President Irandoust began the visit on December 2 by attending the
International Conference on Science and Engineering (ICSE) 2010
organized by universities under Myanmar’s Ministry of Science and
Technology (MOST). Prof. Irandoust delivered an opening address in
which he highlighted the need for modern universities to change.
The president used the occasion to meet with high-ranking officials
(including rectors of technological universities) under MOST, which is headed by Director
General, Dr. Ko Ko Oo. Officials discussed possible collaboration
between AIT and MOST’s newly launched University of Technology,
Yatanarpon Cyber City, which has been developed as an international
university. Discussions focused on collaborative models for
undergraduate 2+2 programs, and professional master’s and doctoral
degree programs in information and communications technologies and
industrial systems engineering groups.
As a follow up, a technical meeting is to be held in Yangon in
mid-January 2011 between AIT faculty members led by the Dean of AIT’s
School of Engineering and Technology and MOST representatives led by
Dr. Ko Ko Oo.
At the ICSE 2010, President Irandoust also met with Mr. Kyi Htut Win,
Director General of Water Resources Utilization Department, Ministry of
Agriculture and Irrigation, Myanmar. The pair discussed remote sensing
(RS) and geographic information systems (GIS), and it was decided that
meetings and technical seminars will be organized the RS & GIS
Field of Study in NayPyiTaw and Yangon.
Later, the AIT President also attended a lunch meeting hosted by Mr.
Aung Myo Thaik, Managing Director, United Network-Management and
Business Center (UN-MBC), AIT’s Student Recruitment Agent in Myanmar.
The meeting was attended by Dr. Nitin Afzulpurkar, Dean, SET, and Mr.
Kyaw Soe Hlaing, ERCO/AIT. Mr. Aung informed the president about
UN-MBC’s plan to donate 5 master’s research grants during his next
visit to AIT.
The following day, on December 3, President Irandoust was accompanied
by Dr. Nitin Afzulpurkar and Mr. Kyaw Soe Hlaing on a fact-finding
visit to Yatanarpon Cyber City located 42 kilometers east of Mandalay.
Joining the AIT delegation was Mr. Moe Myint Kyaw, President of the
AITAA-Myanmar Chapter, Ms. Moe Phyu Mar Aung and Mr. Nay Myo Win from
AITAA-Myanmar.
"At the Technological University (Yatanarpon Cyber City) of the
Ministry of Science and Technology, the AIT delegation was received by
Principal Dr. Aung Win and senior officials who escorted the president
on a tour of the main building and its state-of-the-art
facilities."
Following this the delegation visited the MCC Training Institute –
Yatanarpon (MCCi) located at Yatanarpon New City. President Irandoust
met with the MCC Chairman, senior officials of MCC Group (parent
organization of MCCi) and ILBC School, which is a partner of the MCC
Group for foundation year program. It was decided that MCCi academic
and administrative staff members would visit AIT to learn more about
its academic and administrative systems and procedures. At MCCi, the
AIT delegation met 87 undergraduate students who are currently studying
for the foundation year program. These undergraduates will join the 2+2
MCCi-AIT undergraduate programs in 2011. The AIT officials happily
fielded the students’ questions regarding AIT study programs, future
career paths and employment opportunities, and existing scholarship
opportunities at AIT.
On 4 December 2010, Dr. Rajendra Shrestha, Associate Professor,
NRM/SERD and ERCO’s Mr. Kyaw Soe Hlaing had a meeting with Mr. Tin
Maung Thann, AFE ’92, Vice President of Myanmar Fisheries Federation
(MFF) and President of Myanmar Egress; Mr. Moe Myint Kyaw, IEM ’93,
President of AITAA-Myanmar Chapter; and Mr. Aung Myo Thaik, NRP ’95,
Managing Director, United Network-Management and Business Center
(UN-MBC), AIT’s Student Recruitment Agent in Myanmar. The meeting was a
follow up to discussions held on the professional undergraduate
programs in aquaculture/fisheries sector that AIT had originally
discussed with the Myanmar Fisheries Federation in March 2008, just
prior to when Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar.
Officials agreed to draft a concept paper for professional
undergraduate programs for aquaculture/fisheries sector and food
processing technologies, and agreed to follow up with a technical
seminar with industry stakeholders in Yangon in February 2011.
Dr. Shrestha and Mr. Kyaw Soe Hlaing also met with the Chairman of the
MCC Group and Members of MCCi Academic Board and discussed about
MCCi-SERD/AIT collaboration in Natural Resources Management and related
fields for both academic and research activities, as well as about the
Myanmar market demand for DBA programs and CSR programs. The MCCi
delegation will soon be visiting AIT for more detailed
deliberations.
In the afternoon, Dr. Shrestha made a presentation on the topic
“Natural Resources Management for Sustainable Development” at a seminar
organized by the Myanmar Institute of Economics Graduates Association
(MIEGA) at the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and
Industry (UMFCCI), Yangon.
