Board of Trustees Meeting
A meeting of the Board of Trustees was held on Wednesday, 10 November 2004. The meeting was chaired by H.E. Mr. Anand Panyarachun, Chairman of the Board of Trustees. H. E. Dr. Thanat Khoman, Chairman Emeritus also attended the event.
Board members or representatives who attended were Professor Hans van Ginkel; H.E. Mr. Shahed Akhtar (Bangladesh); Professor Jean-Louis Armand, AIT President; H.E. Mr. Laurent Aublin (France); H.E. Mr. Mir Hussain Bakhsh Bangulzai (Pakistan); Professor Voradej Chandarasorn (Secretary General, Office of the National Education Commission); H.E. Mr. Denis Comeau (Canada); H.E. Mr. Hans Peter Erismann (Switzerland); H.E. Mr. Jonas Hafstrom (Sweden); H.E. Mr. Ulrik Helweg-Larsen (Denmark); Mr. Yadav Khanal, Charge d'Affaires (Nepal); H.E. Mrs. Ragne Birte Lund (Norway); Mr. Sunten Z. Manurung, Charge d'Affaires (Indonesia); H.E. Mr. Pieter Marres (The Netherlands); Mr. Chainarong Na Lamphun, President, AITAA; H.E. Mr. Nguyen Quoc Khanh (Vietnam) (represented by Mr. Pham Quang Vinh, Deputy of the Mission); H.E. Mr. Hiem Phommachanh (Laos) (represented by Mr. Souvanna Phouyavong, Cousellor, Deputy Head of Mission); H.E. Mr. Sihasak Phuangketkeow (Director-General, Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs) (represented by Mr. Kiattikhun Chartprasert, Deputy Director-General, Department of Information, MoFA); H.E. Mrs. L.K. Ponappa (India) (represented by Mr. Rajiv Kumar, Counsellor); H.E. Mr. Antonio Rodriguez (Philippines); H.E. Dr. Klauspeter Schmallenbach (Head of Delegation, EC); H.E. Mr. Andreas von Stechow (Germany) (represented by Mr. Holger Michael, Deputy and Minister Counsellor); H.E. Mr. Atsushi Tokinoya (Japan); H.E. Dr. Herbert Traxl (Austria); H.E. Mr. Heikki Tuunanen (Finland); Dr. Phaichitr Uathavikul; H.E. Mr. Ung Sean (Cambodia); H.E. Mr. J.D.A. Wijewardena (Sri Lanka) and H.E. Mr. Yoon Jee-Joon (Korea).
Also invited to attend, in a non-voting capacity were H.E. Lyonpo Chenkyab Dorji (Bhutan); H.E. Mr. Darryl Norman Johnson (U.S.A) (represented by Mr. Tim Beans, USAID's Mission Director); Professor Yongyuth Yuthavong (Vice Chairman of the Academic Advisory Panel, in absence of Professor W.C. Webster, excused).
The first part of the meeting was devoted to the selection of the next President, participation to which was limited to voting members only and, in the case of representatives of a government or international organization unable to attend, to the person they had designated.
The two finalist candidates for the President position of AIT were invited to make presentations to the Board following which they responded to questions from Board members. The candidates had also submitted in writing their ideas on how they intended to implement or put in actionable terms the strategic initiatives outlined in the 'AIT Strategy: New Directions and Initiatives' document prior to the Board. Following the presentations and voting which took place, Professor Said Irandoust, a Swedish national, currently serving as President of the University College of Boras, Sweden was appointed by a two-thirds majority as the next President of AIT.
The Board expressed its deepest appreciation to the Presidential Search Committee headed by Professor Charas Suwanwela for its work and also thanked the Board for the transparent and open manner in which the process of the selection of the President was undertaken.
H.E. Mr. Anand Panyarachun, Chairman was authorized by the Board to appoint an Acting President for the transition period until the next President can assume the presidency. This matter will be considered by the Executive Committee at its 13 December 2004 meeting.
The Board received the President's concluding report on 'AIT's Achievements, Challenges and Opportunities' (link to be provided). On behalf of the Board, the Chairman expressed deepest thanks and appreciation to the President for having served the Institute with diligence and conviction and also conveyed good wishes for his future. The President expressed his thanks and appreciation to the Board and his AIT colleagues, with special mention of the Provost, for the trust and support provided to him during his presidency and added that it had been a distinct honour and privilege to have had the opportunity to work with the Chairman of the Board.
The Board endorsed the nomination of H.E. Mr. Pietr Marres, Ambassador of the Netherlands in replacement of H.E. Mr. Gerard J. H. C. Kramer.
The Board acknowledged with regret the resignation of Dr. Kopr Kritiyakirana, Vice-Chairman of the Board and Chairman of the Executive Committee, and Dr. Vichit Suraphongchai, Chairman of the Audit Committee from the Board and Executive Committee due to increasing workload from their other duties. The Chairman informed the Board that he has designated H.E. Mr. Jan Axel Nordlander, up until now Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee, as Chairman of the Executive Committee until the end of his term.
The Board approved the nominations of Professor Tissa H Illangasekare, AMAX Endowed Chair of Environmental Sciences and Engineering and Professor of Civil Engineering, Colorado School of Mines as member of the Academic Advisory Panel and Mr. Sukaran Singh, General Manager of Tata Industries Limited to the Corporate Relations Panel. Professor Illangasekare is the first graduate of AIT from Sri Lanka.
The Executive Committee was directed by the Board to make recommendations to the Board at its 13 December 2004 meeting regarding the mandate, composition and operation of the Nominating Committee as called by section 1.4 and 4.2 of the bye-laws, to be appointed by the Board in charge of assisting the Board in its deliberations on Board membership and other appointments made by the Board.
The Chairman informed the Board that following his intervention the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sought a Cabinet resolution towards reaffirming the immunities and privileges of AIT and in resolving the issue of the land lease. The Board took note of the report of the Audit Committee.
The Board received the FY 2004 half-year financial results which included the consolidated report on the operating revenues and expenditures, balance sheet, and cash flow statement. Improvements were noted in total operating revenue, total operating expenditure, operating deficit and net deficit.
The Board approved the proposed budget for FY 2005 which is based in part on the guidelines as prescribed in the Academic and Business Plan 2004-2008. Detailed measures and targets for 2005 budget have been outlined and budget balance sheet and cash flow statement have also been presented for the first time.
The Board took note of the report on the AIT Arboretum Project for which Royal permission has been graciously granted the name 'Queen Sirikit Arboretum Garden'.
The next meeting of the Board will be held on 25 April 2005.