A collaboration between AIT and Bangkok Bank Limited, one of Thailand’s leading banks, to co-brand was discussed on a meeting held by Prof. Said Irandoust, AIT President with senior officials of Bangkok Bank on 23 January 2007.

Bangkok Bank officials suggested the provision of advanced education study loans, scholarship and research funds, student ID card plus credit card, developing a joint platform for SME and entrepreneurship (including television Channels 3 and 11 for regular promotion).

With co-branding, it is expected not only to elevate AIT’s profile through Bangkok Bank branches but will likewise promote recruitment, employment or internship opportunities.

AIT and Prospect Burma will strengthen the mutual collaboration in helping Myanmar students to obtain advanced education at AIT. The discussion of ways to achieve this took place during the visit of Ms. Patricia Herbert, Vice Chair of Prospect Burma, U.K. to AIT on 25 January 2007.

Ms. Herbert stressed the importance of assisting students who would eventually return to Myanmar to assist in the country’s development process which is the ultimate goal of Prospect Burma.

The People’s Republic of China, through the Chinese Scholarship Council of the Ministry of Education confirmed its renewal of cooperation with AIT. AIT President, Prof. Said Irandoust, on 29 January 2007, disclosed that the cooperation with AIT will take effect in August 2007. According to the agreement, the council will provide 10 full scholarships to Chinese doctoral students for a period of three years in all fields of study offered in AIT’s three Schools.

The second batch of 15 students of SOM’s professional doctorate program attended the orientation after their enrolment in January 2007 semester.

Organized by the School of Management, the event was participated by Prof.

The Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited recently invited experts from AIT to assist in an independent study to investigate the cause of the Suvarnabhumi Airport’s pavement cracks. The AIT team consisted of Prof.

AIT will host the Wetlands Alliance Program secretariat. The decision was made at the meeting of Wetlands Alliance hosted by CORIN at the Prince of Songkla University (PSU) in Had Yai City, Songkla Province, from 28-29 January 2007. Representing AIT at the meeting was Prof.

On 1 February, Prof. Said Irandoust, AIT President, attended the MoU signing ceremony on the establishment of a "Services Science Collaboration Program" held at the Government House. The program is part of the Government of Thailand and IBM Thailand initiative to further develop and strengthen the service science discipline and manpower in the country.

The Board of Trustees of the ASEAN Foundation has recently approved the project proposed by AIT entitled "Capacity Building in Poverty Mapping in the ASEAN Member Countries" in the amount of US$ 367,489, under the auspices of the project proposals initiated by the Government of Japan.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Nepal Hon. K. P. Sharma Oli, paid a visit to AIT on 7 February 2007 and met with the AIT President Professor Said Irandoust, Vice President for Research, Professor Sudip K. Rakshit, Dr. Nitin Afzulpurkar (representing Dean SET) together with Nepalese faculty members and staff Prof.

AIT recently decided to carry on with the launch of AIT's own version of an Open Courseware. The initiative was in line with the ones proposed by MIT and the Open Courseware consortium. The decision was reached at the President's Advisory Council Meeting held on 8 February 2007.

The initiative is aimed to further raise AIT's profile as a unique provider of knowledge in specific areas of development, technology and management in an Asian context.