The AIT community has received, with deep sadness and regret, the news of the sudden passing away of Professor Awnashilal Barkharam Sharma, "Brij" to most faculty colleagues, in Bangkok on the night of Wednesday, 30 January 2008.
The AIT community represents the many grateful AIT faculty, staff, students, and alumni who have directly benefited from Professor Sharma's dedication to his career as educator, researcher and administrator.
The following AIT faculty received new research/project grants from various organizations:
The Statement of Understanding between AIT and ACM Special Interest Group on Data Communications (SIGCOMM) was signed for organizing the 4th Asian Internet Engineering Conference (AINTEC), which is coordinated by Professor Kanchana Kanchanasut, Director of Internet Education and Research Laboratory (intERLab).
Dr. Dhirendra Thakur of Aquaculture and Aquatic Resources Management (AARM) Field of Study, SERD, received a new research grant from OxSea Vision (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
On 24 January 2008, AIT received the Finnish Identification Mission, led by Dr. Goran Nillson Axberg and Dr. Marko Mannila, who were joined by Ms. Helena Ahola, First Secretary (Development Cooperation) at the Finnish Embassy in Bangkok. The purpose of their mission was to further define potential areas for future co-operation within the Mekong region (particularly in Lao PDR and Cambodia), consistent both with the regional and national development and Finnish development policy priorities.
On 21 January 2008, AIT President Said Irandoust was introduced by Dr. Saied Pirasteh to Dr. Hamidreza Maskani and Dr. Ali Meraji from the Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research (ACECR), Environmental Research Institute, Iran who were here in Bangkok to participate in HealthGIS 2008 Conference.
On 21 January 2008, AIT President Said Irandoust met with Professor Gautam Dasgupta, who was invited by Dean Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai and Dr. Joydeep Dutta to deliver a lecture at AIT, and also explore possible partnerships. Professor Dasgupta who is from School of Civil Engineering, at Columbia University, has lots of new ideas on launching innovative programs which are unique in areas such as intelligent infrastructure and security engineering, both covering interesting areas such as disaster control and mitigation by engineering tools.
On 21 January 2008, Professor Peter Haddawy, Vice-President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Nandana Rajatheva, Coordinator of the Telecommunications field of study and AIT President Said Irandoust, met Dr. Matti Latva-aho, Director of the Centre for Wireless Communications (CWC), University of Oulu, Finland, who was accompanied by Mr. Attaphongse Taparugssanagorn, Research Scientist.
On 23 January 2008, AIT President Said Irandoust met through contacts provided by Dr. General Montri Supaporn, President of the Community Support Foundation Thailand, a delegation comprising of Dr. Chiradaporn Supaporn, Admiral Thomrat Hatayodom, Vice President of the Community Support Foundation Thailand; Dr. Chainaron Cherdchu, Head, Chemical Metrology and Biometry Department, Ministry of Science and Technology, Thailand; and Dr. Pongskorn Ridchomporn.
From left: Professor Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai, School of Engineering and Technology (SET) Dean; Assistant Professor Dr. Jackrit Suthakorn, President of Thai Robotics Society; Mr. Jeffrey D. Nygaard, Vice President and Country Manager of Seagate Thailand Operations and Dr. Manukid Parnichkun, Mechatronics Field of Study, SET.
Global computer hard drive leader Seagate Technology (Thailand) Ltd.
The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development of the World Bank has renewed its cooperation with AIT through a MoU signed on 18 January 2008. Under this MoU, the World Bank, through the collaboration under the Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarships Program (JJ/WBGSP), supports master's degree studies in development- related fields at AIT. AIT has offered 6 credit fellowships to each of the JJ/WBGSP scholars.
Dr. Sugimin Pranoto, Director of AIT Center in Indonesia (AIT-CI), initiated through the Directorate General of Highways, Ministry of Public Works, the following new programs for AIT:
Short Courses (Legal and Contractual Risk Management; Information Technology in Construction; Road Safety and Management in Construction; Transportation Policy and Environmental Limits). These short courses are to be conducted in 2008 under funding from the World Bank through the ERTP program.