This was finalized under a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signed by AIT
President Prof Said Irandoust on 19 April 2011. Prof. Irandoust said he
was delighted that AIT is engaged in a capacity development program in
the province of Aceh. “It is indeed a privilege that AIT has been
chosen by the Government of Aceh as a key partner in its capacity
building efforts,” Prof. Irandoust remarked.
Students under this scholarship program will be spread over five years
and scholars will pursue Master’s or doctoral degrees at AIT, mainly in
the fields of agriculture, horticulture, aquaculture and fisheries, and
food processing. The program will be open for staff and faculty members
of the Government of Aceh and higher learning institutions in Aceh. In
addition to the MoA, the Government of Aceh also plans to send more
students to pursue community development study programs at AIT.
The delegation from Aceh was headed by Dr. Qismullah Yusuf, Chairman
of Human Resources Development Commission; and included Mr. Syarifuddin
Zainal Hasan, Chief Inspector of Aceh; Mr. Fachruddin Polem, Head of
Department of Forestry and Estates; Mr. Salman Ishak, Head of
Department of Agricultural Reform; Mr. Asrin, Head of Department of
Agriculture; Mr. Razali, Head of Department of Fishery; Mr. Muhammad
Ali Basyah, Head of Department Community Development Services; Mr.
Idris Ibrahim, Education Advisor to the Governor; and Prof. Dr.
Afrizal, Rector, Malikussaleh University.
During their visit to AIT on 18-19 April 2011, the delegation from
Aceh delegation held a series of meetings with Prof. Joydeep Dutta,
Vice President for Academic Affairs; Dr. Weerakorn Ongsakul, Dean
School of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD); Dr. Mokbul
Morshed Ahmad, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, SERD; Prof. Athapol
Noomhorm, Coordinator Food Engineering and Bioprocess Technology (FEBT)
field of study, SERD; Dr. S L Ranamukhaarachchi, Visiting Associate
Professor, Agricultural Systems and Engineering (ASE), SERD; Dr.
Prabhat Kumar, Affiliated Faculty, SERD; Dr. Wenresti Glino Gallardo,
Coordinator Aquaculture and Aquatic Resources Management (AARM), field
of study, SERD; Dr. Amararatne Yakupitiyage and Dr. Lionel Dabbadie,
CIRAD of AARM,SERD; Dr. Theo Wilhelm Ebbers, Coordinator, Office of
President; and Mr. Kyaw Soe Hlaing, Program Coordinator, External
Relations and Communications Office (ERCO).
AIT will dispatch expert teams to Aceh for data collection and fact
findings, brainstorming sessions, which will be followed by the
presentation of an action plan to the Government of Aceh and its
parliament. A team of agricultural and fishery experts will visit Aceh
in May 2011. The Government of Aceh will also arrange for AIT expert
teams to visit institutions of higher learning in Aceh to discuss the
possibility of development of a two stage Master’s degree program.
