November 20th - 21st, 2021 — Asian Institute of Technology Alumni Association (AITAA) and AITAA Vietnam Chapter, in partnership with AIT Extension, hosted the “50th Asian Institute of Technology Alumni Association Governing Board Meeting (AITAA-GBM)” where AIT alumni from around the world reunited virtually.
As part of the reunion, the first “AITAA International Symposium and Exhibition” was also organized to showcase contributions made to the world by the AIT family, under the theme of “Connect, Communicate, Collaborate, Contribute… for a better tomorrow”.
The President of AITAA, Ms. Maria Fe Nuestro Ferriols, stated in her opening remarks that one of the important agenda items of the 50th GBM is to determine where the association is at, and where it is headed with its 52 years of history. In addition, Ms. Ferriols highlighted another equally important agenda item, “at the same time, we are holding our first global symposium for our alumni and friends to share their knowledge and experiences on their work and the innovations that have made a positive social impact.”
President of AITAA Vietnam Chapter, Mr. Le Thanh Quyen, shared with the alumni a perspective on how the pandemic is bringing about new opportunities to adopt new technologies to connect, communicate and collaborate from anywhere in the world. In this light, neither the pandemic nor the distance could deter the alumni from working together to contribute to society.
Echoing Mr. Quyen’s sentiment, a video message from the Chairman of the AIT Board of Trustees, Dr. Tongchat Hongladaromp, highlighted how recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic is on the horizon, although the post-pandemic scenario is full of uncertainties. He went on to urge his fellow alumni, “If we stick together, we can be a strong community.”
The Chairman of the Board further stressed, “More importantly, the pandemic has taught us the human connection community and collaboration,” concluding, “Universality is one of the main contributors for societal change and for solving problems of humankind.”
In response to the Chairman’s call for the educational institution to take the lead in solving global challenges, AIT President Dr. Eden Woon, shared the initiatives taken by AIT to prepare its graduate to address the pressing global issues. With the strategy of ‘Transforming AIT’, innovative technology has been applied to the existing research strengths of the institute, resulting in the launch of 14 new degree programs. In addition, the key global challenges have been identified and established as five thematic focus areas, namely, Climate Change; Smart Communities; Food – Energy – Water; Infrastructure; and Technology, Policy and Society.
The AIT President also stressed that “Education at AIT is an experiential education” as the internship and exchange programs, providing students with experience relevant to the industry and the society, have been enhanced under his leadership to ready AIT graduates for the world.
The 1st Global AITAA Symposium was launched by Engr. Shavindranath Fernando, Symposium Chair and he presented the themes of Energy, Environment, and Climate Change – related to Agriculture, Food and Water, and Digital Transformation and Smart Cities. The virtual exhibition was introduced and launched by Ms. Gaye Valerie V. Salacup, Exhibition Chair with a virtual tour guided by Ms. Sripeni Puspasari, Exhibition Co-chair. The symposium, exhibition, and reunion presented a great opportunity for AIT alumni to learn from each other, and to exchange ideas for further collaborations.
During the Plenary session, the Election Committee, led by Dr. Shahadat Chowdhury and his committee, was introduced and recognized by the Governing Board. The election of the next AITAA President was held in the plenary session and this was also the first online election held in the AITAA GBM history. The results were presented in the GBM plenary. Khun Taweechai Termkunanon was proclaimed as the newly elected AITAA President for 2022 to 2023.
The Chair of the Alumni Recognition Committee, Dr. Alvin Culaba, and his committee presented to the Governing Board their recommendations for the 2021 Distinguished Alumni Awards who were all confirmed and approved by the Board. The following are the 2021 DAAs: Click to View DAA Awardees 2021
The Vietnam Teachers Day highlighted the contributions of the faculty to the development of their students. The teachers were recognized and accorded with accolades by the AIT alumni as an expression of gratitude for their painstaking time to provide the quality education that AIT is known for.
The GBM was capped by the Global Gala Reunion where Chapters were recognized with their contributed activities and performances. It was a nostalgic recollection of AIT Memories of trivia, talent, and fun and the much-coveted Cultural Show.
The AITAA GBM has not only united the AIT community all around the globe but also served to recognize the past contributions of AIT alumni to the world’s critical matters, attesting and validating the relevance of AIT education that the AIT alumni are continually working together with the common objective of bettering the future of the AIT family and the world.
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Watch the ‘50th Asian Institute of Technology Alumni Association Governing Board Meeting (AITAA-GBM) and Global Reunion’
Links to the 50th AITAA GBM: Inauguration and Opening Plenary https://fb.watch/9FXNWLzHmA/
GBM RT Reports, GBM Resolutions, Candidates' Manifesto https://fb.watch/9FXWSSUX8Y/
Vietnamese Teachers' Day Celebration https://fb.watch/9FXZpr2u0z/
GBM - HQ Summary Report, Elections Results, Awards Confirmation, Hosting Transfer https://fb.watch/9FY120_Q8W/
AITAA Global Reunion and Closing Plenary https://fb.watch/9FY2J2XAes/