MoA with leading Thai constructor SEAFCO
1 million baht scholarship for South Asia, included
Leading Thai construction company Seafco Public Company Limited (SEAFCO) recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the Asian Institute of Technology for collaboration on human resources development and promotion of research activities focusing on geotechnical issues in Thailand and the Asian region.
President engages strategic partners in Indonesia
AIT President Said Irandoust recently undertook a two-day mission to Indonesia on 16 -17 July 2007, duringwhich he visited the AIT Center Indonesia (AIT-CI) in Bandung,met with the Ministry of Public Works (under whose auspicesthe AIT Center is hosted), interacted with AIT alumni, and held a meeting with a private university interested in partnering with AIT.
AIT-CI and Gajah Madah University launch joint master’s program In his first meeting, the President met with 17 Indonesian students enrolling as the first group of the new joint masters program in transportation engineering to be conducted by AIT-CI in collaboration with the Gajah Madah University (UGM). The soon-to-be students are all employees of the Indonesian Ministry of Public Works (which is fully funding their studies) and hail from different parts of the country.
AIT and Cornell International Institute for Food, Agriculture and
Development expected
Professor Norman T. Uphoff, Professor of Government and International Agriculture and Director of Graduate Studies, Field of International Development, Cornell University, visited AIT on 19 July 2007 and conducted a seminar on 'System of Rice Intensification (SRI) - A New Paradigm for Agricultural Production and Participatory Development.
AIT's planned trips to Japan
At the invitation of the President of Tohoku University, AIT President Said Irandoust will be traveling to Japan on 27 August 2007 to take part in the university's Centenary Anniversary Celebrations.
During his visit, he will also be meeting with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan regarding the AIT Charter and meet with other related government agencies and partner institutions.
Prospects for collaboration with Siam Cement Group
An AIT delegation on 13 July 2007 led by Prof. Vilas Wuwongse, Vice
President for External Relations visited the head office of Siam Cement Group (SCG) and met the SCG corporate human resource team led by Director Mr. Manoon Sunkunakorn.
3RKH Brainstorming Meeting
A 3R Knowledge Hub (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) project team meeting was held between AIT and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on 6 July 2007. The agenda of the meeting agenda was the way forward, 'Draft 3R Action Plan in Collaboration with ADB'. Mr. Surendra Shrestha, Regional Director, UNEP ROAP, along with Mr. Hiroshi Nishimiya, Deputy Regional Director, Ms. Yuwaree In-na, Environmental Affairs Officer, Mr. Tin Aung Moe, Senior Programme Officer, Ms. Aretha Aprilia, Programme Specialist, attended from UNEP while Prof.
AIT and Japan's Saga University plan to jointly offer a double degree master's program
Saga University, Japan, is keen on partnering with AIT under a general MoU on academic cooperation and exchange, as well as through a cooperation agreement to jointly offer a double degree master's program.
Delegation from Telia Sonera Sweden visits AIT to explore ties
Mr. Kiumars Kaivanipour, a quality tools and analysis expert, working with Telia Sonera in Sweden, visited AIT on 19 July 2007, and met with faculty and staff of the telecommunications field of study and IntERlab.
Update on AIT-Afghanistan Task Force
On 18 July, AIT President Said Irandoust, chaired the AIT-Afghanistan Task Force meeting which was attended by the Schools, AIT Extension representatives and External Relations and Communications Office (ERCO) staff, namely Dr. S. Guha, Dr. Animesh Dutta (for Dr. Mithulananthan), Dr. S. Singh, Dr. Pritam Shrestha and Ms. Naina Shakya.
Recognition of Alumni
Congratulations to an AIT alumnus from Nepal, Mr. Babu Ram Shrestha (Spring Program 91'), who has been appointed as the Executive Director of the Local Development Training Academy (LDTA) in Nepal.
LDTA is an autonomous institution formed with the aim of promoting local development by enhancing managerial and administrative capacities of institutions (governments) such as village development committees (VDCs), municipalities and district development committees (DDCs). It also provides them with inputs to formulate policy guidelines most conducive to local development and for functional local governance.