A Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) for the new professional program to
begin this year was signed by Prof. Said Irandoust, President, AIT, and
Mr. Charoen Passara, MWA Governor, on 17 August 2011 at the MWA
headquarters in Bangkok.
The program offered at AIT targets middle and senior level managers
working at metropolitan and provincial water authorities who are
interested in improving their technical knowledge in the field of water
technology and management. Through the agreement, MWA will coordinate with the Royal
Thai Government (RTG) and Thailand International Development
Cooperation Agency (TICA) to secure at
least 15 professional Master’s scholarships over a period of five years
from 2011-2016.
“It’s a great day for AIT, and I am very honored and happy that we are
starting a new chapter of collaboration between AIT and MWA,” AIT
President Said Irandoust, told a large group of officials
attending the signing ceremony. “This collaboration to launch a
professional Master’s program is very much in the line with AIT’s
strategy to better serve the human resources capacity needs of Thailand
and other member countries of our Institute,” President Irandoust
said.
At the signing ceremony, Mr. Charoen Passara, MWA Governor said, “The
MoA will benefit the overall development of experts in the field of
waterworks. Candidates from MWA and neighboring countries can learn and
integrate the latest knowledge in the field in order to facilitate the
development of sustainable waterworks management solutions, so that the
people in this region will have access to hygienic water
services.”
The one-year PM-WTM is uniquely tailored to provide working managers
and policy makers from Thailand and the region with advanced knowledge
and skills in water technology and management, officials said. It will
also provide them with pragmatic options to tackle the diverse
dimensions of emerging water issues in the region.
Students will be enrolled in the Environmental Engineering and
Management field of study at AIT’s School of Environment, Resources and
Development (SERD), and have access to relevant courses offered through
the Water Engineering and Management (WEM) field of study at the School
of Engineering and Technology, AIT.
AIT will award a Professional Master’s degree to students who complete
24 credits of coursework, six credits of research study and three
credits for an international field trip-study visit to companies in
Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and China, or for
completing an internship at AIT.
AIT will appoint selected professional staff from MWA as adjunct
faculty to serve as teaching faculty members and research committee
members in coordination with AIT faculty members. MWA will assist AIT
to refine and finalize the program curriculum, provide professional
staff members, and facilitate student research study work through its
professional network within Thailand.
Representing AIT at the MoA signing ceremony were Dr. Weerakorn
Ongsakul, Dean, SERD; Dr. Thammarat Koottatep, Coordinator of
Environmental Engineering and Management (EEM), SERD; Prof.
Chettiyappan Visvanathan, Environmental Engineering Management Program,
SERD; Mrs. Wannapa Pliansri, RTG Relations Coordinator; and Ms.
Suchitra Piempinsest, EEM.
The MoA signing ceremony was also attended by MWA executives including
Mr. Vullop Phringphong, Member, Board of Directors; Mr. Wirachat
Olapiriyakul, MWA Advisor; Mrs. Samorn Muttamara, Advisor of the
Project; Mr. Witai Arwouchanon, Deputy Governor (Engineering and
Construction); Mr. Luechai Deethaworn, Deputy Governor
(Administration); Mr. Wisit Wongwiwat, Deputy Governor (Water
Production and Transmission); Mrs. Sunantha Ningsananda, Deputy
Governor (Planning and Development); and Mr. Somchai Khlong-asa, Deputy
Governor (Service).
