As a result of AIT President Said Irandoust’s successful participation at the 3rd Asian Science and Technology Forum (ASTF), held in Tokyo from 4-5 October, prospects are good for AIT to collaborate with some key agencies promoting science and technology in Japan and the Asian region.
At the forum, organized by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), the president presented a lecture addressing Asian energy and environmental issues and of AIT's experience in the role of regional cooperation. President Irandoust’s thoughtful messages and promotion of AIT certainly struck a chord with many high-level delegates to the conference, and led to numerous possibilities for partnership, including some with JST.
Significantly, the ASTF officially recognized the importance of AIT as a ‘regional institute’. The forum also recommended the establishment of an "Asian R&D Innovation Center for Sustainable Development" as a possible part of a future Sustainable Asia Research Organization.
During the forum’s concluding session, Mr. Makoto Taniguchi(President, Iwate Prefectural University, former Ambassador to the United Nations, and former OECD Deputy Secretary General), who was the chairperson of the session at which the AIT President participated, stressed the key role which AIT could play in the context of the larger recommendations made at the forum.
Specifically, he said AIT could form a partnership with JST in relation to two specific endeavors. First, as JST plans to create centers of excellence in the region, AIT, could, by virtue of it experience and networks, partner JST in this initiative by setting-up joint collaborative centers. Second, AIT could partner JST in the regional implementation of environmentally-friendly technologies, as well as in the development of Asia-launched global standards (safety and environmental standards, industrial standards, etc), which was also one of the recommendations made at the forum.
The Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST)
(http://www.jst.go.jp) as a core organization for implementing Japan
's science and technology policy, aspires to establish Japan
as a nation built on the creativity of science and technology. It promotes science and technology in Japan
by conducting a broad range of activities, including the promotion of research and development from basic research to commercialization, u
pgrading infrastructure, and the general promotion of science and technology, including dissemination of scientific and technological information.
Mr. Fumiaki Takahashi, Executive Director, JST, and the former Japanese Ambassador to Cambodia, who also visited AIT in August 2007, personally introduced President Irandoust to H.E. Mr. Koji Omi, Founder and Chairman of the Science and Technology in Society Forum (STS Forum) and former Minister of Finance of Japan. President Irandoust also met with Dr. Hiroyuki Abe, Counsellor to the President, JST, and Professor Emeritus at Tohoku University, Japan.
The ASTF 2007 also recognized that the advancement of multilateral joint research with Asian countries is a vital part of efforts to address the environmental and energy issues facing the region. For this, AIT feels itself to be well placed, as it places great value on strengthening regional and global institutional bonds, collaboration and research. AIT's half-century of international experience at the service of the development of the region, its established brand name, its international pool of experts in development, and its strong networks of partners in the region and in the world make it a unique partner for the development of the region.
AIT does not operate as a regular national university. Instead AIT is a network university with several owners which all have a shared interest; recruiting students and researchers from the whole region and also beyond. Currently, there are more than 200 sponsored projects with more than 600 research and support staff from 30 countries. It is in this context that the president indicated AIT would work in close interaction with Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), the organizer of the ASTF 2007.
National Institute of Information and Communications Technology
Japan’s National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NiCT) http://www.nict.go.jp has new plans for the next semester, and would like to invite Ph.D. students from AIT to conduct part of their research work at NiCT laboratories. Over the years NiCT has provided a number of scholarships to AIT through the Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency. President Irandoust requested the continued support of NiCT in terms of the provision of lecturers, scholarships, and equipment to AIT. He also invited NiCT officials to visit AIT.
Other important networking contacts made by the AIT President in Japan and at the ASTF
Meeting with Ambassador Hiroshi Ota
President Irandoust met with Ambassador Hiroshi Ota, Member of the AIT Executive Committee, updating him on some of the recent developments at AIT. He invited Ambassador Ota to deliver a lecture at AIT to share some of his experiences on international relations and diplomatic history. Ambassador Ota also serves as Professor (international relations, diplomatic history) at Kinki University and is Director at the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies.
During the ASTF event, AIT President Said Irandoust had an opportunity to interact and meet with the following persons:
European Commission: President Irandoust met with Dr. Aires Soares, Head of Unit, Energy Horizontal Aspects and Coordination, Directorate-General for Research; and Dr. Jacques M. Sant' Ana Calazans, Head of Division, Cooperation with non-member countries, Directorate-General XIX - Budget. They discussed ways in which AIT's collaboration with the EC could be better structured, specifically the development of strategic partnerships between AIT and the EC, vis-à-vis EC's development goals in the region.
DOST Philippines: The president met with Dr. Graciano P. Yumul, Jr.; Undersecretary for Research and Development, Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Philippines, who informed him that DOST is planning a visit to AIT, and is considering and allocation of scholarships to AIT. President Irandoust has proposed that such scholarships could be for both the regular and two-stage master’s / doctoral programs.
CSRI India: The AIT President met with Dr. Naresh Kumar, Head, R&D Planning and HR Division, who wishes to partner AIT through the signing of a MoU for the training of CSRI staff members. Dr. Kumar is keen on visiting AIT, during which the agreement could be finalized.
Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, who is also the President of the University of Cambodia, was also present at the breakfast meeting, assured AIT of Cambodia's support to AIT, and in enlisting as one of the first signatories to the new AIT Charter.
Finally, President Irandoust also met with Professor Tadeuz Luty, Rector of the Wroclaw University of Technology, and President of the Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland, discussing the possibility of submitting joint proposals to the EC for funding, and also holding of one of the Polish rectors' conferences at AIT.
