AIT President Said Irandoust was invited by Professor Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai, Dean, School of Engineering and Technology (SET), to take part in the School of Engineering Retreat, which took place at Pinehurst on 28 September 2007. The emphasis of the workshop was on "Academic Quality and Resources Planning" and aimed at examining this year's performance, towards identifying conditions that would help ensure the sustainability of the present positive trends of the School.

A delegation comprising Mr. Nguyen Thanh Son, Vice Chairman, People's Committee of Can Tho City; Mr. Le Phu Hao, Vice Director, Department of Home Affairs; Mrs. Tran Thi Thanh Binh, Rector, Can Tho University of Technology; Colonel Ha Nghia Lo, Director, Department of Police; and Lieutenant Colonel Vo Thi Nhu Tuyet, Vice Head, Administrative Management & Social Order, Department of Police visited AIT during 26-29 September 2007.

The purpose of their visit was to explore areas in which there could be collaborations between AIT and the Department of Home Affairs-Can Tho City (DoHA-CT), in particular for the capacity building of their officials under the 'Project 150'. DoHA-CT is keen on funding some of their officials to further their studies at AIT. An official MoU signing ceremony was held on 26 September 2007, and the expectation is that collaborations between AIT and DoHA will be further expanded in the future.

A special talk on "Energy after Oil" was recently delivered by Lord Ronald Oxburgh KBE at AIT on 24 September 2007. Lord Oxburgh is a very distinguished academician with extensive experience in the private sector, and was trained as a geologist/geophysicist (Oxford & Princeton). He is the former Rector of Imperial College (UK) and was Chairman of Shell.

Mr. Hans Guttman has joined AIT as the Wetlands Alliance Program (WAP) Coordinator, effective 24 September 2007. Mr. Guttman, who is an AIT alumnus (1991), worked as Coordinator at the Environment Program, Mekong River Commission (MRC) Secretariat, Cambodia and Lao PDR, prior to taking up his new position at AIT. He also worked for several years at the AIT Aqua Outreach Program covering Lao PDR, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia, before moving to the MRC. Mr. Guttman has extensive experience in aquatic resources management for sustainable rural development, having worked at the local, national and regional levels, and also in natural aquatic systems addressing production, biodiversity, rehabilitation and resilience.

H.E. Mr. Anand Panyarachun, former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of AIT, and distinguished AIT alumnus Dr. Subin Pinkayan, who are both members of the Asian Wise Person's Group (AWG-3), have proposed AIT's name in relation to some of the strategic areas and actions that were considered by the AWG-3 during their recent meeting held in Manila during 21-22 September 2007. The recommendations made by the AWG-3 will serve as inputs in the formulation of ADB's Long-Term Strategic Plan.

By Leilani Gallardo

08 October 2007

The Bang Pa Canal, which serpentines across Thailand’s agricultural Ratchaburi province for thirty-seven kilometers, is a vital source of fresh water for many area farmers. However, the constant dumping of untreated wastewater into the canal by upstream industrial establishments and pig farms has taken a severe toll.

Dr. Ram C. Bhujel, an affiliated faculty member in the Aquaculture and Aquatic Resources Management (AARM) Field of Study, School of Environment, Resources and Development, has been successful in winning a project entitled, "Linking the post-graduate education in aquaculture and aquatic resources management with its industries", through a global competitive process funded by EU under the Asia-Link Program.

 
AIT's proposal "Linking Thai Jasmine Rice farmers with markets using participatory action research for sustainability of rain-fed lowland rice-based system of Northeast Thailand" has been accepted for funding by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). The total grant amount for this 24-month project is US$ 243,000 with co-financing / funding (in-kind) of US$ 110,000. The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) Southeast Asia is AIT's partner in the initiative.

Dr. Kyoko Kusakabe and colleagues in the Gender and Development Studies field of study, School of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD), have been awarded the project on "Capacity Building for Gender Poverty and Mobility Analysis of Road Transportation Development in GMS Region" by the ASEAN Foundation.

 AIT has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges (DICE), Ministry of Education, People Republic of China. The agreement was signed on 27 September 2007, at a reception marking the 58th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China, which was hosted by H.E. Mr. Zhang Jiuhuan, Ambassador of the China to Thailand.