“The recipients of these scholarships and fellowships will be
second-year students of August 2013 intake and first-year students of
the coming August 2014 intake,” Prof. Worsak told the AIT community in
an email. Meanwhile, AIT is working to finalize its 10th 5-year RTG-AIT
Cooperation Plan with the host government.
“The budget allocation is a strong signal to our other supporters and
friends, indicating that AIT operations have been regularized, and they
have entered a golden relationship with the host country," Prof. Worsak
said.
The letter from Prof. Worsak is as follows:
I would like to share with you a piece of good news for AIT. Yesterday
morning (22 July 2014) I was invited to the Army Headquarter to present
AIT Budget Request to the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO).
The NCPO Meeting has finally approved a budget of 119,153,000 Baht from
‘the Central Budget for Cases of Emergency and Necessity’, in lieu of
AIT’s missing budget in 2014. The allocated budget will cover the 2014
cost of 49 H.M. the King Scholarships, 25 H.M. the Queen Scholarships,
26 GMSARN Scholarships and 200 RTG Fellowships. The recipients of these
scholarships and fellowships are second-year students of August 2013
Intake and first-year students of the coming August 2014 Intake.
Here is the link of news (in Thai) about NCPO’s approval of AIT’s
budget for your information.
http://www.manager.co.th/Home/ViewNews.aspx?NewsID=9570000082908
As you know, the Institute has traditionally received the general
supports from the host country since its inception in 1959. The fiscal
year 2013 is the first in its 55 years history that RTG budget for AIT
was missing because of AIT’s unclear legal status (arisen from its
declaration of New Charter before the ratification of the host
country).
On 12 December 2012, after the Board of Trustees decided to resume its
function, AIT became eligible for the FY2014 RTG budget. However, the
Budget Bureau (BB) did not include AIT’s FY2014 Budget then because the
letter certifying AIT’s legal status from the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs (MFA) arrived after the deadline. Thus, AIT appeared to be
missing another year of RTG Budget.
On 29 November 2013, Thailand’s Office of Higher Education Commission
(OHEC) agreed to endorse to the Minister of Education to redeem AIT’s
FY2014 budget of 119.35 million Baht from ‘the Central Budget for Cases
of Emergency and Necessity’. However, the Parliament was dissolved and
the Caretaker Cabinet has no authority to approve emergency
budget.
After the military rule, AIT re-initiated its request. Subsequently,
the Permanent Secretary, acting in the capacity of the Minister of
Education, submitted a letter dated 27 June 2014 to NCPO, requesting
FY2014 budget of 119.35 million Baht for AIT. After NCPO received
positive supports and endorsements from our friends in concerned
government offices, NCPO meeting yesterday approved our request with
ease, as the meeting found it very reasonable.
Originally, I was told by officials that our chance was very slim
because the ‘Central Budget for Cases of Emergency and Necessity’ is
rarely allocated in lieu of a regular budget. Indeed, this late budget
allocation can significantly provide a strong signal to our other
supporters and friends, that AIT has now regularized and entered a
golden relationship with the host country.
I would like to attribute this giant step forward to the blessing of
HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. At AIT, I received sound strategic
advices from Dr Subin, our Board Chair, Gen Dr Boonsrang, Vice Chair,
and Board members Dr Apichart, Dr Sahas and Dr Sumate. I also would
like to recognize the assistance from VPR, many faculty members and our
hardworking RTG Coordinator. We cannot forget the helping hands of many
friends from OHEC, MFA, and BB, and especially the Secretary General of
National Security Council.
Meanwhile, for longer term, we are still working hard to finalize our
10th 5-year RTG-AIT Cooperation Plan with our host government. The
proposed plan now under the consideration by OHEC covers the next 5
years cooperation with a total budget of 1,150 million Baht for 5
years, or 230 million Baht annually.
With regards,
Worsak