YRS is co-organized by AIT and Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University and
Prince of Songkla University. Under this year’s theme of “Partnerships
in Water and Biodiversity for Sustainable Development,” the doctoral
students from Thailand, India, Australia, China, Myanmar and Japan are
spending close to a fortnight in the country gaining actionable
knowledge, while developing research skills and professional networks
with other students, academics and leading experts.
The young scholars were led to the campus by AIT Emeritus Professor Dr.
Mario T. Tabucanon, who is currently a Visiting Professor at the United
Nations University’s Institute of Advanced Studies in Yokohama, Japan.
Prof. Tabucanon oversees the ProSPER.Net. Apart from intensive
lectures, the students will undertake a number of field trips in
Thailand around the themes of water and biodiversity, and participate
in a three-minute thesis competition.
Welcoming the international contingent, AIT Vice President for Academic
Affairs Prof. S Kumar remarked on the Institute’s mission and the
emphasis it places on academics, applied research, capacity building,
partnerships, and outreach for sustainable development in the
Asian region.
He summarized how the Institute works with researchers, policy makers,
entrepreneurs, donors, and governments across five thematic research
areas focused on climate change adaptation and mitigation. Detailing a
renewable energy case study titled “Micro Utility System in
Bangladesh”, he showed how AIT consistently aims for real life
relevance and impact in its learning and research. The doctoral
students used the opportunity to engage in a frank discussion on the
merits of renewable energy with one of AIT’s foremost experts in the
field.
The students then listened as AIT Geo-Technical Engineering and
Management’s Dr. Noppadol Phien-Wei outlined the natural and human-made
factors that contributed to Thailand's 2011 Great Flood, and the
eventual inundation of the AIT campus. Disaster, Preparedness and
Management was the focus of a lecture by Prof. Jayant K. Routray of
Regional and Rural Development Planning / DPMM.
Later, following a tour of AIT laboratories, and group discussion
moderated by AIT’s Dr. Anil K. Anal, the students attended a lecture
titled “Water-Energy-Climate Nexus: Key Indicators, Drivers and
Implications” delivered by Prof. Arun Kansal of TERI University, Delhi,
India. Other AIT faculty members lecturing as part of the Young
Researchers’ School are Dr. Sutat Weesakul, Prof. Mukund S. Babel, Dr.
Damien Jourdain, Dr. Amararatne Yakupitiyage, and Dr. Sylvain R.
Perret.
More details about ProSPER.Net are available at this link: http://www.ias.unu.edu/sub_page.aspx?catID=108&ddlID=697
