This was stated by Ms. Harriet Foster, Creative Partnership
Coordinator, U.S. Embassy Thailand, who paid her maiden visit to AIT on
18 July 2011. Ms. Foster was accompanied by Dr. Chonchanok Viravan,
Advisor, Amata Science City project.
The Creative Partnership is intended to streamline existing Thai-U.S.
business and government efforts in innovation; increase research and
university exchange; and build beneficial bridges between the private
sector and academia.
The visitors were received by Prof. Sudip K. Rakshit, Vice President
for Research, who introduced to details of AIT’s academics, research,
outreach and capacity building along with a large group of AIT
officials.
“The U.S. is moving beyond a donor role, and is interested in
partnership for win-win opportunities for innovation and sustainable
creative industry,” Ms. Foster said, expressing interest in
collaborating with AIT for innovation in Thailand, and perhaps to
engage AIT through some regionally-focused activities.
Specific Ideas were explored for collaboration on student internships,
professional private sector mentorship programs, U.S. senior Emeritus
professors teaching at AIT while on sabbatical, and an AIT-AMCHAM
lecture series.
“AIT would be eager to join America’s Lower Mekong Initiative,” Prof.
Rakshit told Ms. Foster, citing AIT’s extensive education, research,
and societal outreach work conducted in countries of the Greater Mekong
Sub-Region. Later, Ms. Foster and Dr. Chonchanok visited the Center of
Excellence in Nanotechnology and toured the campus.
The meeting was also attended by: Prof. Gabor L. Hornyak, Director,
Director, CLIQ; Prof. Ganesh Shivakoti, Representing Dean-SERD; Dr.
Nitin Tripathi, Representing Dean-SET; Dr. Barbara Igel, Dean-SOM; Dr.
Riaz Khan, Director, Director, Yunus Center at AIT; Ms. Joan Carla C.
Gonzales, Coordinator, Career Center and Student Affairs; Mr. Olivier
Drean, Advisor to the AIT Administration; Mr. Shawn P. Kelly, Senior
Media Specialist; Mr. Aziz Shrestha, Internship Desk Counselor; Ms. Mia
Overall, CSR Asia Center at AIT; and Ms. Tiamkare Thitithamtada,
Program Officer, ERCO.
