On April 29, 2010, Magnus Lindell, Assistant Director General, Head of
Operations, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency
(Sida), Stockholm, and Associate Prof. Anders Granlund, Counsellor,
Director, Swedish Environment Secretariat in Asia (SENSA), Embassy of
Sweden, Bangkok, were welcomed to AIT by President Prof. Said
Irandoust, Prof. S. Rakshit, Vice President for Research, Mr. Hans
Guttman, Director, Wetlands Alliance Programme, and Dr. Othniel Mintang
Yila, Program Coordinator, External Relations and Communications
Office.
The meeting was a good platform for discussing ways to move the
longstanding relationship forward through new modalities. In
particular, Mr. Lindell informed that the next phase of Sida-AIT
Cooperation would continue under the new format of its umbrella funding
principle.
“We certainly look forward to concluding evolving forms of cooperation
with AIT,” Magnus Lindell said, emphasizing ways in which Sida, through
its extensive array of global networks, could assist to attract
partners for cooperation with AIT.
AIT’s formal cooperation with Sida started in 1988 when Sida supported
training fellowships for Laotian and Vietnamese nationals to study at
AIT. For more than two decades, the Sida-AIT partnership has rested on
a mutually shared belief in developing highly qualified and committed
professionals to play a leading role in the development of the region
and of improving the living standards of the region’s poorest people
through poverty alleviation.
Sida’s current cooperation with AIT entails support for scholarships,
the Wetland Alliance Programme and research, the officials said.
During their half-day visit, the pair was briefed on the latest
developments at AIT. President Irandout provided an overview on AIT as
a key focal point in Asia for teaching, learning, research and
outreach. He outlined aspects of AIT’s Strategy 2013 and provided
up-to-date details of his administration’s efforts to ratify a new
legal Charter, as well as its ongoing work with an external consultant
to identify long-term new funding models for the Institute, including
potential public-private partnerships.
The president emphasized the highly competitive landscape for higher
education in Asia, and informed the Swedish guests of AIT’s commitment
to meet this challenge though innovative professional academic
programs. Informing of the recent establishment of an AIT Outreach
Board, President Irandoust spoke of AIT’s regional competitive
advantage in combining traditional academics with developmental
outreach activities. He also indicated his excitement to welcome a
number Swedish exchange students to the AIT campus in June of this
year, and how they could be enriched by this pedagogic approach.
Explaining details of the Center of Excellence in Sustainable
Development in the Context of Climate Change (SDCC), Vice President
Rakshit briefed the officials on AIT’s new thematic research areas,
which he said were in line with Sida-SENSA strategic priorities. He
also thanked Sida for providing AIT with support to develop a research
strategy based on results-based management (RBM). Dr. Granlund told AIT
that he looked forward to receiving an AIT Research Strategy document
of joint AIT project proposals.
Hans Guttman offered details of the mutually beneficial partnership
the Wetland Alliance enjoys with AIT which includes ongoing efforts to
produce development specialists through awarding graduate level
scholarships to students interested in applying academics with poverty
alleviation work.
Earlier, Mr. Lindell and Dr. Granlund interacted with Mr. Christer
Holtsberg, Interim Director, Yunus Center at AIT; Ms. Leena Wokeck,
Director, Asian Center for Corporate Social Responsibility (ACCSR) at
AIT; and Mr. Mahesh Pradhan, Director, UNEP Regional Resource Centre
for Asia and the Pacific (UNEP RRC.AP). Mr. Lindell and Dr. Granlund
also visited the three centers located on campus.
From left: President Said Irandoust,
Dr. Anders Granlund, and Magnus Lindell.