News

On 19 September 2007, AIT President Said Irandoust met with Dr. Tej Bunnag, Chairman of the Board. The President briefed the Chairman on the feedback received from trustees on the latest version of AIT Charter, which was endorsed by the Board at its special meeting on 6 September.

AIT President Said Irandoust recently travelled to Nepal during 15-18 September 2007 to promote the Institute and solidify numerous relationships and partnerships. The president was accompanied by Mrs.

Congratulations to Professor Chongrak Polprasert of the School of Environment, Resources and Development on being elected as one of the 21 Fellows of the School of Engineering at the University of Tokyo. Professor Y. Matsumoto, Dean of the School of Engineering, University of Tokyo, noted in the official communication to Professor Chongrak that the conferment of the Fellowship, which will take place on 10 November 2007, is in recognition of his distinguished service and achievement in research and education in the field of engineering and contribution to the School.

To strengthen the collaboration of GMSARN with two universities in China, Professor Vilas Wuwongse, AIT Vice President for External Relations, and Dr. Weerakorn Ongsakul, in his capacity as Greater Mekong Subregion Academic and Research Network (GMSARN) Secretary General, visited Kunming University of Science and Technology (KUST) and Yunnan University (YU) on 19 and 20 September 2007.

At KUST, the AIT representatives met with Prof.

On the 20 September 2007, Dr. Sven Gunnar Edlund, Director and Head of Innovation Actors Division, VINNOVA (Swedish Agency for Innovation Systems) and his colleagues, Mrs. Marit Werner, Project Manager, Innovation Actors Division, and Ms. Asa Minoz, were welcomed to AIT to make a presentation titled "The Swedish Innovation System and VINNOVA".

The presentation highlighted the Swedish National Innovation System Characteristics, such as VINNOVA's mission to promote sustainable growth by funding strategic research.

Ms. Anne Reynolds, Counsellor, Education, Science and Training, Australian Education International (AEI), the Australian Embassy, accompanied by Ms. Watinee Kharnwong, Deputy Director, and Ms. Pradhana Limkrailassiri, Project Manager, Higher Education, discussed various possibilities of partnership with AIT during their visit on 19 September 2007. Such partnership includes linkages between AIT's Center of Excellence in Nanotechnology and the University of Queensland, which is active in this field, as well as collaboration between AIT's School of Management and Australian universities, particularly through the DBA program.

There will be possibilities for AIT to become involved as a resource provider in the future activities and possible extensions of the TrainForTrade project operating in Laos and Cambodia, as well as in other countries of the region.

AIT Human Rights Lecture Series
Timely human rights lecture by esteemed Swedish Ambassador

Human Rights are a tool for development and security,
Ambassador Jan Axel Nordlander

Just as the world’s gaze focused last week on the ever deepening political crisis in neighboring Myanmar, against the backdrop of the military government’s violent response to peaceful civilian demonstrations, AIT welcomed to its public speaker’s rostrum H.E. Mr. Jan Axel Nordlander, Ambassador for Human Rights, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sweden, a leading global advocate for the promotion of universal human rights.

AIT’s Board of Trustees at its meeting held on 30 October 2006 unanimously approved the nomination of Dr. Tej Bunnag, Vice Chairman of the Board as the next Chairman of the Board Trustees.

Dr. Tej becomes the sixth chairman. Preceding him were Professor Puey Ungpakorn, Professor Oscar Mapua, Dr. Thanat Khoman (Chairman Emeritus), M. L. Birabhongse Kasemsri and H.E. Mr. Anand Panyarachun.

Tsunami affected community members chart-out ‘marketing plans’
for their aquaculture products as they rebuild back better lives.

The University of Hawaii-Hilo’s Dr. Kevin Hopkins, Director of the Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Center, through the partnership of AIT’s Post-Tsunami Sustainable Coastal Livelihoods Program, recently conducted a training workshop in Ranong, Thailand, on how to increase production without increasing effluents.