News

President Said Irandoust represented the Asian Institute of
Technology (AIT) in establishing a partnership with the Directorate for
Water Resources and Irrigation (DWRI), State Ministry of National
Development Planning/National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas),
Republic of Indonesia to deliver tailored trainings on on Integrated
Water  Resources Management (IWRM). 19 September 2008 marked this
day and confirmed AIT’s participation in the  Bappenas’s open call
for proposal whereby AIT proposal survived intense competition from
strong international  contenders.

AIT President Said Irandoust delivered the
opening remarks for the “Organic Symposium and Regional Workshop”, an
event that was organized by AIT in partnership with the National
Innovation Agency (NIA), Ministry of Science and Technology Thailand
and the Thai Organic Trade Association (TOTA). The activity was opened
on Monday, 8 September 2008 with prominent guests such as H.E. Dr.
Suchinda Chotipanich, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Science and
Technology, Thailand, and Dr. Supachai Lorlowhakarn, Director, NIA
joining the initiative.

Ms. Anupa Rimal Lamichhane (GDS May 2008), whose study
on gender development studies in Nepal, was chosen to be published and
presented at the concurrent science sessions of the second Challenge
Program on Water and Food (CPWF) International Forum on Water and Food
(IFWF2). The forum will be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 9 to 14
November 2008.

One of the major objectives of the Forum is to highlight the new
knowledge generated during the first phase of the CPWF by their
community of practice.

A team of climate change specialists led by Professor Sudip K.
Rakshit, Vice-President for Research, earlier this month attended
the Franco-Thai Seminar on “Climate Change: Impacts and Mitigation
Options”, held from 3 -5 September in Bangkok.

The seminar served as a good platform for instructive exchanges
between the AIT delegation and French, Thai and international
researchers.

In observance of the United Nations Global Peace Day Celebration, the Asian Institute of Technology Golden Jubilee Fundraising Campaign (AIT GJFC) will be celebrating the United Nations Global Peace Day on 21 September 2008 at the AITCC Auditorium. GJFC also likewise requested an event organizer company, "Add Your Command" to help in this regard.

On 22 August 2008, AIT President Said
Irandoust along with Professor Ram M.
Shrestha, senior Nepalese faculty member in the Energy field
of study, SERD and Mr. Karma Rana,  Institute
Secretary, met with Mr. Pramod Pradhan, former
President of the AIT Alumni Association (AITAA) Nepal Chapter.

Mr. Kee Book Hee (Managing Director of Frontier Bond
(M) Sdn Bhd), former President of the AIT Alumni Association (AITAA),
Malaysia Chapter, hosted a lunch to AIT President Said
Irandoust on 17 August  2008 during his trip to Malaysia
to attend the Map Asia 2008 to deliver one of the inaugural
addresses.

The draft of the new AIT Charter was finalized at the fourth and last
intergovernmental meeting, which was convened on 11 and 12 September
2008, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Thailand.

Representatives from Bangladesh, Cambodia, France, India, Indonesia,
Japan, Laos, Korea, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Vietnam, and
the host country Thailand, were in attendance aside from the AIT
delegation.

Vice President for Development and
Resources, Dr. Khin Ni Ni Thein met with Dr. Le
Huu Ti, Chief, Water and Sustainable Development Section in
UN-ESCAP, on 5 September 2008. Dr. Ti is a senior AIT Alumnus and
he is interested in seeing AIT become an implementing institute of the
soon-to-be-established Knowledge Hub on "Water Conflicts Prevention and
Resolution" for the benefit of Asian countries.

On 18 August 2008, AIT President Said
Irandoust delivered one of the inaugural addresses at the Map
Asia 2008 conference. The main speaker was the Secretary-General of
the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Malaysia.

During his address, AIT President
highlighted the important role of AIT vis-à-vis GIS strategies in the
region, importance of GIS and emerging advances in GIS related
technologies, planned activities and initiatives of AIT in initiatives
such as climate change and how GIS can help, and also conveyed AIT’s
interest and invitation to work with a wide range of partners.