Delivering the graduation address, H.E. Dr. Sohail Khan, Ambassador of
Pakistan to Thailand asked students to work for the public good.
“Unlike the pundits of Silicon Valley, you should diversity into
various ventures for public goods at large,” the Ambassador said. He
said: “The spirit of learning from past and working in present with a
passion to transform our life style in future should be your compass
from today and onwards.”
The Ambassador also asked AIT graduates to be proud of their alumni
lineage and history, as they become brand Ambassadors of AIT wherever
they go. Expressing his delight at being the Graduation Speaker, Dr.
Khan described AIT as a “big family that transcends boundaries.”
Addressing the graduands, Prof. Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai, Interim
President, AIT mentioned that the Institute has returned to normalcy
and things are starting to look up. The Board of Trustees has embarked
on preparing a roadmap for AIT, which will formulate clear objectives
and goals. The AIT Roadmap will provide the guiding post for the
Institute to move forward, he added. Prof. Worsak highlighted five
themes – food, energy, environment, infrastructure and information and
communication technologies as AIT’s future core focus areas. These
issues are cross-border issues that confront every country in the
region, he added.
Prof. Worsak quoted the founding father of AIT, the late Prof. Milton
E. Bender. Jr., who during his last visit to the Institute in 1993 had
stressed the need for centers of excellence, and to respond to the
needs of the people.
Mr. Surendra Shrestha, Director, International Environmental
Technology Centre, United Nations Environment Programme, delivered the
distinguished alumni address. Mr. Shrestha, who was President of the
AIT Student Union during his student days, has also served as the
President of the AIT Alumni Association.
Mr. Shrestha stated that the twenty-first century is focused on
sustainable development and well-being, and is based on knowledge.
Secondly, the world should no longer be viewed as a “West versus Rest”
paradigm, since the world is now looking towards Asia. Quoting the
mission to Moon from China, and the mission to Mars from India, he
highlighted the role being played by the emerging BRICS economies. Mr.
Shrestha asked the graduands to focus on three elements for success --
dreaming, persistence and optimism.
The Most Outstanding Doctoral Graduate message was delivered by Ms.
Nita Kuswardhani of School of Environment, Resources and Development.
Out of the 227 who graduated today, 109 graduates were from Vietnam,
followed by Thailand with 45, Bangladesh with 14, Indonesia with 11 and
India with 10 graduates. While the majority of gradates are from Asia,
Europe was represented by one graduate each from Germany and The
Netherlands; while Africa was represented by two graduates from
Ethiopia, and one each from Nigeria and Tanzania. Ninety graduates came
from AIT’s School of Engineering and Technology (SET); 80 from School
of Management (SOM); and 56 from School of Environment, Resources and
Development (SERD).
A photo gallery from the event is available at these links:
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H.E. Dr. Sohail Khan, Ambassador of
Pakistan to Thailand delivering the Graduation Address at the 120th
Graduation Ceremony of the Asian Institute of Technology
(AIT).