H.E. Dr. Tej Bunnag said the AIT China office not only reaffirms the
institute’s long-standing relationship with China, but also signifies
the beginning of a new era based on “an ardent desire for a bright
future of linkages in higher education between China and Thailand, and
other countries in the region.” Apart from establishing a physical
presence in Shanghai, AIT will expand its collaboration with its
Chinese partners and intensify its human resource development and
capacity building service, Dr. Tej added.
Ms. Yang Xinyu, while welcoming the opening of AIT China Office said
this would strengthen AIT’s relations with China.
Prof. Irandoust, remarked that the AIT China Office in Shanghai could
be the first step in the opening of an AIT Center in China. Prof.
Irandoust said that 700 Chinese students have graduated from AIT since
1984. “It is our belief that successful operations in China require
local presence and competence, and the AIT China Office will channel
AIT’s strengths to serve China’s national goals of human capital
development and sustainable green economic growth,” he added.
Prof. Zhou Nanzhao, President of UNESCO Asia-Pacific Network of
International Education and Value Education (APNIEVE) and President of
Chinese Council of Private Higher Education spoke on “Enhanced
AIT-China cooperation as a win-win strategy in building on Asia’s power
in higher education and inclusive sustainable development.” Prof. Ren
Youqun, Vice President of East China Normal University and Vice
President and General Secretary of APNIEVE-China talked about the
opportunities in China in the field of higher education and capacity
building.
While Mr. Johan Wikander, AIT Representative in China, informed
about the future plans of the AIT China Office, Dr. Jonathan Shaw,
Director, AIT Extension said that the 20 year long partnership
between AIT and the Ministry of Education, PRC has been central to the
cooperation between AIT and PRC in general. The AIT China Office has
been established by AIT in collaboration with YueHan(Shanghai) Trading
Co. Ltd. The AIT China Office will increase the visibility of AIT in
China and will help in student recruitment, joint ventures and offering
short courses.
In another agreement signed to coincide with the opening of the AIT
China Office, CSC announced that it will offer 40 scholarships to
Chinese students to pursue Master’s and doctoral studies at AIT. The
scholarship will include tuition fee, registration fee and research
fee, living stipend, visa fee and return airfare. The CSC scholarship
program shall run for four years. The Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was
signed by Ms. Yang Xinyu and by Prof. Said Irandoust.
Dignitaries present on the occasion included Mr. Piroon Laismit, Consul
General of Thailand in Shanghai; Mr. Bjørn O. Blokhus, Consul General
of Norway in Shanghai; Mr. Zafar Hasan, Consul General of Pakistan in
Shanghai; and Mr. Bengt Johansson, Consul General of Sweden in
Shanghai.
The AIT delegation also comprised of Dr.Weerakorn Ongsakul, Dean,
School of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD); Dr. Pritam
Krishna Shrestha, Head, External Relations and Communications Office
(ERCO); and Ms. Hui Qu Janson, Deputy AIT Representative in
China.
