Discover AIT in a new e-brochure

AIT is an inspiring place of intellectual, interpersonal and international discovery. A new e-Brochure now on-line showcases the opportunities currently found at our home away from home – this unique higher learning institute in Thailand.

The dynamic e-Brochure was produced by the Media and Communications Unit in cooperation with i-studentgroup (ISA Media Ltd) to support Institute-wide promotions, student recruitment, and admissions efforts.

It points prospective students directly towards AIT’s top-notch academics, research, capacity building and outreach. Along the way, readers can experience AIT’s claim to fame. AIT is brimming with faculty, staff, students and alumni proud of its storied past, energized by its cutting edge present, and excited by the prospects of an even brighter future.

Join us and spread the word of the Institute of Technology at: http://www.i-studentglobal.com/asia/ait/english/index.php.

VPRD Prof. Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai appointed Acting AIT President

Prof Worsak Kanok-Nakulchai

Prof I M Pandey

Prof. Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai, Vice President for Resource Development (VPRD), has been appointed Acting President of AIT. His appointment follows a meeting of the Board of Trustees of AIT held on 12 February 2013.

According to an official communiqué released on 19 February 2013 by the AIT Board of Trustees Secretariat, the appointment of Prof. Worsak was made with effect from

13 February 2013. The communiqué also said: “The Board was informed that the AIT Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA) Professor I. M. Pandey, who is on personal leave for the major part of February 2013, was appointed by the President to serve as Acting President upon his return, starting from 4 March 2013.

New Executive Committee members, other bodies announced by AIT Board

AIT Board of Trustees also announced the composition of various bodies at its meeting held on 12 February 2013.

Executive Committee: New members of the Executive Committee include two trustee members -- H.E. Mr. Anil Wadhwa, Ambassador of India to Thailand, and Prof. Somkit Lertpaithoon, Rector of Thammasat University. Non-trustee members include Dr. Apichart Anukularmphai, Advisor to Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand; Prof. Emeritus Dr. Sahas Bunditkul, former Deputy Prime Minister; H.E. Mr. Pradap Pibulsonggram, Former Ambassador of Thailand to Italy and Representative of

Thailand in the ASEAN Coordination Committee; Ms. Jaruwan Ruangswadipong, Director, Human Resources Development Institute, Office of the Auditor General of Thailand; and Dr. Sumate Yamnoon, Former Secretary-General, Office of the Higher Education Commission of Thailand.

Nomination Committee: New members of the Nomination Committee of the Board of Trustees include H.E. Mr. Kazi Imtiaz Hossain, Ambassador of Bangladesh; H.E. Mrs. You Ay, Ambassador of Cambodia; H.E. Mr. Ly Bounkham, Ambassador of Laos; Mr. Prashant Agrawal, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of India; Dr. Anat Ababhirama, Chairman of the Management Committee, Bangkok Mass Transit System; Mr. Chawalit Chantararat, President of AIT Alumni Association; and Ms. Aporn

Kanvong, Deputy Secretary-General, Office of Higher Education Commission (OHEC); and Prof. Karl Weber, Former Vice President for Management, AIT.

Fact Finding Committee: The Board of Trustees also appointed Members of the Fact Finding Committee. Dr. Thakur Phanit, former Ambassador of Thailand to Poland and Singapore is Chairperson of the Committee. Other members of the Committee include Mr. Panat Tasneeyanond, former Dean, School of Laws, Thammasat University; Mr. Ghofar Ismail, First Secretary, Embassy of Indonesia; Mr. Malik Muhammad Saeed Khan, AIT alumnus and former member of the Board; and Mr. Jaruwan Ruangsawasdipong, Director of Human Resources Institute, Office of Auditor General of Thailand.

Japan’s G-SPASE keen on AIT as SEA hub member

G-SPASE presentation at AIT

A new Japanese university consortium linking the University of Tokyo, Keio University and Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology has invited AIT to join its multidisciplinary program for innovation of space applications called G-SPASE.

Officials representing the three-university alliance visited the campus on 21 February 2013, extending an invitation for AIT to join the university grouping as a member from outside Japan. The officials met with AIT’s acting president, and later organized a conference that assessed the needs for space and geospatial information education in Thailand.

AIT extends ‘Asian low-carbon society’ concept

Prof. Sivanappan Kumar

AIT’s effort to build a ‘low-carbon society’ was showcased at an ‘Experiences Sharing Workshop’ held in Bangkok on 11-12 February 2013. The project called “Action towards resource-efficient and low-carbon cities in Asia” focuses on fast-growing cities of half-a-million or less.

The two-year project led by Prof. Sivanappan Kumar of AIT spans Lao PDR, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, partnering with the cities of Luang Prabang, Hue, Danang, Chau Doc, Kurunegala, Matale, Kandy, Chiang Mai, Rayong, and Nonthaburi.

Funded by French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME), SDCC/AIT-France and the participating cities, the project “opened the eyes” of senior municipal administrators to low-carbon planning options

LPE International donates equipment to AIT

Prof C Visvanathan (left) with LPE officials.

Liquid Purification Engineering International (LPE), Thailand has donated equipment worth 180,000 THB to the Environmental Engineering and

Management (EEM) laboratory in AIT.

The equipment was donated to the EEM laboratory by Mr. Prapan Ariyamethee, Managing Director, LPE. A team led by Mr. Pongprapan Ariyamethee, Business Development Manager, LPE came to AIT on 18 February 2013 to hand over the equipment. AIT’s Prof. C Visvanathan, while receiving the equipment expressed his gratitude, stating that the support demonstrates how academic research sector could work in close collaboration with industry.

Agreement with Colorado State University on bioprocess engineering

MoA signing ceremony.

Colorado State University (CSU) signed a Memorandum of Agreement with AIT to enable cooperation in the field of bioprocess engineering and bioprocessing. The agreement was signed on 22 February 2013 by Dr. Steven Abt, Interim Dean, College of Engineering, CSU and by Dr. Weerakorn Ongsakul, Dean, School

of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD), AIT.

The agreement focuses on joint research on algal biomass and biodiesel production, along with joint research activities in agro-residues and value addition in other biomass. Besides agreeing to submit joint project proposals, the MoA envisages exchange of students, faculty and researchers in specified research. The MoA follows a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that was signed between CSU and AIT in August 2012.

Dr. Subin Pinyakan, Chairman of the SERD School Board, AIT, and Dr. John D. Nelson, CEO of Engineering Analytics Inc., also. attended the ceremony. The CSU delegation included Prof. Kenneth F. Reardon of department of chemical and biological engineering, and Dr. David Dandy, Head, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering.

Agreement with Colorado State University on bioprocess engineering

Dr Barbara Igal (left) with Mr Wichien Jungrungruang.

Colorado State University (CSU) signed a Memorandum of Agreement with AIT to enable cooperation in the field of bioprocess engineering and bioprocessing. The agreement was signed on 22 February 2013 by Dr. Steven Abt, Interim Dean, College of Engineering, CSU and by Dr. Weerakorn Ongsakul, Dean, School of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD), AIT. Pollution Control Department, Thailand, signs two agreements Thailand’s Pollution Control Department (PCD) signed two agreements with AIT to facilitate cooperation in the field of decentralized wastewater management; and to facilitate enrolment of local government officers this year in AIT’s new Work-Based Executive Master’s Degree (WB-EM) Program in Urban Management and Development.

The MoU was signed on 22 February 2013 by Mr. Wichien Jungrungruang, Director General, PCD, and Dr. Barbara Igel, Dean, AIT School of Management, on behalf of Acting AIT President Prof. Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai.

Decentralized wastewater management system work pioneered by Dr. Thammarat Koottatep of AIT is particularly attractive to the PDC, Mr. Wichien remarked. The WB-EM Program will be run by AIT Extension. AIT’s School of Environment, Resources and Development will ensure its academic quality and requirements, AIT Extension

Executive Director Dr. Jonathan Shaw explained.

IDRC awards for AIT students

Mr Ngo Thanh Son

Ms Trang Bui Thi Thu

Two AIT students, Mr. Ngo Thanh Son and Ms. Trang Bui Thi Thu have been awarded the “University of Nairobi-International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Research Grants Award.”

The award is granted to strengthen the capacity of Master’s and Doctoral students in universities in Africa, Asia and Latin America to more effectively engage in research on innovative application of ICTs in addressing water-related impacts of climate change leading appropriate policy formulation.

The award comprises of a cash grant of CAD $15,000 each. Mr. Ngo Thanh Son is a doctoral student who is conducting his research on “Assessment of Land Use change and Climate Variability on Water Resources for the Upper Ma River Basin of Viet Nam’. Mr. Son is conducting his research under the supervision of Dr. Rajendra P Shrestha of Natural Resources Management (NRM) at AIT’s School of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD).

Ms. Bui, who is a Master’s student will be conducting research on ‘Water management for rice production under climate change scenarios in Quang Nam Province of Vietnam’. Ms. Bui is conducting her research under the supervision of Dr. Sangam Shrestha of Water Engineering and Management (WEM), at AIT’s School of Engineering and Technology (SET).

AIT alumna selected as “Manila 40 Under 40’ awardee

Ms Kathlyn Kissy Sumaylo

AIT alumna Ms. Kathlyn Kissy Sumaylo has been selected by Devex for the “Manila 40 Under 40’ award for her work in international development. She was honored on 19 February 2013 at the Zuellig Building, Makati City, The Philippines.

Ms. Kathlyn has been selected for her work in the field of disaster risk reduction and climat change adaptation. The citation mentions how she became interested in disaster risk reduction when she was a graduate student at AIT. Ms. Kathylyn graduated with a Master’s in Gender and Development Studies (GDS) from AIT in 2008.

Farewell

Mr Matthew Laszewski

Mr. Matthew Laszewski, Director, AIT Language Center retired after over two decades of service.

Mr. Laszewski joined AIT in October 1986 and served until 1993. He rejoined AIT in July 1998, and asumed the position of Director, Language Center in 2000. He is credited with developing Talkbase and Bridging programs. An American national, he will continue to be based in Bangkok.

GDS awarded AUS$ 767 K by AusAID for Greater Mekong Sub-Regiongender study

Dr Philippe Doneys

AIT’s Gender and Development Studies (GDS) field of study has been awarded a research grant of AUS$ 767,000 (US$ 800,000) from the Government of Australia for a 3-year gender-focused study covering four countries of the Greater Mekong Sub-Region.

Assistant Professor Dr. Philippe Doneys is the principal investigator of the AIT research project titled “What is Essential is Invisible: Empowerment and Security in Economic Projects for Low Income Women in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region”, which will cover Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.

AIT Facebook crosses 10,000 likes

AIT Facebook Page crossed 10,000 likes in February 2013. AIT Page followers are almost five times the strength of its student body. Launched in July 2009,

AIT was among the first institutes in the region to use the Facebook platform.

Follow AIT at

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Credits

Editor: Bajinder Pal Singh bajinder@ait.asia

Designer: Nadhika Mendhaka

Photos: Paitoon Tinnapong

Contact: Media and CommunicationsUnit at AIT: mcu@ait.asia

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AIT Facebook crosses 10,000 likes