Interacting with senior AIT officials on 10 June 2016, Ms. Eva
remarked that internationalization of education has changed over time,
and that it is increasingly becoming a revenue generating mechanism.
However, IAU’s principled position is that internationalization should
be pegged on the pursuance of academic goals that promote academic
freedom, institutional autonomy, and social responsibility.
She also spoke about the new leadership program called Leading
Globally Engaged Universities (LGEU) that has been developed to support
new and future leaders of Higher Education Institutions. Another
initiative by the UNESCO International Institute for Educational
Planning (IIEP-UNESCO) is the convening of a strategic debate on the
role of higher education in the new Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs), she added.
Welcoming her, AIT President Prof. Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai stated that
AIT had been championing the cause of Sustainable Development for a
long time. “We focus on conducting research for mankind,” Prof. Worsak
said, as he quoted examples of how AIT had contributed towards the
cause of development.
Ms. Eva was accompanied by Ms. Yhing Sawheny, Deputy Director, Siam
University. Besides Prof. Worsak, AIT was represented by Prof. Rajendra
Shrestha, Dean, School of Environment, Resources and Development
(SERD); Prof. Nazrul Islam, Interim Dean, School of Management (SOM);
Prof. Nitin Kumar Tripathi, Director, Special Degrees Program; Dr.
Jonathan Shaw and Dr. Faiz Shah of AIT Extension; Ms. Izel Dante, Head,
Administration; Mr. Shawn Kelly and Ms. Carol Guzman of External
Relations and Communications Office (ERCO); and Ms. Wannapa Pliansri of
Royal Thai Government (RTG) Relations.
More information about IAU is available at this link: http://www.iau-aiu.net/
