Signing the MoU, the IICPT
Director offered to send faculty to AIT, and invited AIT students to
conduct research work at their Institute. Dr. Alagusundaram, who is an
AIT alumnus (Master’s in Agricultural and Food Engineering in 1985),
also expressed the desire to launch a joint student exchange program.
He added that while IICPT had signed a number of agreements with North
American institutes and universities, this was their first agreement
with an Asian institute outside of India.
The IICPT Director, who was reminiscing his student days at AIT, also
offered AIT faculty the opportunity to work at his Institute during
their sabbatical. IICPT currently offers Bachelor’s, Master’s and
Doctoral programs, and the delegation said that they were keen to send
their students to AIT on exposure visits. Dr. Alagusundaram also
identified the Thai-India research initiative by India’s Department of
Science and Technology (DST) as a potential area of cooperation.
Welcoming the delegation, the AIT President said that he was impressed
with IICPT’s achievements and was looking forward toward a strengthened
partnership.
Dr. Alagusundaram was accompanied by Dr. B.K.Yadav, Head, Department
of Food Engineering, IICPT, who was earlier serving at AIT. The
delegation also included Dr. K. Singarwadeevel, Head, Department of
Food Microbiology; Dr. S. Kumarwell, Head, Department of Food Quality
Testing; Dr. Kavitha Abirami, Head, Department of Academic and Human
Resource Development; Dr. R. Jaganmohan, Head, Department of Food
Product Development; and Dr. V.R.Sinija, Head, Department of
Technologies Dissemination.
Besides the AIT President, AIT was represented by Prof. I.M.Pandey,
Vice President for Academic Affairs; Dr. Weerakorn Ongsakul, Dean,
School of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD); Prof. Athapol
Noomhorm, Dr. Anil Kumar Anal and Mr, Imran Ahmad of Food Engineering
and Bioprocess Technology (FEBT) field of study, SERD; Prof. S. Kumar
of Energy field of study, SERD; Mr. Olivier Drean, Interim-Head,
External Relations and Communications Office (ERCO); and Mr. Tenzin
Rabgyal of ERCO.
