President Irandoust Welcomes August 2005 Batch
A good education, Prof. Said Irandoust, AIT President, told 650 incoming students last Thursday, 04 August at the AIT Auditorium, is 'one that prepares students to answer questions we haven't even thought of ' he elaborated, hopes to instill in them that sort of exciting creativity - 'that energizing sense of your role in creating a socially just future. We hope that our programmes and activities here will assist you in achieving your goals and becoming successful in life.
'As President of AIT, Asian Institute of Technology, I am very pleased on behalf of everyone at AIT to welcome all of you - new students, family, and friends to our campus, and to a day which is devoted especially to you and to your questions about AIT. You are entering the AIT community, within which you will be spending the next few years of your lives. I hope that you will find them to be challenging, productive, and enjoyable.
AIT, President Irandoust said, is for people who ask: why not change the world? 'People just like you, as the world changes, and as technology changes, AIT is the place where those changes are tracked, where those changes are created, and where students get to be a part of it all.
AIT's fundamental base for is its emphasis on diversity. 'We work to ensure that students from a wide variety of backgrounds, of intellectual and social interests, of cultures, and organizations and communities feel comfortable here. We know by experience how essential diversity is in the 21st century. The most creative and innovative nations are those with a vast diversity of peoples, cultures, backgrounds, thought, languages - all combining to give a competitive advantage. We believe that to truly be a global player - one must have a global vision, and global dreams/desires. Where best to start that but during the very important study years at AIT.
In addition to diversity, President Irandoust also touched on the importance of other core values of AIT: mutual respect, valuing competences, learning how to learn, taking advantage of opportunities, sharing, working collaboratively, and commitment.
'As President of AIT, I want you to know that AIT is committed: we are committed to excellence in all that we do; we are committed to excellence in teaching, learning, research and training and we are committed to serve the community, for this is what we are.'
AIT, the President concluded, will help you find the direction of that change. 'For as we like to say: 'Why not change the world?' And so, we challenge you, change your world. Welcome to the AIT community'