Making his maiden visit to AIT on September 13, 2012, Mr. Joseph
Bagga-Taves, Thailand Environment, Science, Technology and Health
Officer, Economic Section, said the two focus areas could involve
cooperation between the Asian Institute of Technology and the United
States of America.
Following a detailed briefing by Mr. Curtis S. Chin, former U.S.
Ambassador to the Asian Development Bank and now Senior Fellow
Executive-in-Residence, Mr. Bagga-Taves was welcomed by AIT President
Prof. Said Irandoust, who led exploratory discussions involving
senior AIT officials.
The purpose of the visit was for Mr. Bagga-Taves to familiarize
himself with AIT academic and research activities and explore areas for
collaboration, having recently taken up his new assignment. Mr.
Chin outlined the Institute’s historical relationship
with the US, and areas in which there could be engagement between AIT
and the US Government, through American corporations in Thailand
and the region.
Mr. Bagga-Taves said cooperation on LMI was a possibility to
revitalize the bilateral cooperation. Spearheaded by Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton in 2009, the LMI supports work on environment, health,
education, and infrastructure development in Lower Mekong river region
countries of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam. The American
diplomat also noted his country’s keen interest to engage Myanmar,
possibly by connecting private sector opportunities with higher
learning institutes.
President Irandoust outlined areas where AIT and U.S. interests could
converge. He explained the institute’s nascent undergraduate program in
Myanmar and the large number of postgraduate-level alumni, some
high-ranking, from Thailand’s western neighbor. He also elaborated on
AIT’s strengths across the Southeast Asia region, as a fully-fledged
international organization.
“AIT operates regionally and can convene partners in a unique way,” he
said, pointing out the Institute’s niche ability to work with all
countries. Its history of capacity building through advanced education
and training earned it the 2006 Friendship Order from the Government of
Vietnam, the president noted.
He further briefed Mr. Bagga-Taves that the Norwegian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs has supported 40 Myanmar nationals to study at the
postgraduate level at AIT on full scholarships this year. The US$
5-million support will enable an additional 37 scholarships per year
until 2014. Others explained the institute’s development outreach
activities into Myanmar that involve working with Habitech, UN Habitat,
UNICEF, NGOs and the private sector.
Outlining AIT Consulting’s extensive portfolio of work in Myanmar
which currently totals 7 projects, Dr. Naveed Anwar, Executive
Director, said the consulting arm of AIT is now involved in developing
the country’s national building codes.
As the Secretariat for the Greater Mekong Sub-region Academic and
Research Network (GMSARN), a network of academic and research
institutions in a Greater Mekong sub-region, AIT can provide linkages
in terms of human resources development, joint research, and
dissemination of information and intellectual assets generated in the
region, said Dr. Weerakorn Ongsakul, Dean, School of Environment,
Resources and Development.
The exploratory meeting was a follow-up result of an August 3
conference call meeting between Mr. Curtis S. Chin and U.S. State
Department Assistant Secretary Ms. Ann Stock in Washington DC. After
meeting AIT officials, Mr. Bagga-Taves was escorted by Mr. Chin on a
tour of the campus to review some areas of flood damage.
Attending the meeting was Dr. Weerakorn Ongsakul, Dean, School of
Environment, Resources and Development (SERD); Dr. Thammarat Koottatep,
SERD; Dr. Naveed Anwar Executive Director, AIT Consulting; Dr. Louis
Hornyak, Director, Center for Learning Innovation and Quality; Mr.
Karma Rana, Institute Secretary; Mr. Ahmed Amjad Ali, Head, External
Relations and Communications Office (ERC)); Ms. Tiamkare Thitithamtada,
Senior Program Officer, ERCO; Mr. Shawn Kelly, Senior Media Specialist,
Media and Communications Unit / ERCO.
