wasted life,” he cautioned, as he called on all
graduates to generate more creative philanthropy for the poor who are
“rich” in spirit.
In his remarks, Mechai expressed his delight that 2006 Nobel
Laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus, whom he called a good friend, was now
connected to AIT through the Yunus Center at AIT.
successful family planning program, and chief architect of the
country’s successful program to combat HIV/AIDS, Mechai challenged the
fiftieth anniversary “Golden Jubilee Year Graduates” to use their
education, their careers and lives to make a positive contribution to
society and the world.
The Graduation speaker, whose spectacular career in government,
social entrepreneurship and advocacy have won him the highest plaudits
from around the world, shared his New Year’s wish before a large crowd
of loved ones and well-wishers at the AIT auditorium.
He said he would like to see every university in the world
require their students to spend 6 to 9 months living with poor people,
as part of all degree requirements. Producing a successful action plan
that aided the poor would be a necessary requirement for graduation, he
said.
“But start a business first,” he told any would-be NGO builders.
“The only road out of poverty is business, he stressed as he made the
case that privatization is the answer to ending poverty, and not
government. Empowering individual communities to have access to capital
and the business community, and allowing them the ability to organize
and decide their own development strategies was crucially important, he
told the graduates.
Among the graduates, there were three graduation prize awards as
follows:
 |
The Schoichiro Toyoda Prize and the AIT Alumni Association Prize Bandita Deka Ms. Bandita Deka completed her MBA degree with a thesis entitled |
| The Tim Kendall Memorial Prize Pachaneeya Chongsatja Ms. Pachaneeya Chongsatja completed her MBA degree with a thesis Ms. Bandita Deka, an MBA student of SOM, represented her peers as |
 |
Address by AIT President
AIT 112th Graduation Ceremony
Friday, 18 December 2009
- Our Graduation Speaker Mr. Mechai Viravaidya,
- Members of the AIT Board of Trustees and Executive
Committee
- Excellencies and honored guests,
- Senior Members of the AIT Alumni, Faculty, Staff,
- Our Dear Graduands, Family Members,
It is my great honour and privilege to welcome you to today’s
graduation ceremony. We join you - our graduates - your families,
friends and members of our faculty and staff who have supported and
encouraged you on this important journey in celebration of this
significant achievement and milestone.
I would first of all like to extend my congratulations and best wishes
to our 112th batch of graduating students. You are indeed a very
special group of students since you will be known as the “Golden
Jubilee Graduates”.
On behalf of AIT, I would also like to acknowledge the presence of so
many of our partners, and to take this opportunity to also thank them
for their valuable contributions made to the Institute, and through
whose support, several of you have been provided with an opportunity to
pursue your higher studies at AIT.
We are indeed honoured and delighted to have with us Mr. Mechai
Viravaidya as our graduation speaker. His work over the past 35 years,
through the Population & Community Development Association (PDA) is
very much aligned to that of AIT, and Mr. Mechai’s call for Asian-led
social entrepreneurship and slogan of “Young man, young woman, go out
and change the world!” is what we at AIT have also been trying to
inculcate in our students.
We see a lot of synergy in the work carried out by Mr. Mechai, through
his emphasis on “empowerment of the poor" by training young people to
become social entrepreneurs and our “Yunus Center at AIT”. Our Center
will serve as a hub for social business thinking and action we very
much look forward to jointly working together on future
initiatives.
As new graduates, competence and creativity are important attributes in
becoming successful “entrepreneurs”, and which I would like to further
elaborate on.
The “Creativity in Higher Education: Report on the European University
Association (EUA) Creativity Project 2006-2007” notes that “Progress
towards a knowledge-based society and economy will require that
universities, as centers of knowledge creation, and their partners in
society and government give creativity their full attention. The
complex questions of the future will not be solved “by the book”, but
by creative forward looking individuals and groups who are not afraid
to question established ideas and are able to cope with the insecurity
and uncertainty this entails”. It also stresses the importance of
trying to “be one step ahead” of the times by going beyond established
knowledge, questioning time-honoured ideas and trying not only to solve
current problems but also being proactive in identifying issues of
future relevance.
Here, I would like to make reference to one of the Swedish concepts on
competence as illustrated through one’s hand and fingers. The thumb
refers to “skills” or the ability to handle an equipment or tool. The
index finger denotes “knowledge” or being aware of facts, methods since
“skills” alone will not suffice in the long run. The middle finger
stands for “experience” wherein one must learn by mistakes and also
success, in making important reflections in tackling or dealing with
future challenges and opportunities. The ring finger indicates
“contacts and networking” or an individual’s social capacity, social
network, and influence. The little finger stands for “ethics” or one’s
moral values and in being able to take responsibility.
The palm denotes “overall coordination” which must entail both physical
and mental power. Encompassing all of this is the wrist which
symbolizes “leadership guidance” or one’s ability to guide, inspire,
motivate, and develop.
Therefore, as new graduates, I encourage and urge you to continuously
be creative and to develop competence in your respective professions,
and whenever in doubt, always remember, that it is the combination of
all the competences put together, that will make you successful.
I hope that your future endeavors will resonate with commitment to
developing yourselves further in every respect as a person, to making
the quality of lives of your people and of the world -better, and to
helping people less fortunate than yourselves to realize their
potential. It is for these worthy purposes for which you have been
prepared and equipped.
Congratulations to each one of you – not only for your accomplishments,
but also for the enormous promise your future holds.
Thank you!
Message by the AIT Alumni Association
President Mr. Chaovalit Ekabutr
Dear AIT Graduates,
My warmest congratulations to all the Classes of 2009 on your
great achievement.
After several tedious years of class work and hard work, graduation is
a meaningful, impressive, and unforgettable event. This auspicious
ceremony confirms that you really make it.
Yet, as all of you may have realized, graduation is another beginning
of a new transformation which is completely different from your studies
at AIT. Hitherto, you are expected to meet multiple challenges both in
your working, your living, and your social functioning.
With the knowledge content you have acquired from AIT, our prestigious
institute, I hope each of you has been well equipped to enter the
increasingly challenging world. While AIT and its culture have helped
foster you to get best prepared for the future opportunities, the most
vital key success factor is you, yourself, to actualize those
opportunities.
Known to all of us, there are three categories of keenness we have to
acquire to master our living; in learning, in working, and in
networking. The first has now been achieved, the working and networking
will further make you a difference. To this extent, I encourage you to
join The AIT Alumni Association’s activities. AITAA is our
distinguished advantage to support the other two categories of keenness
you have to acquire. With our AITAA brotherhood worldwide, you can be
assured of a friendly cultural exchange, best practices and experiences
sharing along with a lasting collaborative networking platform.
Finally, all members of AITAA join me to extend to you our best wishes
for your success in the future endeavors.
Thank you very much.
Professorial remark by Dr. Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh
112th Graduation, Dec. 18, 2009
Mr. President,
Excellencies and honored guests,
Members of the AIT Board of Trustees,
Members of the AIT Alumni, Faculty, Staff,
Our dear Graduands, Ladies and Gentlemen:
Thank you very much. I am honored to be standing before you
today, to be recognized as a Full Professor at AIT, in such a
distinguished circle.
In my 20 years at AIT and over a decade teaching and doing research in
air pollution and climate change science related topics in the
Environmental Engineering and Management (EEM), at the School of
Environment, Resources and Development (SERD), I have been fortunate to
have the opportunity to interact with many different people within AIT
and around the world, to contribute to the scientific community, and to
mentor young scientists. I am grateful for this opportunity and have
always strived to work at the best of my ability.
To be here is a true honor for me today. And I look forward to
contributing further to the field, nurture young scientists, and to
development of the strong area of air pollution engineering and
management, and climate change science research, and to the overall
development of EEM and AIT.
I would like to take some time to express my gratitude to a number of
people who have been a tremendous source of support, personally and
professionally.
I am grateful to my academic mentors for their generous guidance, my
colleagues at SERD, at AIT, colleagues from the Clean Air Initiatives
for Asia, and the colleagues from Air and Waste Management Association
(AWMA) worldwide for their kind support and mutual collaborations. I am
obliged to the international team of the “Improving Air Quality In
Asian Developing Countries (AIRPET)” project, for their strong
commitment in doing research for better understanding air quality
issues in Asia. And last but not least, to my students for their
dedication and trust in my ability as a mentor.
I am also grateful for the unending support from my family (my husband,
my daughter, my brothers and sisters), and most importantly to my late
mother who was a great source of inspiration and strength that help me
to continue in my work.
I would also like to say a special word to the graduating class: 18
years ago, I was sitting in this auditorium and waiting for my name to
be called, to receive my Master degree. In my mind at that time, I was
eager but also filled with anxiety of the future, which was still
uncertain to me at the time.
Since then, my career has taken long and eventful turns, and I could
not have predicted that I would end up here today. But I was certain
that the best would come if I would try my hardest to complete all that
is laid out before me.
So I wish you all the best in your future endeavors. May you find
success in your work, whatever you decide to do...
Together we will carry the flag of AIT with pride and always strive for
excellence.
Thank you very much.
Professorial remark by Dr. Voratas Kachitvichyanukul
112th Graduation, Dec. 18, 2009
Members of the AIT Board of Trustees and Executive Committee,
Excellencies and honored guests, AIT President,
Senior Members of the AIT Alumni, Faculty, Staff,
Our Dear Graduands, Family Members, Ladies and Gentlemen:
It is a great privilege and honor to be recognized as a Full Professor
at AIT today in the 112th graduation that also marked the 50th
anniversary of AIT.
I am making this remark here with a great sense of humility. For
whatever I have accomplished is only a small part the many
accomplishments achieved in the past 50 years of AIT. Whereas I am
certain that many among you, the graduands, will be making many more
significant contributions that will represent future accomplishments of
AIT for the next 10, 20, 30, 40 years. And I believe that your
accomplishments will greatly exceed whatever we have achieved
today.
To quote from a well-known poet: “Life is but a long series of minor
irritations interrupted by occasional magnificent moments.” I presume
that today is one of those occasional magnificent moments in my life,
in your life, and in the life of AIT.
May we have many more such occasional magnificent moments in the years
ahead.
Thank you very much
Most Outstanding Student Message
by Ms. Bandita Deka
Good afternoon, Excellencies and Honored Guests, Trustees, Faculty,
Graduates, Honorable AIT President Professor Said Irandoust, His
Excellency Chairman of the AIT Board of Trustees, Dr. Tej Bunnag,
Ladies and Gentlemen.
It is a matter of great privilege for me to be able to take my stand
here amongst you all today, and try to speak a few words on the behalf
of the Graduating students of Batch 112. I feel truly honored and also
a little nervous. Please, do excuse me if my nervousness shows today as
I try to put forward my thoughts on looking back at the two years I
spent here at the Asian Institute of Technology.
For many of us International students present here today, our journey
to AIT had been our maiden venture outside our home countries for
higher studies. I am sure we all remember vividly how nervous, how
apprehensive and how homesick we all felt when we stood for the first
time outside of the then Student Accommodation Office in AIT, trying to
get our names into the waiting lists for Category 5 dorms. To our
disappointment, most of us may have had to settle for standard dorms if
we arrived a day or two later than our luckier friends. Accommodation
worries were less taxing, though. What worried us most, I am sure, was
the one question – “Will I be able to survive the years here, amidst
foreigners from 50 odd countries, in this land away from our home, with
academic pressures to boot?” I am sure this question seems far fetched
and exaggerated today, as we sit here confidently in our Graduation
gowns with our certificates in hand.
On my first day in AIT, a very good friend of mine, who is now an
alumnus of AIT, had said to me “There is an inherent warmth and
hospitability in AIT. You can almost feel it in the air! Over the weeks
you will see this magical atmosphere act as a catalyst for friendship
and camaraderie among people from all over the world!” Today, I think
all of us graduands can vouch for the truth in these words!
At our School of Management, we have been taught about Cross Cultural
management. For an AIT student, there could not have been a better
place to learn about the practical implications of the word ‘cross
culture’, than in AIT itself. Working on case studies with friends from
all over the world ensured that we hone our cross cultural management
skills, as we frequently get in and out of conflicts! What came to the
forefront during such conflicts and the eventual solutions to them, was
the fact that we were all eager to come to a consensus. AIT was
subconsciously instilling in us the spirit of a true global citizen.
Today we all realize that there is a greater ideal than merely aspiring
to be a great Engineer, a great Bureaucrat or a great Manager – and
that is to be a good citizen of the world. We will be ever grateful to
the Asian Institute of Technology for teaching us this ideal.
Along our AIT journey as students, we have all collected some wonderful
memories and built treasured friendships that would last us a lifetime.
We would like to offer our sincerest gratitude to our Professors,
Advisors, Teachers and Supervisors for their constant and undying
guidance, supervision and care. We promise to try our best to live up
to the excellent quality of education that we have obtained from you.
At the School of Management, our business lessons were imparted by the
best business faculty in the region, and we feel truly proud to have
been associated with you and to have learnt from you.
Today when we leave the Halls of our alma mater, we should all take an
oath to ourselves to never let go of the ideals and values we learnt
here at AIT. We should not forget that our names are now associated
with this great Institution, forever. Tomorrow onwards, we cease to be
called ‘students of AIT’. But, tomorrow would also herald our longer
tenures as alumni of AIT. As proud alumni, let us all strive to take
the name of AIT higher into the realms of the best educational
institutions, not only in Asia, but in the world.
To all of us here today, Congratulations! May we continue to strive for
excellence.
