on tackling unemployment, alleviating poverty, and mitigating and
managing natural disasters. Also high on the state government’s agenda
is improving the professional skills of its citizen’s through capacity
building training programs.
“These issues must be solved through a focus on improved education that
stresses science and technology,” Chief Minister Gogoi told AIT
President Prof. Said Irandoust.
He made these comments on 3 May 2011 while leading a high-ranking
delegation to AIT to explore possibilities for partnership with the
institute. The chief minister was welcomed by Prof. Said
Irandoust, President, AIT; Prof. Sudip Rakshit, Vice President for
Research; Prof. Joydeep Dutta, Vice President for Academic Affairs, and
a large group of senior administration officials and faculty members
who outlined AIT’s latest developments, academic programs and
initiatives.
The chief minister was accompanied on the visit by H.E. Mr. Pisan
Manawapan, Thailand’s newly appointed Ambassador to India. Ambassador
Manawapan officially assumed his diplomatic post in New Delhi on 22
March 2011. On behalf of the institute, President Irandoust extended
his best wishes to the ambassador for a highly successful mission to
India.
Read report from Assam
Times
The meeting in was a follow-up to a visit to Assam by President
Irandoust on 1 May 2008, during which Minister Gogoi expressed interest
in research and development projects conducted by AIT that might have
importance to Assam, such as in flood control, and disaster management
and mitigation.
Later, the chief minister met with Assamese faculty and students
working and studying at AIT. Currently, 98 Indian-nationals are
enrolled for studies, including 17 Assamese.
President Irandoust briefed the chief minister that India was one of 12
countries to sign the New AIT Charter in August 2010 that would grant
AIT renewed status as an International Intergovernmental Organization
of higher learning, a first in Asia.
The AIT president also outlined how AIT’s advanced academic and
professionally-focused higher learning programs, and its extensive
research and outreach work on sustainable development, climate change,
disaster preparedness, poverty alleviation, professional capacity
building, and water engineering and food production match the needs of
Assam.
The new Disaster Preparedness, Mitigation and Management Program (DPMM)
was highlighted by faculty members as a prime example of AIT’s
interdisciplinary approach for increasing knowledge and capacity to
manage and minimize the effects of disasters. The chief minister also
learned that AIT is a regional leader in the field of water engineering
education and research that studies securing water for people and for
food production, protecting vital ecosystems, and dealing with
variability and uncertainty of water sources.
Citing Iraq, Afghanistan, Timor Leste, Aceh province,
Indonesia, and Lao PDR as prime examples of where AIT contributes to
building human capacity in post-conflict and disaster situations,
President Irandoust emphasized the impact AIT makes to sustainable
development across Asia through its advanced expertise and broad
networking capabilities.
The president also informed that AIT is now home to the Yunus
Center at AIT; CSR Asia Center at AIT; ASEAN Regional Center of
Excellence on MDGs; AIT-United Nations Environment Programme Regional
Resource Center for Asia and the Pacific; and the Center of Excellence
on Sustainable Development in the Context of Climate
Change.
President Irandoust explained AIT houses both the
regional office for Telecoms sans Frontières and the Regional
Integrated Multi-hazard Early Warning System for Africa and Asia
(RIMES). It is a close partner with the Asia Disaster
Preparedness Center (ADPC) in Bangkok. He added that AIT’s
capabilities in Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems and
its work on developing low-cost housing technologies are additional
ways that AIT contributes to sustainable development in the
region.
Mr. Gogoi said: “I am happy to learn that AIT is pursuing so many new,
relevant programs that offer solutions to a number of problems.”
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi was also accompanied on his visit to
AIT by his wife, Mrs. Gogoi; Mr. Ranjit Barthakur, Advisor to Chief
Minister of Assam; Mrs. Barthakur and Mr. Bipul Gogoi, Personal
Secretary to the Chief Minister. Also joining the delegation from
Bangkok was Dr. Jaideep Nair, Counselor, Embassy of India, Bangkok,
Thailand; and Ms. Potchamas Saengthien, Second Secretary, Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, Thailand.
From left are H.E. Mr. Pisan Manawapan, Thai
Ambassador to India; Shri. Tarun Gogoi, Chief Minister of Assam State,
India; AIT President Prof. Said Irandoust; and Mr. Ranjit Barthakur,
Chief Investment Advisor
to Chief Minister of Assam.