Q & A with Prof Dieter Trau, Dean, School of Engineering and Technology, and Director, AIT Entrepreneurship Center
It has been five months since you left the National University of Singapore (NUS) and joined AIT as the Dean of the School of Engineering and Technology (SET). How has the AIT experience been so far?
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Celebrating 50 years of cooperation between the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) and Japan, President Eden Y. Woon described the association between the two as a “relationship from the heart.” Recounting contributions from Japan, President Woon recalled how Japan provided AIT with support from its early days, and how almost 1,000 alumni from all around the world have benefitted from Japanese support.
Research at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) suggests that using plastic waste as a fuel additive in the cement industry can help with a substantial reduction in marine plastic pollution in Thailand. Instead of converting plastic into electricity, AIT researchers estimated the potential of converting plastic into heat.
Aimed at incorporating regional research resources and promoting diversified cooperation under the framework of the Belt & Road Initiative, a Belt & Road Research Centre was inaugurated at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT). Inaugurating the Centre on 28 November 2019 were AIT President Dr. Eden Woon; Prof.
How have universities injected innovation into your research in social impact areas? How do university collaborate globally with academia, governments, multinationals, and non-profit organisations in social impact research? How do university maintain a sustainable campus both in teaching and in campus operations?
These three core questions towards innovation, globalisation, and sustainability were the focus of the 16 University Presidents and Vice Chancellors who assembled at AIT to share their prescient thoughts at the Presidents’ Forum held on 24 October 2019. As the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) celebrates sixty years of existence, it realizes that tectonic shifts in the field of higher education.
From the small batch of students who began studying engineering in a quaint corner of Bangkok in 1959, over the past six decades, the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) has emerged as a premier international institution, focusing on engineering, environment, and management.
The AIT Entrepreneurship Center has been launched to equip students and faculty with the spirit of innovation and start-ups
The AIT Entrepreneurship Center was launched at the “100 Innovations X Entrepreneurs” conference on 27 September 2019 organized by AIT. The Entrepreneurship Center is envisioned to be a place for incubating young entrepreneurs and providing them with entrepreneurial and innovative capabilities for sustainable development.
Dr. Eden Y Woon joined AIT as President on September 1, 2018. It has been slightly over one year since he took over the reins. AIT’s Office of Public Affairs is pleased to share a Question and Answer session with President Woon.
1. What did you want to accomplish when you came to AIT a year ago?
I consider the start of my tenure at AIT last September to be the beginning of AIT 3.0 – with AIT 1.0 being the first few decades after our founding in 1959, when we had more widespread support and engagement, and AIT 2.0 being the past two decades or so when resources became more constrained and various issues limited the growth of the institute.
Prominent alumnus and a major donor to AIT, Dr. Yanyong Phataralaoha (IE&M ’86), Managing Director, Thai Pipe Industry Company Limited presented the donation cheque to AIT President, Dr. Eden Y. Woon as a continuation of his support to the 60th Anniversary Fundraising Campaign towards Student Exchange Scholarship Program and Updating of Student Village 1—where his future wife lived while studying at AIT. He was accompanied by his wife, Mrs.
This year is the 60th Anniversary of AIT. We are celebrating all year with a number of events sprinkled throughout. The highlight of the celebrations will be during October 23-25.
The three days start off on October 23 with the AITAA’s 48th Governing Board Meeting hosted by the Thai chapter.