“Rainbow of Life” Culture Show epitomizes AIT at its best

Afitting title for a memorable night of varsity spirit, performance excellence and national pride, the “Rainbow of Life” January Semester Culture Show held on 22 March 2013 epitomized what makes AIT a truly special international institute.

Organized by a legion of AIT Student Union volunteers and led by SU President Ms. Saeng Srisopaporn, the show once again proved a magnet for talented AIT students to strut their stuff on stage and share their culture and talents with their peers. Together, they captivated a standing-room only crowd at the AIT Conference Center auditorium on a Friday night with a marathon of performances in traditional dance, classical music, drama, non-traditional dance, talent show, and non-classical music.

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation floats idea of AIT as Creative Platform for sanitation R&D

Dr. Thammarat Koottatep (left) and Dr. Alix Zwane.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) have indicated interest in AIT becoming a creative platform for research on sanitation and the development of  evidence-based policy to impact developing countries in the region.

Visiting AIT on 21-22 March 2013 for exploratory discussions with officials of Environmental Engineering and Management field of study led by AIT’s Dr. Thammarat Koottatep, Dr. Alix Zwane, Senior Program Officer, Global Development, BMGF, said the Seattle-based foundation would like to partner with AIT in a way that matches each other’s strategic visions. She also delivered a special lecture at AIT titled “Strategy and efforts to develop markets and policies for new sanitation products.”

AIT alumnus is Minister in Nepal’s interim government

Madhav P Ghimire

Mr. Madhav P. Ghimire, an alumnus of AIT, has been appointed as Minister of Home Affairs and Minister of Foreign Affairs in Nepal’s interim government.

He assumed office on 14 March 2013 as Minister, in the interim government, which is headed by the Nepal Supreme Court Chief Justice Khilraj Regmi.

The Minister enjoys a very strong association with AIT, having graduated with a Master’s in Human Settlements and Development from the School of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD) in 1992. Along with Prof. Max E. Weber, he is the co-editor of a book titled “Bibliography on Environmental Studies” published by AIT in 1993. He was awarded the best alumni award in 2005 by the AIT Alumni Association at its annual meting held in Indonesia.

Prof Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai is Acting President

Prof Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai.

Prof. Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai, Vice President for Resource Development, has been appointed as Acting President of the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT). According to a communiqué from the AIT Board of Trustees, Prof. Worsak’s appointment is effective from 1 April 2013.

His appointment follows the resignation of Prof. I M Pandey, Vice President for Academic Affairs, who served as Acting President since 4 March 2013.

AIT is one of the best: Mysore Commissioner

From left: Dr. Amararatne Yakupitiyage, Dr. C. G. Bettsurmatt, Prof. Sivanappan Kumar, Mr. Akram Pasha, and Prof. Jayant Kumar Routray.

AIT is one of the best-known institutes globally and we are happy to participate in a specialized training program. This was the remark of Dr. C. G. Bettsurmatt, Commissioner, Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA), India at the launch of a one-week long training course on 18 March 2013.

Accompanying him, Mr. Akram Pasha, Joint Director, Directorate of Municipal Administration, Bangalore, also from the Indian province of Karnataka, remarked that capacity building has been incorporated at all levels of civil service in their province. He added that more officials would be deputed by the provincial government to receive specialized training at AIT.

25 participants from 18 international organizations join TSF training

Twenty-five participants from 18 international organizations joined the training program ‘Information and Communication Technology training for emergency responders in Asia’ organized by Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF). The training program was conducted at AIT from 18-23 March 2013.

TSF, a partner of AIT, is training 100 international emergency responders in telecommunications and information technology, and this is the first round of a year-long training program.

Participants came from nine Asian countries including Afghanistan (Concern, International Medical Corps (IMC), Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Save the Children); Bangladesh (Action Aid, Action Contre la Faim); India (Adventist Development and Relief Agency India); Indonesia (Mercycorps, Croix Rouge); Nepal (CARE, Plan, Save the Children); Pakistan (ACTED, International Rescue Committee (IRC), Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Médecins du Monde, UNHCR, Save the Children); Philippines (Plan, Save the Children); Sri Lanka (Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC); and Myanmar (International Rescue Committee (IRC), Solidarités International).

AIT’s Professor Emeritus co-authors ADB report

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions in five South Asian countries – Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka – could be reduced by onefifth by 2020 at a reasonably low cost in case they adopt clean technologies. This is a finding of a study co-authored by AIT’s Professor Emeritus Ram Manohar Shrestha titled “The Economics of Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in South Asia,” which has been recently published by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Prof Shrestha was the lead consultant to ADB in conducting the study under the first part of the Bank’s regional technical assistance project titled “Regional Economics

of Climate Change in South Asia (RECCSA)”.

DUPC team visits AIT

Mr John Krijnen (left) and Ms Anne Stannveld..

A two-member external review team of DGIS (Dutch Development Cooperation) - UNESCO-IHE Programmatic Cooperation (DUPC) visited AIT on 11-12 March 2013 to review the educational and research programs and projects implemented by AIT and UNESCO-IHE.

The team comprised of Mr. John Krijnen of Krijnen Consulting-Geneva (KCG) and Ms. Anne Stannveld of CERES Consultants, and it was accompanied by Prof. Stefan Uhlenbrook of UNESCOIHE.

The delegation held deliberations on three joint educational programs between UNESCO-IHE and AIT – Urban Water Engineering and Management (UWEM), Agricultural Water Management for Enhanced Land and Water Productivity (AWM) and Environmental Technology for Sustainable Development (ETSuD).

REC, Bhutan seeks partnership with AIT

Dr. Sonam Wangyel

Royal Education Council (REC), Ministry of Education, Bhutan has sought a partnership with AIT. A delegation from REC, led by its Director, Dr. Sonam Wangyel, while expressing admiration for AIT, stated that AIT enjoys enormous goodwill in Bhutan.

Dr. Wangyel stated that REC is interested in teacher’s training, enhancing ICT skills, developing agriculture business programs, and participation in joint projects. Bhutan is trying to capitalize on the concept of Gross National Happiness, while at the same time focusing on capacity development.

The delegation informed AIT that the King of Bhutan established REC in 2007, but since then it has been transferred to the office of the Prime Minister. The mandate

of REC is a focus on innovation, and introduction of reforms in the education sector.

Two alumni appointed Vice Rectors

Dr. Vu The Dung (second from left) and Dr. Hoang Nam (center) at the inauguration ceremony.

Two AIT alumni, Dr. Hoang Nam and Dr. Vu The Dung have been appointed Vice Rectors of the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMTU), Vietnam.

Dr. Hoang Nam has been appointed Vice Rector of Resource Development, and Dr. Vu The Dung is the Vice Rector for Development and Quality Assurance. The appointments have been made for the term 2012-2017.

Dr. Hoang Nam received his Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Structural Engineering from AIT in 1998 and 2004 respectively. Dr. Vu The Dung received his Master’s in Business Administration (International Business) from AIT in 1999, and Doctorate in Business Administration (Marketing), College of Business and Public Administration, Old Dominion University, USA.

AIT Cultural Show 2013

Women’s Day honor: AIT’s Veronique Morin is Canadian Woman of Innovation

Ms. Veronique Morin, a doctoral student at AIT has been recognized among “Canadian Women of Innovation” – an initiative of Canada Science and Technology

Museums Corporation (CSTMC) and Engineers Canada.

“Canadian Women of Innovation” is a virtual exhibition whose opening coincided with International Women’s Day. Ms. Veronique is among the six Canadian women who were highlighted as those who changed the face of science. She finds herself in the company of five other women whose achievements are listed in the timeline zone beginning 1981 onwards.

News You Can Use

Finland has an education system the US should envy – and learn from

The Guardian states that “Finland’s test scores top global charts, but the country doesn’t obsess about tests like the US, and it pays teachers adequately.”

It adds, “A book has attracted much interest in the Washington DC, especially on Capitol Hill, Finnish Lessons: What Can the World Learn From Educational

Change in Finland?. The book arrives after Finland scored first in science and second in reading and math on the standardized test administered by the Program

for International Student Assessment (PISA).”

Read more at this link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/feb/15/us-education-reformlessons-from-finland

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Editor: Bajinder Pal Singh bajinder@ait.asia

Photos: Paitoon Tinnapong

Feedback: Contact Media and Communications Unit at AIT mcu@ait.asia