Ms. Anupa Rimal Lamichhane (GDS May 2008), whose study
on gender development studies in Nepal, was chosen to be published and
presented at the concurrent science sessions of the second Challenge
Program on Water and Food (CPWF) International Forum on Water and Food
(IFWF2). The forum will be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 9 to 14
November 2008.

One of the major objectives of the Forum is to highlight the new
knowledge generated during the first phase of the CPWF by their
community of practice.

A team of climate change specialists led by Professor Sudip K.
Rakshit, Vice-President for Research, earlier this month attended
the Franco-Thai Seminar on “Climate Change: Impacts and Mitigation
Options”, held from 3 -5 September in Bangkok.

The seminar served as a good platform for instructive exchanges
between the AIT delegation and French, Thai and international
researchers.

On 22 August 2008, AIT President Said
Irandoust along with Professor Ram M.
Shrestha, senior Nepalese faculty member in the Energy field
of study, SERD and Mr. Karma Rana,  Institute
Secretary, met with Mr. Pramod Pradhan, former
President of the AIT Alumni Association (AITAA) Nepal Chapter.

Mr. Kee Book Hee (Managing Director of Frontier Bond
(M) Sdn Bhd), former President of the AIT Alumni Association (AITAA),
Malaysia Chapter, hosted a lunch to AIT President Said
Irandoust on 17 August  2008 during his trip to Malaysia
to attend the Map Asia 2008 to deliver one of the inaugural
addresses.

The draft of the new AIT Charter was finalized at the fourth and last
intergovernmental meeting, which was convened on 11 and 12 September
2008, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Thailand.

Representatives from Bangladesh, Cambodia, France, India, Indonesia,
Japan, Laos, Korea, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Vietnam, and
the host country Thailand, were in attendance aside from the AIT
delegation.

Vice President for Development and
Resources, Dr. Khin Ni Ni Thein met with Dr. Le
Huu Ti, Chief, Water and Sustainable Development Section in
UN-ESCAP, on 5 September 2008. Dr. Ti is a senior AIT Alumnus and
he is interested in seeing AIT become an implementing institute of the
soon-to-be-established Knowledge Hub on "Water Conflicts Prevention and
Resolution" for the benefit of Asian countries.

On 18 August 2008, AIT President Said
Irandoust delivered one of the inaugural addresses at the Map
Asia 2008 conference. The main speaker was the Secretary-General of
the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Malaysia.

During his address, AIT President
highlighted the important role of AIT vis-à-vis GIS strategies in the
region, importance of GIS and emerging advances in GIS related
technologies, planned activities and initiatives of AIT in initiatives
such as climate change and how GIS can help, and also conveyed AIT’s
interest and invitation to work with a wide range of partners.

On 4 September 2008, nine companies visited AIT to present their joint
research proposals in collaboration with AIT faculty. This meeting was
chaired by Dr. Suchart Muangkaew, Deputy Secretary-General of
the Commission on Higher Education.  

The purpose of the joint research project is to enable companies to
make use of AIT’s research capabilities, while AIT faculty members have
an opportunity to work on solving real-world problems.

Dr. Punya Prasad Regmi (an AIT alumnus himself), who has been
contracted for carrying out a tracer study of AIT alumni, has started
the work for the Tracer Study of about 4000 AIT Graduates (2003 to mid
2008) since the end of August. He is expected to complete the study by
the end of December 2008.

During his meeting with AIT President Said Irandoust and
Dr. Pritam K. Shrestha, Head, External Relations and
Communications Office, on 2 September 2008, they discussed about the
tracer study and the draft survey questionnaires.

On 5 September 2008, AIT President Said Irandoust met
with Mr. Somprasong Boonyachai, the President of the AITAA
Mother Chapter, discussing the possible combining of the AIT and AITAA
endowment funds, and unification of the current two alumni offices, so
as to have better coordination and utilization of resources.