AIT Establishes Academic and Research Cooperation with Chiang Mai University
AIT signed a memorandum of understanding with Chiang Mai University on 27 February 2007 aimed at fostering mutually beneficial cooperation that would facilitate academic, research and inter-institutional relationship between AIT and Chiang Mai University.

Concrete activities and planned initiatives are on the way for AIT Center in Indonesia
Very concrete activities and various types of planned initiatives are on the way at the AIT Center in Indonesia (AIT-CI), Prof. Said Irandoust, AIT President, disclosed to the AIT community recently after attending the Steering Committee meeting of AIT Center in Indonesia (AIT-CI) on 23 February 2007.AIT in collaboration with the University of Gaja Madah and AIT-CI will launch an 18-month joint dual-degree masters program in transportation systems & engineering, to be implemented by the AIT-CI and will start on August 2007. The World Bank will provide full funding for 20 students to join the dual-degree program.

MOU promises more dynamic collaboration
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Total Exploration and Production Thailand (TEPT), Total Professors Associations (TPA) and AIT at the Offshore Technology and Management (OTM) Open House Day held on 20 February 2007 to renew the MoU to strengthen the educational collaboration among three partners.

Updates on drafting AIT New Charter

On 14 February 2007, Prof. Said Irandoust, AIT President, met with Dr. Tej Bunnag, Chairman of the Board, and H.E. Mr. Laurent Aublin, Chairman of the Executive Committee, accompanied by Mr. Thierry Schwarz, his Regional Counsellor for Cooperation, to further discuss the course of action to be taken with regard to the latest version of the draft AIT Charter received from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Thailand.

Another research thematic area added

After a series of discussions between Prof. Sudip Rakshit, Vice President for Research, first with the faculty in School of Engineering and Technology (SET) and later with a group of faculty in ISE, GIS, CSIM, etc.

AARM faculty's work short listed in the World Bank 2007 Global Development Marketplace Competition

Congratulations to Dr. Ram C. Bhujel, Senior Research Scientist and Affiliated Faculty in the Aquaculture and Aquatic Resources Management (AARM) field of study, School of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD) whose project proposal has been short listed from among more than 2,900 entries in the World Bank organized 2007 Global Development Marketplace Competition http://www.

AIT strengthens cooperation with ADB

A number of interesting ideas and initiatives have been proposed to further strengthen the cooperation between AIT and Asian Development Bank (ADB) during the meeting between AIT administration and ADB delegates, Vice President Ursula Schafer-Preuss (above left), Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development (ADB) and her husband Dr. Wolf Preuss (former AIT trustee), and Dr. Jean-Pierre Verbiest, Country Director, ADB Thailand Resident Mission.

AIT and UNITAR pursue specific areas of collaboration

More specific areas of collaboration between AIT and United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), under the broad concept paper submitted to the ASEAN Secretary General, were discussed during the visit of Mr. Nico Barito, Senior Fellow, UNITAR, to AIT on 15 February 2007. Mr. Barito is also a member of the AIT Center in Indonesia Steering Committee.

SME Management Development Program Alumni Meeting

The alumni members of the Small and Medium Enterprise Management Development Program of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) gathered at AIT for a one-day alumni meeting cum seminar on 15 February 2007. The event was organized by AIT's School of Management (SOM) to provide a forum for sharing experiences between the seminar participants and SOM faculty as well as for exploring possibilities for future cooperation.

AIT Spirit House refurbished

AIT President Prof. Said Irandoust recently presided over a small ceremony to mark the opening of the refurbished Spirit House located near the circumference and the AIT main entrance. A fist time ever gathering of the members of the AIT community from different religions and cultures, the ceremony, once again proofed the unique, peaceful and harmonious nature of multicultural community living and cooperation at AIT.