Stating that he was “very impressed” by AIT and its achievements, the
Ambassador remarked that it was important that AIT and Thailand engage
with Hungary. He said that the World Science Forum, which is organized
biannually in Hungary, is a forum where the two could cooperate.
Stating that relations between Thailand and Hungary date back to the
nineteenth century, Ambassador Jakab added that ties between the two
cover the fields of agriculture, music, finance and technology. He also
elaborated on a new scholarship program for international students that
had been initiated by the Hungarian government.
Welcoming the Ambassador, AIT President Prof. Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai
stated AIT remains committed to the concept of acting as a nonpolitical
neutral platform for the international community. “AIT focuses on
cross-border transnational issues,” Prof. Worsak remarked. He invited
the Ambassador to consider AIT as a forum to interact with all
countries in the ASEAN region and beyond. Prof. Worsak proposed that
Hungary could depute seconded faculty to AIT, who could then work
towards creating greater academic and research linkages in the
region.
Prof. Louis Hornyak, Director, Center of Excellence in Nanotechnology;
Dr. Huynh Trung Luong of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering,
School of Engineering and Technology (SET); and Dr. Gabrielle Groves,
Head, External Relations and Communications Office (ERCO), also
participated in the meeting.
From left:
Dr. Gabrielle Groves Punyaratabandhu, Prof. Worsak
Kanok-Nukulchai, H.E. Dr. Peter Jakab, Prof. Louis Hornyak, and Dr.
Huynh Trung Luong.