Prof. Said Irandoust, AIT President while welcoming the Ambassador
expressed the importance to have France becoming a signatory under the
new AIT charter, considering that France has been an active member
since the foundation of AIT in 1959. He also briefed the French
Ambassador and the delegation about the new funding model currently
being explored by AIT which will help AIT scale up its
operations.
Prof. Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai, Vice President for Resource Development
mentioned that the Government of France has been one of the strong
supporters of AIT since his days as a student. He invited the French
Ambassador to attend the inaugural AIT Hall of Fame activities which
will also mark the launching of AIT Endowment Fund Raising. Her Royal
Higher Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn has graciously consented to
preside over the two events at AIT Day 2010. Prof. Worsak also informed
the Ambassador that he would visit France in September 2010 to learn
more about distance education programs developed by IntERLab’s French
partners.
Prof. Joydeep Dutta, Vice President for Academic Affairs emphasized on
academic and student exchange programs between AIT and France apart
from the new Erasmus Mundus schemes involving AIT and French
coordinating universities (Montpellier 2 and Nice Sophia-Antipolis).
Prof. Dutta invited the Ambassador to attend the meeting of the Erasmus
Mundus coordinated by University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis that will
take place at the end of September 2010.
The French Delegation and AIT President toured the AIT campus.
Visiting Faculty, Prof. Noël Crespi, seconded by Telecom SudParis (TSP)
introduced AIT students who have received a scholarship from France to
pursue a dual degree at TSP. The delegation witnessed a demonstration
of the CanalAVIST project at AIT’s intERLab, as well as the
demonstration ‘Haptics’, that has been developed by the Computer
Science and Information Management Field of Study in partnership with
Thammasat University which helps students practice virtual dentistry. A
tsunami demonstration was organized at the Water Engineering and
Management (WEM) field of study by Dr. Mukand Singh Babel.
The Ambassador was also joined by Mr. Maurice Siveton, Counselor for
Regional Cooperation in Southeast Asia, and his Assistant Ms. Cécile
Faraud. Mr. Olivier Dréan, who is seconded to AIT by the French
Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and serves as the Coordinator
of the French Cooperation and Advisor to the Administration, organized
the visit.
Ambassador of France to Thailand
H.E. Gildas Le Lidec witnessing a tsunami simulation at the Water
Engineering Management (WEM) laboratory.