France's Université Nice Sophia Antipolis and Polytechnic University, interested in collaboration with AIT
During the visit to AIT on 3 August 2007, Dr. Philippe Gourbesville, Dean, Faculty of Geographic Sciences, Unversité Nice Sophia Antipolis, France, who was accompanied by Dr. Mukand S. Babel (who helped coordinate the visit), expressed his interest in establishing collaboration between AIT and the Université Nice Sophia Antipolis, as well as the Polytechnic University, through the development of joint programs, student exchanges. Dr. Philippe Gourbesville has recently been appointed as Rector of Polytechnic University.
Dr. Gourbesville also offered to help AIT in becoming a member of Hydro-Asia, which is a French Government-supported intensive research program within an academic framework, initiated by the Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, Incheon Regional Environmental Technology Development Center, University of Incheon and the Disaster Prevention Research Institute, and Kyoto University. The objective of Hydro-Asia is to promote, in a global Asian vision, the key concepts, methodologies, and tools and good practices which are essential for sustainable water management.
Dr. Gourbesville is also interested in jointly approaching the European Commission, together with AIT, for possible support and funding of new initiatives under the Erasmus Mundus Programme. Dr. Gourbesville has a strong private sector background with considerable knowledge and experience in the development of professional programs and linkages to industry, and is very much supportive of AIT's efforts in this direction. He also offered to approach the Government of France in further increasing its support to AIT, particularly in some of the initiatives outlined in the Institute's Strategic Development Plan.