The second batch of young professionals who came to AIT under the
SWITCH-Asia Regional Policy Support Component programme included
researchers, teachers, engineers, consultants, managers, officers and
students. The Winter School lasted from 18-29 January 2016, and it was
the second in the series. The first Winter School was held from 7-20
December 2014.
Dr. Jonathan Shaw, Executive Director, AIT Extension described the
program as “tremendously exciting,” adding that the networks forged
among the participants will hold them in good stead in the future.
Prof. C Visvanathan, who was leading the program for AIT, mentioned
the competitive nature of the program adding that participants were
selected from over 350 applicants. Further, every resource person came
from a different country which added to the flavor of this intensive
program, he said. Addressing the participants, Prof. Visvanathan said:
“You started as trainees, and you have now graduated into trainers.”
For two weeks, participants interact with distinguished experts,
taking classes, participating in interactive scenario-based exercises
and simulations, besides building a strong network among themselves.
The program focused on trends and challenges of development; resource
efficiency; sustainable and unsustainable resource use and livelihoods
development at the policy level; and emerging risks of climate change,
water scarcity, and biodiversity loss, among other topics.
Successful participants were felicitated by Dr. Jonathan Shaw and
Prof. C. Visvanathan of AIT; and Ms. Janet Salem, Programme Officer,
Resource Efficiency and SCP, United Nations Regional Office for Asia
and Pacific (UNEP ROAP).
The program was conducted jointly by the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP), Switch Asia, AIT, Chulalongkorn University, United
Nations University- Institute for Advanced Study of Sustainability
(UNU-IAS), and Prince of Songklha University.
Photo Gallery from the event is available at these links:
Facebook: https://goo.gl/1854HC
Google+: https://goo.gl/n6WfSz
