“For over five decades, AIT has contributed towards empowerment of
Asia, and this will continue with renewed vigour,” the AIT President
Prof. Said Irandoust announced to a gathering that comprised of
dignitaries including ambassadors, academics, corporate leaders, media,
and member of the AIT community including students, faculty, staff and
alumni.
The highlight of the day was the Nanotechnology Portfolio release.
Celebrating five years of existence of the Center of Excellence in
Nanotechnology (CoEN) at AIT, Prof. Joydeep Dutta, Director of the
Center, and Vice President for Academic Affairs at AIT, said the event
marks the release of some products which are not only low cost, but
also extremely beneficial to society. These included a solar water
purifier,a fingerprint identification system and gas sensors.
Prof. Ganguli, who delivered the keynote on “Incubating Minds to
Markets,” stressed the optimum use of Intellectual Property Rights
(IPR) for creating a dynamic synergy between minds and markets. He
described universities and research institutions as “springs of
knowledge”, with industry acting as a “key channel of knowledge
irrigation for societal use.”
Prof. Irandoust narrated from his Swedish experience to stress the
need for entrepreneurship, education and innovation. Describing how new
knowledge and competence is intrinsically linked to innovation, he
exhorted universities to shed their shyness from emerging ideas,
knowledge and new paradigms and business models.
The celebrations also witnessed participation by the AIT Student Union
who arrived dressed in their traditional country costumes, reinforcing
the flavour of internationality at the event. The celebrations ended
with the award of two return tickets via a lucky draw to Sri Lanka by
Sri Lankan Airlines, which was one the sponsors of the event. This is
the third consecutive year that AIT has celebrated its anniversary. The
Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2009 had witnessed participation by
Nobel laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus; while in 2010, HRH Princess Maha
Chakri Sirindhorn had inaugurated the AIT Hall and Fame and Friends of
AIT Heritage (FAITH) Foundation.
AIT students in their national customes on
the occasion of AIT Day 2011.