The two institutes on 2 October 2013 signed a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) to establish broad-based collaboration, initiate
projects, and establish exchange programs for researchers. The ICT
Thematic Area of the School of Engineering and Technology (SET) will
manage and coordinate the new partnership for AIT.
At the signing ceremony held at AIT – which was also an online
event witnessed by AIST officials
arriving from Tsukuba, Japan via Skype – Interim President Prof. Worsak
Kanok-Nukulchai welcomed the tie up, saying AIT would be a good
international research partner for the premier science and technology
agency.
Signing the MoU on behalf of AIST, Dr. Satoshi Itoh, Director,
Information Technology Research Institute, indicated that
the exchange was the culmination of two year’s work and
discussions. Dr. Itoh was accompanied by Dr. Yoshio Tanaka, Principal
Research Manager, Information Technology Research Institute.
Commenting from AIST headquarters in Japan, Dr. Satoshi Sekiguchi,
Deputy Director General, Directorate for Information Technology and
Electronics, said the research and academic partnership would enable
the public scientific and technological research organization to
connect with Southeast Asia. According to the agreement, Dr. Sarawut
Ninsawut, Lecturer, RS-GIS, SET is the liaison at AIT for research
activities under the partnership.
Dr. Tanaka stressed that AIST focuses on research that has direct
applications for industry. Early suggestions for joint research topics
included cloud computing and Landsat for monitoring drought conditions
across Asia. Dr. Sekiguchi invited joint collaboration on open data
applications issues. Modalities for student exchanges could be
evaluated on a case-by-case basis, the officials agreed.
President Worsak was joined at the signing by Prof. Voratas
Kachitvichyanukul, Interim Dean, SET; Dr. Nitin K. Triphathi, Leader of
Information and Communications Group, SET; Dr. Masahiko Nagai, Visiting
Faculty, RS-GIS/SET and Japanese faculty representative; and Dr.
Sarawut Ninsawut, Lecturer, RS-GIS, SET. Mr. Ahmed Amjad Ali,
Head-ERCO, Ms. Sumana Shrestha, Program Officer, ERCO, and Mr Shawn
Kelly, Senior Media Specialist, MCU/ERCO also attended the meeting.
Read about AIST: HERE
