The deputy minister made his remarks on 8 July 2013 while leading a
five-member delegation of senior ministry officials on a one-day visit
to AIT. It followed a recent visit by AIT Consulting Executive Director
Dr. Naveed Anwar and Project Coordinator Mr. Thaung Htut Aung to the
Ministry of Construction, Myanmar on June 25.
The high-level visitors were warmly welcomed to the campus by Interim
President Prof. Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai who reiterated AIT’s strong
desire assist Thailand’s neighbor, saying: “We are here to serve the
region and especially your country. AIT stands ready to assist
Myanmar’s development through capacity building and technical
training.”
High on the agenda for professionalizing all engineers in Myanmar is
creation of a Council of Engineers similar to the one existing in
Thailand, the deputy minister said. As a civil engineer, President
Worsak shared his personal experience with such bodies in Thailand, and
said would assist the officials with contacts and any available
expertise. Deputy Minister Dr. Win Myint extended an invitation to
President Worsak to visit Myanmar as soon as possible.
To start working with AIT, H.E. Dr. Win Myint explained: “We have
requested AIT Consulting through Dr. Naveed to conduct a three-month
training course on bridges and tall buildings for our officials.”
The Ministry of Construction is responsible for the country’s
construction and maintenance of infrastructure, including roads and
bridges, and all urban planning and public housing. According to Mr. U
Kyaw Linn, Managing Director, Public Works, Ministry of Construction,
the country’s engineers have been given primary leadership roles in
development, following the recent national elections.
Mr. U Kyaw Linn indicated that thousands of engineers currently
employed by the Ministry could benefit from attaining higher
professional and academic qualifications. Of the 6000 practicing
engineers in the Ministry of Construction, 173 possess Master degrees
and only 11 hold PhDs. The vast majority of the engineers possess
Diplomas and Bachelor degrees, he said.
“Our wish is to coordinate and cooperate with AIT in the future,” he
said.
President Worsak stressed that different modalities for Ministry staff
to earn advanced degrees at AIT could be worked out. AIT enjoyed good
partnership with Vietnam in the 1980s through matching fund schemes for
assisting students, he explained, and this could be considered once
again. Noting a similarity in terms of international partners, the
president added that AIT was open to developing a joint proposal with
the Ministry of Construction to approach development aid agencies for
financial support.
Overall, AIT is flexible to work out special arrangements to suit the
needs of the Ministry and its staff, AIT officials stressed. Myanmar
nationals now make up the second largest number of current students,
and the figure is growing each year. With 3.2 % of the institute’s
alumni calling Myanmar home, ties with the country are growing ever
stronger, AIT officials told Deputy Minister of Construction H.E. Dr.
Win Myint.
Members of the Ministry of Construction, Myanmar, visiting
delegation:
H.E. Dr. Win Myint, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Construction; Mr. U
Kyaw Linn, Managing Director, Public Works, Ministry of Construction;
Mr. U Aung Myat Oo, Chief Engineer (Bridge), Public Works, Ministry of
Construction; Mr. Nay Aung Ye Myint, Deputy Chief Engineer (Bridge),
Public Works, Ministry of Construction; Mr. Tin Oo, Deputy
Superintended Engineer Bridge Construction Unit 9, Public Works,
Ministry of Construction
Members of the AIT receiving delegation:
Prof. Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai, Interim President; Dr. Nitin Tripathi,
Acting Dean, School of Engineering and Technology (SET); Dr. Jonathan
Shaw, Director, AIT Extension; Dr. Naveed Anwar, Executive Director,
AIT Consulting; Associate Professor Kunnawee Kanitpong, Transportation
Engineering; Mr. Ahmed Amjad Ali, Head External Relations and
Communications; Assistant Professor Than Lin, School of Engineering and
Technology; Mr. Gyanendra R. Sthapit, Director Habitech Center, SET;
Dr. Gabrielle Groves, Program Coordinator, ERCO; and Mr. Justin Finch,
AIT Consulting.
