Asian Institute of Technology

MARCH & APRIL 2020

AIT Ranks 19th in World in

SDG1—No Poverty in Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2020

AIT participated for the first time in the where poverty is an issue, of our research on poverty Times Higher Education (THE) Impact issues, and of our success in producing graduates who Rankings, which looks at global universities’ go back home to help their countries eradicate poverty.

commitment and performance in furthering the

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Over 850 AIT ranks #86 in the world for SDG2—Zero Hunger, universities from 89 countries participated in this ranking which indicates a recognition of our education and exercise by submitting input during 2019, and the research on food and food security. In addition, AIT

results were just published on April 22, 2020 by THE. finished in the Top 200 in the world in three other SDGs: SDG6—Clean Water and Sanitation, for how we use AIT ranks #19 in the world for SDG1—No Poverty, water on campus and our research in all aspects of water which indicates a well-deserved recognition of AIT’s

work in providing education to students from countries Continue to page 2

INSIDE ISSUE

Feature............................................. 2-7

Students Making International Impact.... 18

Fall Semester Admissions................. 8

Scholarships & Other Donations ........... 19-20

Recent News COVID-19 Situation.... 9-13

Recent News / Happenings at AIT.......... 21-24

International Women's Day .............. 14

Backpage................................................ 25

Research.......................................... 15-17

MARCH & APRIL 2020 2

from resources to engineering to waste; SDG14— President Eden Woon said: “To be #19 in the world in Life Below Water, which measures our research on SDG1—No Poverty in this prestigious Times Higher life below water and education on and support for Education Impact Rankings 2020 on sustainability aquatic ecosystems; and SDG15—Life on Land, work and commitment by top global universities is which measures AIT’s research on life on land and a tribute to the dedication of our students and faculty our education on and support for land ecosystems. and staff to address the poverty issue in Asia. I am AIT submitted data for 13 of the 17 SDGs for this also pleased with the good recognition we received in Ranking and placed in the 301-400 group for overall several other SDGs, but we will review all the results impact.

humbly and strive to do better next time.”

FEATURE

AIT LAUNCHES MARINE PLASTIC ABATEMENT MSC

WITH US$ 3 MILLION JAPAN GRANT

The Government of Japan has approved a

financial contribution of 3 million fifty thousand

(US) dollars to the Asian Institute of Technology

(AIT) in Thailand to support the launch of the

first postgraduate program on marine plastic

litter in the region.

The grant bolsters Japan’s “MARINE Initiative”

toward realization of the “Osaka Blue Ocean

Vision” shared at the G20 Osaka Summit last year,

aimed at reducing additional pollution by marine AIT President Eden Woon, right, with Japanese plastic litter to zero by 2050. Under the support, Ambassador Kazuya Nashida.

AIT will launch a one-year Master of Science

degree program called Marine Plastic Abatement the world’s oceans every year, according to the (MPA) in August 2020. The program will train a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

new generation of Asian environmental leaders to The top 6 countries in the world that discharge combat the ocean plastic litter problem through the most plastic debris into the ocean are in Asia, advanced technologies and sound management according to scientific research. The specialized practices.

MPA program seeks to empower young Asian

practitioners, social entrepreneurs, officials and Plastic pollution is one of the greatest problems professionals who can play significant roles in affecting the marine environment today. A marine plastic abatement, which is key for staggering 8 million tons of plastic ends up in attaining Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

FEATURE

MARCH & APRIL 2020 3

AIT launches specialized Marine Plastic Abatement MSc for August 2020.

Japan’s contribution was formalized at a recent the Asia-Pacific region.”

meeting in Bangkok between H.E. Mr. Kazuya

Nashida, Ambassador of Japan to Thailand and The MPA program will position AIT as an Dr. Eden Y. Woon, President of AIT. During the academic hub linking leading universities and meeting, Ambassador Nashida said: “I hope that international organizations in Japan with partner this important program will contribute to the universities in the Greater Mekong sub-Region.

human resource development in the region, which Graduate students will link in-class subject matter is an urgent need, including for Thailand. It is also to research outcomes and marine plastic abatement a great honor that a number of AIT’s faculty mem- practices. Emphasis will be placed on learning from bers graduated from University of Tokyo, Kyoto Japan’s best practices on marine plastic abatement, University and other outstanding universities in with key contributions from sustainable develop-Japan.”

ment practitioners and industry.

The grant is one of the largest in AIT’s recent Graduates and trained professionals from the history and includes provision for 50 full and MPA program, together with experts from 50 partial academic scholarships earmarked for Japan and other countries, will form the planned students from developing countries. It will also ‘Global Marine Plastic Alliance’ – a regional enable AIT to deliver a portfolio of certificate network think-tank providing technical expertise, programs, training courses, intensive summer / policy guidance and professional consultation on winter school programs, advanced laboratory and the ocean plastic issue.

other activities in marine plastic abatement.

The donation is another milestone in the long

“AIT is extremely thankful for this generous history of AIT-Japanese partnership. Over the past support from the Government of Japan to 50 years, the Government of Japan has supported address one of the critical challenges of our time,” 934 students from many countries in Asia and 160

President Woon said. “By contributing to a number Japanese academicians to study and teach at AIT.

of SDGs, the new MSc program will reinforce our On 9 December 2019, Japan and AIT celebrated mission to create social impact with innovation for their 50th Anniversary of bilateral cooperation.

FEATURE

MARCH & APRIL 2020 4

AN END-OF-SEMESTER

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

APRIL 24, 2020

DEAR AIT FAMILY

Today is April 24, the last day of classes for the January Semester creative environment where education at AIT. For those students who are graduating this May, this has and research will continue on the five been a semester that you will never forget. You will remember strategic focus areas of AIT: Smart how the world, your home country if you come from overseas, Communities, Climate Change, Food-Thailand, and AIT battled the Coronavirus these past few months. Energy-Water, Infrastructure, and Tech-Your alma mater closed on March 18 and moved all its classes to nology, Policy, and Society. And it is interactive online instruction. Some of you went back home right so clear to us that sustainability issues after that, but others stayed on campus. Your final exams in a in which AIT specializes are key to this few days will also be online and, sadly, your May 22 Graduation planet’s survival, as we now witness Ceremony has been cancelled. We apologize for not being able firsthand the formidable power of nature.

to give you one of the momentous occasions of your life, but we hope that we can welcome you back to our December Graduation Now a word about what is happening Ceremony!

at AIT at present. So far, the campus

continues not to have a confirmed case

All of us, from the May graduates to the continuing students, to the of COVID-19. We have been blessed faculty and staff of AIT, have lived through a difficult period so far with proactive cooperation by all students in 2020, and the end is not in sight. We have learned that staying and residents, with steady efforts by healthy and cooperating with one another become priorities in our mission-essential personnel and faculty, lives, and we all realize that this is not only a life-changing crisis and with heart-warming generosity by we are going through right now, but a world-changing crisis. Aca-donors. Just today (April 24), we are

demia, of which AIT is a member, will never be the same again.

completing the distribution of 10 free

face masks to every student and resident

When I came to AIT in the Fall of 2018, among other things, I ad-on campus, thanks to a 20,000-mask

vocated for more innovation in our teaching, and we have learned donation from the AIT Belt and Road that we must do that not just to be better, but to survive. With almost Research Center, with funds from the all universities around the world closed without a clear restart AIT Chinese Alumni. We are also grateful date, we must engage more and more with students online. AIT’s to other donors who, in this very difficult expertise is based on valuable experience and student feedback economic period, have shown their over the past six weeks, on technology AIT has developed, on belief in AIT by continuing to support individual online initiatives by different units at AIT, on learning AIT’s education and infrastructure.

from best global practices, on acquisition of new technology, and on “out of the box” thinking in web-based education. Earlier this Thailand seems to be doing better with year, I set up the AIT Academic Contingency Task Force—headed COVID-19, but it continues to be in a by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Vice President state of National Emergency, and as for Knowledge Transfer—to explore and devise and coordinate long as that is the case, AIT will remain ideas of innovative interactive platforms for education, including vigilant and closed, with staff working faculty training, and ensure that these will be applied not only if from home. For those who are on campus, classes cannot begin in August, but for the future when they will we thank you so much for the sacrifices be interwoven into our stimulating face-to-face residential due to the restrictive measures we have experience, resulting in an even more innovative education at AIT.

had to implement to keep the campus

safe. For those who are at home outside

We hope that as Thailand’s COVID-19 situation improves, as the AIT or outside Thailand, please take global battle against this virus turns the corner, AIT will be able care! For those who are leaving AIT

to open its doors in August of 2020. But as I said above, even if after this semester, good luck, safe the global situation prevents AIT and other universities from open-travels, and stay healthy please!

ing on time this Fall, AIT is ready to welcome new and continuing students to pursue their education “without missing a beat”!

Dr. Eden Woon

Whenever all of you do enter AIT’s Gate, you will find a safe and President

FEATURE

MARCH & APRIL 2020 5

AIT CAMPUS COMMUNITY RECEIVED 20,000 FACE MASK

DONATION FROM AIT BELT AND ROAD RESEARCH CENTER

precautionary measures were

enforced during the entire distri-

bution process on campus.

The donation provides facial

protection for 600 students and

700 staff and their families who

are studying online and working

from home on campus during

the Covid-19 shutdown of the

institute. Also receiving masks

are mission-essential personnel

who live off campus but who

have been coming into the office

The director of OFAM inspects the shipment of face masks on April 20, on duty as needed. Contractors 2020.

and Vendors who provide ser-

vices to the campus were also

to protect the campus from beneficiaries. The remainder are Covid-19, they raised this maintained by OFAM, which Thirteen hundred students,

staff, and residents on

AIT campus in late April additional 150,000 baht for the also issued masks to its facilities’

received 10 free face masks each Center, which made this mask personnel and security staff from an AIT Belt and Road donation possible,” President and for other protective uses on Research Center donation of Eden Woon said.

campus.

20,000 masks.

The Office of Facilities and The AIT Belt and Road Research This humanitarian gesture for Assets Management (OFAM) Center supports research by our our campus community was received the shipment on April students and faculty which can made possible by an injection of 20 and organized the orderly benefit the entire Belt and Road 150,000 Thai baht from the AIT distribution of 13,000 masks over region. It was inaugurated in Chinese Alumni Chapter into a three-day period from April November 2019, with funding by the AIT Belt and Road Research 22-24. Social distancing and the AIT Chinese Alumni Chapter.

Center, supplemented with perso-

nal financial contributions by the

AIT Leadership – the President,

the three Vice Presidents, and the

three Deans.

“AIT is very thankful for the

generosity of our Chinese

Alumni Chapter which has been

supporting the AIT Belt and

Road Research Center all along.

This time, realizing that AIT is in

the midst of a very tense effort Students receive donated face masks on April 22, 2020.

FEATURE

MARCH & APRIL 2020 6

AIT Alum is First Recipient of the Xulhaz Mannan Inclusive

Development Award Conferred by USAID

Cambodia’s Sopheap Sreng is

a first recipient of the Xulhaz

Mannan Inclusive Development

Award conferred by the U.S.

Agency for International De-

velopment (USAID) for his

commitment to the inclusion

of marginalized populations in

USAID’s development efforts.

He currently is a Gender and

Project Design Specialist with

USAID Cambodia.

Sopheap graduated from the

Asian Institute of Technology

(AIT) in 2010 with an M.Sc De-

gree in Gender and Development

Sopheap (middle) with USAID/Mission Director (left) Studies. Before coming to AIT,

and Program Office Director (right) presenting the award

he was a community organizer

in Ratanakiri province where

Photo: Michael Gebremedhin

he worked with indigenous

communities to improve their

livelihoods and educational

status of their children.

He also holds a BA in Business

Management from the Uni-

versity of Cambodia and was

one of the World Bank Scholars

in 2007 for Social Account-

ability Diploma, awarded by

the Ateneo de Manila Univer-

sity. He has both worked and

Watch Sopheap’s acceptance video here:

received trainings in Thailand,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_iYPY2Zqeg&feature=youtu.be Zambia, the United States, and

Afghanistan. He is a proud

father and a husband who takes

household work responsibility

dearly to his heart.

FEATURE

MARCH & APRIL 2020 7

UPDATE ON AIT DURING GLOBAL CORONAVIRUS CRISIS

The AIT Coronavirus Task Force meets daily.

30 APRIL 2020

to AIT, and those arriving from graduating this May will be able highly infected countries were to complete their requirements to Since January of this year, the placed on a 14-day quarantine. As graduate on time. They are also Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis of this update, there is no student welcome to come back to attend has spread across the world. By in quarantine, having all been the December Graduation Exer-the end of April, the situation was cleared medically. Contingency cises if they wish. The campus is improving in Thailand, but there operational plans have been put not “locked down”, but work by are places around the world, in place since Thailand declared AIT faculty and staff is now on including many of the countries a National Emergency in early a “Work from Home” basis, where our AIT students, faculty, April, and this is expected to with only mission essential and staff come from, which are last until the end of May. So far, personnel coming to the office still heavily affected.

the AIT community is making very occasionally.

sacrifices to protect the campus,

AIT took action very early to and no Coronavirus cases have Meanwhile, looking ahead to the make sure our campus is safe. We occurred at AIT.

Fall Semester, AIT faculty and

formed the AIT Coronavirus Task

staff are working very hard to

Force at the end of January to Back on March 18, AIT officially make sure that the online educa-monitor the crisis, both in general closed, following the policy tion we are providing now will be and specifically on how it affects announced by the Thai Govern- enhanced for the future, with more the institute. The Task Force has ment, and all face-to-face classes innovative interactive online been devising policies, measures were cancelled for the rest of the instruction on different platforms and advice, and has kept the AIT Spring Semester and moved to available this August. Therefore, community informed through online interactive instruction.

with new technology and

a dedicated Intranet column—

methodology, AIT “will not miss

with links to the Thai Govern-

About half the 1400 students a beat” and will welcome students ment public health websites—

chose to remain at AIT, with the to enroll in August 2020, even and through frequent emails. As other half, including exchange in the eventuality that the crisis the number of confirmed cases students from around the world, prevents on-campus instruction of Coronavirus increased daily going back to their home country to start at that time. Quality worldwide, the work of the Task or their home in Thailand. All Education and Research—

Force shifted into high gear, and students were able to learn via “Social Impact with Innovation”—

more and more restrictive precau-

interactive online instruction until will go on at AIT! And at the time tionary steps have been taken by the end of the Spring Semester on of this writing, we are optimistic AIT to ensure a safe and healthy April 24. Final exams and theses that the AIT campus will be open environment on campus. For defense will then also be online with face-to-face classes by example, the Task Force ensured in the first part of May. The May August 2020!

that all AIT students overseas—

Graduation Exercise has been

who wanted to—have returned cancelled, but those students

FALL SEMESTER ADMISSIONS

MARCH & APRIL 2020 8

In April, AIT President Eden Woon wrote a personal message to applicants who are considering offers of admission from AIT.

Dear Prospective Student of AIT:

First of all, congratulations for having received provide an AIT quality education whether or not an offer of admission from the Asian Institute classes resume on campus at that time.

of Technology from a competitive group of

applicants! I sincerely hope that you will choose Of course, no one can predict the course of to attend AIT, which is uniquely positioned in development of the Coronavirus at this point, but accordance with our

we believe that Thailand

“Social Impact with

and AIT will be open

Innovation” motto which

before August of this

is driving our research

year, so that you can

and education now.

come in person to AIT at

that time to start the Fall

We hope to hear from

semester. Nevertheless,

you very soon on your

AIT quality education

confirmation to enroll

will go on “without

at AIT this August.

missing a beat”. Even if

However, I know that

we must start online in

because there is a global

August, your education

public health crisis

will flow seamlessly into

consuming all of us, you naturally have in-person education once the campus is opened.

questions in your mind about attending AIT this

Fall. While it is true that the Covid-19 epidemic AIT is globally known for its sustainability is far from being ended in the world, I can tell and capacity building research and education.

you that Thailand is fighting the virus vigorously These are subjects which are crucial in the post-and has been affected less than many other Coronavirus world, as this crisis has woken up countries, especially the ones in Europe and the mankind to its neglect of Nature. While the virus UK. Moreover, AIT has been vigilant and has situation is indeed grave, we all know that human guarded the safety of its campus and students and ingenuity will overcome it—it is just a matter of staff well.

time! “Education”, I believe, is such a critical aspect of one’s professional and personal journey

With the school closure order from the Thai that it should never be allowed to be held hostage Government, all instruction at AIT has been by external situations. We welcome you to come placed online. Many of our students have chosen to AIT to study how we can work with to go back to their home country, and others have mother earth in a more respectful and scientific remained on campus. But our online instruction way, and the virus will not stop us from providing has gone smoothly for both sets of these students. this quality education to you starting in August, In addition, we are perfecting an AIT Online either in person or online!! I hope to see you on Learning Environment consisting of a number campus in a few months!

of innovative platforms to enhance this online

experience, just in case face-to-face instruction Eden Y Woon

does not start by August 2020. The goal is to President AIT

RECENT NEWS COVID-19 SITUATION

MARCH & APRIL 2020 9

Mentorship System for Students

closure. “We recognize the additional

stress of being away from home and

that students are worried about their

loved ones during COVID-19 crisis,”

President Woon said, explaining his

reason for instituting this program.

“So AIT set up a Mentorship System

so every remaining student will have

some senior staff member – in most

cases from their home country – to

be a helping hand and a listener and

mentor during this difficult time.” He

added in a message to the community

AIT President Eden Woon on one of his regular

that for those AIT students who have

inspections of the campus during the closure period.

gone home, AIT was still thinking of

them as they continued their studies

In April, AIT set up a Mentorship System for the approx-online. The president urged these students

imately 600 students who chose to remain on the AIT to take precautions to be safe with their campus and study from their dorms during the campus families in their home countries.

AIT President calls on Secretary-General to the Prime Minister of Thailand

Dr. Eden Y Woon, AIT

President paid a cour-

tesy call on Mr. Distat

Hotrakitya, Secretary-

General to the Prime

Minister of Thailand at

the Government House

of Thailand, Bangkok

on 19 March 2020.

Dr. Eden Y Woon, AIT

President, right, with

Mr. Distat Hotrakitya,

Secretary-General to

the Prime Minister.

RECENT NEWS COVID-19 SITUATION

MARCH & APRIL 2020 10

Chinese Embassy to Thailand donates face masks and hand sanitizers

On behalf of the Chinese Embassy to Thailand, Coun-

sellor of Cultural Sector, Ms Chang Yumeng (pictured

above and right), and First Secretary of Education, Ms. Song Ruoyun, paid a short visit to the campus on April 2 to deliver face masks and sanitizer gels to AIT. President Eden Woon received the donation and expressed his heartfelt gratitude on behalf of the institute.

Alcohol-based Hand Sanitizer developed at AIT

Biotechnology Lab

Prof. Anil Kumar Anal, Head of the

Department of Food Agriculture and

Bioresources, School of Environment,

Resources and Development, formulated

and developed an effective (99.9%

efficacy) gel sanitizer at the Biotechno-

logy Laboratory, AIT. This low-cost hand

sanitizer was tested in-house with the help

of his staff. Initially, the team produced

only about 10 liters due to limited raw

materials. The team distributed the

sanitizer to campus locations such as

the AIT Medical Center, administration

offices, schools, classrooms, laboratories

and the cafeteria during the first week of

March.

RECENT NEWS COVID-19 SITUATION

MARCH & APRIL 2020 11

By Kanda Yaemboonruang

AIT’s First Step to Interactive Online Classes

ing is that everyone can learn and share

knowledge everywhere and anytime.

Nonetheless, Saw Theint, also noticed

that some students struggled to

maintain concentration throughout the

class. However, she said that online

learning worked out well and was very

useful during this unfortunate time.

Associate Professor Dr. Chutiporn

Anutariya, Associate Dean of the

School of Engineering and Techno-

logy, explained that online classes

cannot replace face-to-face classes,

but online classes help a lot in this

unprecedented situation. “We are

The Office of Public Affairs spoke with some AIT faculty employing many alternatives such as

members and students about their experience with online

Zoom, Google Meet and other social

classes to find out how they prepared themselves for online media platforms to ensure effective

learning and what challenges they experienced and overcame.

communication among faculty members

and students,” she said.

Assistant Prof. Dr. Takuji W. Tsusaka, Chair of Natural Dr. Chutiporn further explained that

Resources Management, School of Environment, Resources the success of online learning depends

and Development, said that he was now ‘online’ every day on the teachers as changing to the

either for his classes, exams or meetings. The difficulty he online teaching mode does not only

found was not seeing his students’ physical reactions. “It is a entail moving classes online. Rather,

little bit hard to conduct discussions with the students and it is the entire teaching approach has to

difficult to tell whether the students understand the discussion be modified to ensure the same level

or not,” he said. His solution was to make a video mandatory of teaching and learning effectiveness

in order to create two-way communication in his classes to and to ensure the same level of student

ensure that the students paid close attention and could follow engagement in classes.

class discussions.

“We cannot just use the same

Another challenge was to conduct exams online. Dr. Tsusaka materials in face-to-face classes online.

explained that a lot of experimenting was done on his part to We need more exercises and Q&As in

see what would work best. He found open-book exams, rather online classes. The COVID-19 crisis

than closed-book exams, better for online testing. Although has pushed teachers to be aware of the

it is challenging, online learning allows students to stay safe reality of E-learning. By the time the

and to learn at home. It was very beneficial to AIT students crisis subsides, teachers will be more

who traveled back to their home countries, as they could equipped with E-learning, and they

be confident that their education continued without any can then combine technology with the

interruption, Dr. Tsusaka emphasized.

more conventional classroom teaching

methods. In the future, teachers may

Saw Theint Theint Htet, a master’s student in Urban not need to cancel their classes anymore

Environmental Management from Myanmar, decided to stay if they have to be away for seminars or

in AIT during the COVID-19 crisis and study online from her meetings. They may just create online

dorm. She explained that one main advantage of online learn-classes,” Dr. Chutiporn said.

RECENT NEWS COVID-19 SITUATION

MARCH & APRIL 2020 12

AIT Geoinformatics Center aids COVID-19 pandemic response in Uttarakhand, India

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and positive cases; live locations for quarantine, and migrant labor the Government of Uttarakhand of ambulances; status of migrant information to integrate into the state in northern India has labor coming from other states system to monitor their move-requested the AIT Geoinformatics due to the ongoing lockdown in ments,” he added.

Center (GIC) to upgrade an India and locations of food grain existing geospatial platform to storage facilities and capacity The geospatial platform is aid its handling of the crisis.

availabilities.

device-independent and can be

accessed and viewed from

The recent call comes from According to GIC Director Dr. smart-phones, tablets, laptops the same government that hired Manzul Kumar Hazarika, the and personal computers. The GIC last year to execute a project COVID-19 Decision Support information is available and called “Implementation of an System will help the State accessible to government agencies Integrated Geospatial Platform, Government of Uttarakhand and decision-makers in the form Database, and Applications for to visualize the information up of maps to help them in monitor-Disaster Risk Management” to a house-level and manage ing and responding to the under a World Bank funded ini- COVID-19 patient care and case COVID-19 pandemic across the tiative. The geospatial platform hotspots in a much better way by entire state.

was originally designed to knowing the number of people monitor natural hazards, provide to quarantine, and food and The online platform and its data early warning and support other logistics requirements in are also available to the Govern-decision making for effective any specific location.

ment officials in Uttarakhand,

disaster management.

but non-sensitive information is

“Efforts are being made to get expected to be made available to The AIT Geoinformatics Center the mobile phone locations of the the public to provide situational has now customized the platform COVID-19 patients, people sent awareness for citizens.

to address the pandemic by

taking advantage of the existing

database and information in the

system.

A dedicated COVID-19 decision

support system has been estab-

lished within the existing

geospatial platform, which is

capable of providing locations of

COVID-19 outbreak hotspots in

the state; estimation of popula-

tions around a hotspot; locations

of designated COVID-19

hospitals and quarantine faci-

lities, capacities, occupancies

and inventories of life-saving

equipment; locations of designated

COVID-19 test laboratories in- GIC’s COVID-19 Decision Support System maps Uttarakhand, India cluding number of samples tested using geospatial data and analytics.

RECENT NEWS COVID-19 SITUATION

MARCH & APRIL 2020 13

Entrepreneurship Center’s Covid-19 Competition

The AIT Entrepreneurship

Center (EC) launched its "AIT's

fight against COVID-19" com-

petition in an open call to the

AIT Community. The Entrepre-

neurship Center sought ideas

for projects that can create real

impact to fight COVID-19

within the next 6 months. Teams

can be composed of AIT

members (Faculty, Students,

Alumni, Staff and Family

members). The center said it

would consider any type of

➡️ Impact to fight COVID-19

project with impact potential

➡️ Team strength

in areas such as software,

➡️ Ability to execute the project and to perform POC within 1 month and hardware, devices, prevention,

create impact within 6 months

treatment, behaviour, diagnos-

➡️ Ability to work remotely on the project

➡️ Ability to attract external funding or support

tic. Though organizers stressed

➡️ Scalability of technology or approach to create wider impact that there is no limitation on

the focus, projects will be

For more information:

evaluated on:

https://www.ait.ac.th/2020/04/aits-fight-against-covid-19/

Book Loan Ride-Thru

Service

New: "Book Loan Ride-Thru" service initiated by the AIT Library to support

students' studies and research during SFH!

Books that are not found online, can be

requested through this service.

4 Easy Steps to Request a Book Loan:

1. Search your required book from the library catalogue.

2. Copy the call numbers or titles of books and send your request to library

3. Library staff will find and collect the books for you. Then, make an appointment to pick

up at your available time. Every loaned book

will be cleaned before being put in a

package, along with your printed student

ID on top of the package.

4. Just ride to pick up your book in front of the library -- every day from 8.00 AM - 4.30 PM!

➡️ Visit Library website: http://library.ait.ac.th

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

MARCH & APRIL 2020 14

By Kanda Yaemboonruang

DON’T LEAVE ANY WOMAN BEHIND

We must acknowledge that there is diversity

among women, and we must make sure that we

understand this diversity and ensure equality

across all societal substructures

Professor Kyoko Kusakabe expresses

concerns over gender equality on

— Prof. Kyoko Kusakabe

International Women's Day 2020.

International Women’s Day – which was observed on March 8 – In the next few decades, most is not just a celebration, it is a campaign to encourage women to countries in Asia will experience speak out about their problems, women’s rights and values they aging societies. The United Nations are fighting for to effect significant changes. It marks women’s has forecasted that by 2050, the ongoing struggle for equality across the world.

number of elderly people will

double, and by 2100 the entire

According to the United Nations Women, the theme for world will become a full aging International Women’s Day 2020 is “I am Generation Equality: society. Prof. Kusakabe commented Realizing Women’s Rights”. Kyoko Kusakabe, professor of on the implications of decreasing Gender and Development Studies at AIT’s School of rates of population growth, saying Environment, Resources and Development, says that the hashtag it’s a demographic reality that gov-

#EachforEqual means that we must not leave any woman behind, ernments need to address now and and we should make sure that all women are not reduced to just that solutions will be found in im-one generic unit.

proving women’s place in society.

“We must acknowledge that there is diversity among women, “Women do not give birth because and we must make sure that we understand this diversity and they know that they cannot expect ensure equality across all societal substructures, be they religions, much support for childcare.” Many occupations or others,” Prof. Kusakabe said.

societies still think childcare is

women’s sole responsibility, so a

She explained that over the past years, more and more women change of mindset is necessary, have been speaking out, and the women’s movement is becoming Prof. Kusakabe said. It is difficult a powerful social movement. This is definitely a good sign for for women to have children as they women. However, visible ones in the media come from ‘front will have to assume two full-time row’ women; meaning the highly educated women in urban areas, roles of being a mother and a she said. There are still countless women in rural areas, most of worker. Without support from govern-whom are living in poor conditions, whose voices have yet to be ment and their employers as well as heard and whose lives have yet to be changed, she stressed. Thus, changes in attitude and long working there is still a need to ensure equality for all.

hours of men, women may not be

willing to have a child because it

Prof. Kusakabe added that education for girls and women is will become too much of a burden crucial as it is a means of empowerment, employment and higher for them, she stressed.

incomes. Education is key to women’s advancement. “Even now, we hear some of our new students saying that they were told “It is crucial now that governments that girls should not get higher education. In this generation, look into how to improve this situa-it is unbelievable. Our students come from many countries tion for women, if we want to around the world. So classes are a venue to exchange views and alleviate the effects of the ageing experiences about their problems and situations. This allows them society in the future.

to have much wider perspectives on others’ problems, and their own situations.”

RESEARCH

MARCH & APRIL 2020 15

By Kanda Yaemboonruang

DR EKBORDIN WINIJKUL

HIDDEN DANGER! SUMMER ‘OZONE’ SPIKES

AIT EXPERT ADVISES TO AVOID OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES DURING THE DAYTIME

Ozone pollution at ground level is more detrimental to our health than PM 2.5. With heat and sunlight, the mixture of these elements becomes toxic, especially in summer

— Dr. Ekbordin Winijkul

Dr. Ekbordin Winijkul, Assistant Professor in the Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate

Change, is an AIT atmospherics scientist whose work

focuses on PM 2.5 and other air pollution. His current research showed that in the first few weeks of March,

the level of ‘ozone’, which is a toxic gas, has been higher than normal in some areas. For example, in Chiangmai in northern Thailand, he found that on March 10 the level of ozone was at 117 ppb (part per billion) for 8 hours. This level was far higher than the normal maximum level of 70 ppb.

during the daytime. He is concerned about

people in northern Thailand as the high level

It is normal to detect a higher level of ground-ozone of PM 2.5 combined with the increasing during the summer as high temperatures and sunlight level of ground-zone ozone in some areas, are the catalysts for an increase in the ground-ozone including Chiangrai, may pose extremely level. Ground-ozone is considered toxic. A large volume high risks or health problems.

can lead to health effects and can induce asthma. It is a hidden danger as it is corrosive, and has no color or He added that ozone is one type of air smell, making it hard to be detected, Dr. Ekbordin said.

pollution that environmental academics

around the world are keeping an eye on, as it

Dr. Ekbordin suggests avoiding outdoor activities has posed problems globally.

RESEARCH

MARCH & APRIL 2020 16

PROF. JOYASHREE ROY,

BANGABANDHU CHAIR PROFESSOR

HOME GARDENS IN INDIA HIT BY CLIMATE CHANGE

Home gardens maintain green cover and harbour rich biodiversity that helps in poverty reduction.

A recent study of home gardens in the dry regions of West CHANGE IN TEMPERATURE

Bengal, India has revealed that they are facing the effects of The study also looked at the change climate change and that there is a need to provide agricultural in temperature in home gardens extension services to these gardens for their sustenance.

between 1965 and 2010. The minimum

temperature during this time showed an

The paper ‘Biodiversity and Impacts of Climate Change in Home increase from 1960s to 2005. The mi-Gardens: Evidence From a Study in West Bengal’ authored nimum temperature increased from by Joyashree Roy, professor at Asian Institute of Technology, 20.5 degrees Celsius to over 22 degrees Thailand, and Sebak Kumar Jana, Vidyasagar University, points C. The maximum temperature decreased out that home garden owners have reported pest attacks, insect from about 32 degrees C in the mid-and diseases. The studies were conducted in the arid areas at 1960 to almost 31 degrees in 2005.

Garbeta block in Paschim Medinipur district.

While there was no hired labour,

Prof. Roy said home gardens not only provide food security annual time allocated by house-but also help in maintaining green cover, harbour rich holds varied from 40.14 hours and biodiversity and help in poverty reduction in rural areas. 35 hours. “The households report that

“Unless agricultural extension service is given to these home some species of plants, like eucalyptus gardens, there is no guarantee that people will continue the and mango, are becoming extinct in healthy practice,” she said. According to her, home gardens are home garden… the main reason is fell-a major land use pattern all over the world, and in rural areas ing, water crisis, pests and deteriorating can provide vegetables and fruits to the family throughout the quality of the soil,” the paper said.

year.

The paper, which is part of the book

“The most common attack on the home garden is semi-looper Current State and Future Impacts (Leda poka in Bengali), almost 77%, affecting vegetables and of Climate Change on Biodiversity, tree,” the study said. The other pests are aphids affecting 33% of highlights that there is a “need of home gardens and white fly 11% of home gardens. The common extension services on the part of the diseases in the home gardens studied are: mosaic in 41%, downy government regarding crop planning, mildew in 37% and foot row in 32%.

land management, providing irrigation

and training for water and soil conserva-

The field survey pointed out that planting dates have been changed tion so that home garden owners can take for some crops like chilli (30%), brinjal (21%) and gourd (17%). different adaptation strategies period.”

“The major reasons are changes in the onset of rain, shortage of water and lack of timely irrigation,” the study said.

By Shiv Sahay Singh

(THE HINDU Newspaper, Published Feb. 24)

RESEARCH

MARCH & APRIL 2020 17

DR. ATTAPHONGSE TAPARUGSSANAGORN AND SU KYI

WIRELESS SENSING SYSTEM FOR THE REMOTE

OPERATION OF OFF-GRID TRACKER SOLAR

Dr. Attaphongse Taparugssanagorn and Su Kyi of the AIT

Telecommunications program explain their findings in their paper "Wireless sensing for a solar power system", published in Digital Communications and Networks journal, February 2020 Issue.

Researchers at Thailand’s Asian Insti-

tute of Technology have developed a

wireless sensing system for the remote

operation of off-grid PV installations

which feature solar trackers.

Based on the global standard ZigBee

2.4 GHz wireless technology, the

system features six sensors for mea-

suring battery terminal voltage; solar

voltage; solar current; current to the

DC-DC converter; tilt angle of solar

panels according to voltage across

the potentiometer; and a converter

transistor temperature sensor.

The sensors and 12 V rechargeable, The new system could aid off-grid tracker solar deployment.

sealed lead-acid battery are powered Image: NEXTracker exclusively by the PV system itself,

said the researchers.

operate with the Zigbee protocol – transmits data wirelessly THE SYSTEM

every 10 minutes including information such as the PV

The system, which includes two installation’s voltage, current, battery voltage, load current and Arduino Uno open-source micro- converter transistor temperature, to another XBee ZNet 2.5

controller boards, a DC-DC converter module connected to a computer used by the PV system operator.

circuit and an H-Bridge motor driver,

is said to be capable of a range “The XBee end device gets the [hourly] data from the XBee of operations including continuous coordinator to alter the tilt angle in auto-mode,” stated the remote monitoring, remote configura- system’s developers. “It can also read the data to rotate the tilt tion, remote disabling of battery of the solar PV panel in manual mode.”

power to the DC-DC converter and

motor, and generating visual alerts.

The system, which was tested under moving cloud conditions, is said to be effective in terms of performance, cost and power According to the research team, the consumption. It is described in the paper Wireless sensing for a system’s XBee ZNet 2.5 module – a solar power system, published in Digital Communications and radio-frequency device developed to Networks.

STUDENTS MAKING INTERNATIONAL IMPACT

MARCH & APRIL 2020 18

AIT Student Social Entrepreneurs reach Bangkok Regional Final Six in the Hult Prize 2020 Challenge

AIT’s 'Team Saikiran' on March

16 joined 5 other finalist student

entrepreneur teams representing

universities around Asia at the

Final 6 Bangkok Regionals of

the Hult Prize 2020 Challenge --

A Global Competition. All were

competing for the Global Prize of

US$ 1Mil. in start-up funding.

Team Saikiran represented di-

verse backgrounds working for a

common vision of fighting air

pollution and climate change

using technology and innovation.

As a part of their journey, they

pitched their idea to a series of leading international experts and judges.

AIT’s student social entrepreneurs -- Mr. Saikiran Gaddmedi, India, M.Eng. in Nanotechnology; Mr. Vivek Sharma Poudel, Nepal, M.Eng. Nanotechnology; Ms. Ying Chen, China, MBA; and Mr. Ekachai Lojanaphiwat, Thailand, PhD, Environmental Engineering & Management -- made it all the way to the final

'Top '6 Changemakers from the Hult Prize 2020 Bangkok Regional Summit.

For more: http://www.hultprizeat.com/ait

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ENTREPRENEUR

AIT PhD candidate receives ICD Progress Award 2019 in Dubai Late last year, Gautam Dadhich

(pictured right, center), 28, an

Indian PhD candidate under Dr.

Hiroyuki Miyazaki, RSGIS, School

of Engineering and Technology,

represented AIT at the Global

Grad Show (GGS), Dubai. His

idea – ProFind-Proficient Platform

for Farm Insurance for Natural

Disasters -- was not only selected

for exhibition during Global Grad

Show-GGS (10-16 Nov. 2019)

but was also chosen for pitching in the boot camp part of GGS entrepreneurship program, where only a few project ideas from selected projects were invited after scrutiny of its business model canvas, value proposition canvas and investment deck. His project was one of the few selected projects out of 15 projects shortlisted globally from 1500 submissions.

Mr. Dadhich, who hails from Jaipur district in Rajasthan state of northwestern India, is now developing an agri-insuretech ICT platform to improve risk resiliency of the agriculture community using satellite imagery and machine learning. He is currently in Dubai working on his business feasibility and is seeking investor seed funding of US$ 1,000,000. He already received a US$ 30,000 grant for his business feasibility and market validation. Funding is provided by ARM holdings, an investment firm in Dubai that supports social startups. He also received honorable mention in “ICD Progress Award 2019” for making a social impact by his idea to protect the farming community from natural hazards.

SCHOLARSHIPS AND OTHER DONATIONS

MARCH & APRIL 2020 19

Mr. Bhargab Mohan Das (SE 2005)

supports AIT with Named Scholar-

Dr. Yanyong Phataralaoha (IE&M '86)

ships and Student awards for Best

signed the agreement to support AIT

Master’s Thesis under the name of

towards two 42 credits Doctoral Degree

his late father, Prof. Emeritus Madan

Tuition Scholarships

Mohan Das

Prominent alumnus and a major donor to AIT, Dr.

Yanyong Phataralaoha (IE&M ’86), Managing

Director, Thai Pipe Industry Company Limited

supported AIT towards two 42 credits Doctoral

Degree Tuition Scholarships for a total amount of 1,344,000 Thai Baht.

These scholarships will be for students from

Myanmar, Laos PDR, Cambodia, Vietnam and

China (only from Yunnan Province) enrolled in

Water Engineering and Management (WEM),

School of Engineering & Technology and Environ-

mental Engineering & Management (EEM), School

of Environment, Resources and Management for

August 2020 intake.

AIT President Dr. Eden Y. Woon expressed his

appreciation to Dr. Yanyong for his continued

Mr. Bhargab Mohan Das (SE 2005), Founding

support to the Institute.

Chairman of DASS Energy and the Founding

CEO and Managing Director, Christiani &

The late Mr. Kee Book Hee (EE’82) family

Nielsen Energy Solutions Co., Ltd. signed

signed the agreement to support AIT towards

an agreement with AIT President Dr. Eden

a one Full Master Degree Scholarship

Woon to support AIT for 5 Named Scholar-

ships (24 credits + 1-year registration fee

The late Mr. Kee Book Hee, AIT alumnus who

for a total amount of THB 2,120,000) in

graduated in Environmental Engineering in 1982,

Civil Engineering and 3 Student awards for

made a personal donation to the AIT Endowment

Best Master’s Thesis (1 award every May

Fund in 2010 and his family has decided they would

graduation for a total amount of USD

like to use his contribution for one full Master degree 6,000) in the field of Water Engineering and

scholarship in the amount of 1,200,000 Thai Baht.

Management under the name of his late

father, Prof. Emeritus Madan Mohan Das.

This scholarship will be for one student of any He will also provide student internships

nationality enrolled in Environmental Engineering

offerings in one of his affiliated companies.

& Management (EEM), School of Environment,

Resources and Management for August 2020 intake.

AIT President Dr. Eden Woon expressed

his appreciation and thanked Mr. Das for his

Mr. Kee was the Former President of the AITAA

support to the Institute.

Malaysia Chapter and Former Managing Director of

Frontier Bond (M) Sdn Bhd, Malaysia.

AIT President Dr. Eden Y. Woon expressed his

thanks and appreciation to the family of late Mr. Kee

for their support to the Institute.

SCHOLARSHIPS AND OTHER DONATIONS

MARCH & APRIL 2020 20

Engr. Mohammad P. Aftab (EE '75) signed the agreement to support AIT towards a 12 credits Tuition and one semester Registration Fee Master Degree Scholarship Engr. Mohammad P. Aftab, AIT alumnus

Engr. Aftab is working as Discipline Manager at

graduated in Environmental Engineering 1975

Saudi Consulting Services. He was the former

support AIT towards a 12 credits tuition and one

Vice President of NESPAK National Engineering

semester registration fee Master Degree Scholar-

Services, Pakistan.

ship in the amount 212,000 Thai Baht. This

scholarship will be for one deserving Pakistani

AIT President Dr. Eden Y. Woon expressed his

student enrolled in Urban Environmental

thanks and appreciation to Engr. Aftab for his

Management, School of Environment, Resources

support to the Institute.

& Development for August 2020 intake.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Somchet Thinaphong (M. Eng. WRE’73 & D. Eng. WRE’80) Agrees to Support AIT’s Water Engineering & Management (WEM) Laboratory Assoc. Prof. Dr. Somchet Thinaphong, an AIT

Headquarter during 2016-2017. He is also the

alumnus who graduated in Master of Engineering

former Chairman & Executive Board at GISTDA

1975, and Doctoral of Engineering 1980 both in

(Geo-Informatics and Space Technology

Water Resources Engineering, has agreed to

Development Agency), Ministry of Science &

support AIT in the amount of THB 60,000 towards

Technology, Thailand.

student research at Water Engineering & Manage-

ment (WEM) laboratory.

AIT President Dr. Eden Y. Woon expressed his

sincere thanks to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Somchet for

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Somchet Thinaphong is currently

his support to the Institute. President Woon

the Managing Director of Dawei Special Econo-

said: “AIT’s students and laboratories are always

mic Zone Project, Italian-Thai Development

looking for additional funding to help with their

Public Company Limited. He is an inductee

research and facilities. And we are always grate-

of AIT Hall of Fame in the second batch, and a

ful to our alumni who remember their Alma Mater.

former President of AIT Alumni Association

Dr. Somchet’s contribution is deeply appreciated.”

Mr. Niyot Masavisut (IB’96) Agrees to Support School of Management (SOM) Activities Mr. Niyot Masavisut, an AIT alumnus who graduated

is a state enterprise with the Financial Institution

in Master of Business Administration 1996 in

Development Fund (FIDF) holding 100% shares.

International Business, has agreed to support AIT

in the amount of THB 50,000 towards School of

AIT President Dr. Eden Y. Woon expressed

Management activities in the newly established

his thanks to Mr. Niyot for his support to the smart classroom at SOM, Bangkok campus.

Institute. President Woon said: “The smart

classroom at SOM, Bangkok campus will offer

Mr. Niyot Masavisut is currently the President of

more options for faculty to deliver high-quality Sukhumvit Asset Management Company Limited

online education. And we are always grateful to

(SAM) where he has more than 14 years of

our alumni who remember their Alma Mater. Mr.

experiences in senior management positions. SAM

Niyot’s contribution is deeply appreciated.”

RECENT NEWS / HAPPENINGS AT AIT

MARCH & APRIL 2020 21

Interview with AIT President

In a report conducted before the Asian In-

stitute of Technology closed its campus

on March 18 – cancelling all face-to-face

classes and moving to online interactive

learning for all students – AIT President Dr.

Eden Woon spoke to Thailand Education

Partnership (TEP). The president touched

on the rapidly evolving COVID-19 pan-

demic, and elaborated on how higher edu-

cation institutions must respond quickly

in the 21st Century to rapid technological

advancements in the delivery of education.

Dr. Eden Woon, AIT President

Watch: https://bit.ly/ait-tep-online-teaching The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Job Security The world is now focusing on Artificial

Intelligence (AI) and the possible impact it

may have on human life with many voicing

concerns about job security. Thailand

Education Partnership (TEP) spoke to

Associate Professor Dr. Mongkol Ekpan-

yapong, the director of AI Center at AIT, to

find out how Thai people can better prepare

themselves when the age of AI begins.

Dr. Mongkol mentioned that Thai workers

may lose more than 5 million jobs within Dr. Mongkol Ekpanyapong, Co-director of the AIT Artificial Intelligence Center

the next few years because of the substitu-

tion of AI, but at the same time, there will Dr. Mongkol is also a faculty member and head of the be new career opportunities occurring 12 Industrial Systems Engineering (ISE) Department in the times over, he estimates. He explains how School of Engineering and Technology.

we should prepare ourselves to adapt to this

change.

Watch: https://youtu.be/a8ikPiSwCJ8

Meeting of the Board of Directors of the Project of Development of High-Quality Research Graduate in Science and Technology The meeting of the Board of Directors

of the Project of Development of High-

Quality Research Graduate in Science

and Technology was held on 16 March

2020. Prof. Deepak Sharma, Vice

President for Academic Affairs, AIT and

Dr. Chadamas Thavasethakul, Executive

Vice President, NSTDA, Thailand

co-chaired the meeting that was conducted

remotely.

RECENT NEWS / HAPPENINGS AT AIT

MARCH & APRIL 2020 22

Preparing Graduates for

the Job Market

A report from the Thailand National

Statistical Office showed that in September

2019, almost 400,000 were unemployed,

whereas a more recent survey from March

to April 2020 found that more than 500,000

new graduates in Thailand may have a high

risk of being out of jobs. Startled by these

statistics, Thailand Education Partnership

(TEP) raises the question of whether an "In order to prepare graduates for the job market, universities answer may lie in an overhaul of the must allow students to face real problems, and to learn how education system that provides new to combine knowledge and technologies to solve those approaches of teaching and learning at the problems." - Associate Professor Dr. Chutiporn Anutariya university level, with the aim to develop

graduates who are well-equipped with or a real problem that happened 10 years ago as a proposi-the skills that will directly respond to the tion. Teachers need to make sure that what is discussed is current market demands.

relevant to current issues. This is termed problem-based learning. Students must have a chance to learn from TEP recently conducted an interview in entrepreneurs who can show them how to use their Thai the language with Associate Professor knowledge to solve the problem and succeed,” she said.

Dr. Chutiporn Anutariya, Associate Dean of

the School of Engineering and Technology The associate dean stressed that team work is also crucial.

and a faculty member in the Department of Apart from other skills they must have, students need to Information and Communication Technolo- also possess effective communication skills which will gies, Asian Institute of Technology (AIT). allow them to effectively relate to their team.

Dr. Chutiporn explained that in order to

prepare graduates for the job market, Dr. Chutiporn concluded that all these skills are crucial and universities must allow students to tackle necessary in real work situations and must be emphasized problems, and to learn how to combine in higher education classes. With technological advance-knowledge and technologies to solve those ments that allow online education to reach even a larger problems.

audience, acquiring these important skills has never been easier or more accessible than today, she said.

Dr. Chutiporn further explained: “We

cannot use a problem written in a textbook Watch: https://youtu.be/ESZgRL-yhLY

Expert Talk at AIT

Entrepreneurship Center

An Expert Talk on “My Experience & Ex-

periments with Life & the Lessons Learnt

after AIT” by Mr. Bhargab Mohan Das,

Founding Chairman of DASS Energy &

CEO/ MD of Christiani & Nielsen Energy

Solutions Co., Ltd. at AIT Entrepreneurship

Center on 12 March 2020.

RECENT NEWS / HAPPENINGS AT AIT

MARCH & APRIL 2020 23

International Art Exhibition: "Embrace Nepal"

A grand opening ceremony of an International Art Exhibition titled "Embrace Nepal" took place on March 8. Mr. Russell Rein, Vice President of Administration welcomed Special Guest Mrs. Pratigya Rai, Second Secretary of the Embassy of Nepal to Thailand to open the exhibition held at Korean House.

Unleashing The Vajra: Nepal's Journey Between India and China / UNDP Resident Representative to Thailand

Mr. Renaud Meyer speaks

A Special on Campus Talk "Un-

leashing The Vajra: Nepal's Journey

Between India and China" by

author Mr. Sujeev Shakya (photo,

right) was hosted by the School of

Management on 2 March 2020.

UNDP Resident Representative

to Thailand Mr. Renaud Meyer

(photo, left) joined the event as a

Special Speaker.

‘MY TREE AND ME’ Tree Planting Activity

The ‘MY TREE AND ME’ Tree

Planting Activity was a joint activity

of the Student Union Campus and

Environment and the Student Union

External Affairs held on 14 March

2020. Volunteer students planted 30

trees on two locations on the campus

near the AIT Library and the West

Lake. The Student Union is thankful

to OFAM and the AIT Community

for helping the students to realize this

sustainability activity.

RECENT NEWS / HAPPENINGS AT AIT

MARCH & APRIL 2020 24

International Women’s Day

2020

Our AIT Student Union Gender and Culture

Team and students of the Department of De-

velopment and Sustainability are leaders of the

"I am Generation Equality, Realizing Women's

Rights" movement.

For more information about the AIT Gender

and Development Studies program, visit: http://

dds.ait.ac.th/gds

“Love Is Still All Around”

Our AIT Student Union on March 25 arranged

the ”Love Is Still All Around” campaign to dis-

tribute hand sanitizers to their fellow students.

The activity was controlled well with all prac-

ticing social distancing.

Happy Earth Day 2020

NEW: Graduates Club Alumni

AIT marked the 50th Anniversary of Earth

Talk Series

Day on 22 March 2020. The theme for Earth

Day 2020 is Climate Action. AIT is committed

to tackling Climate Change, which represents

an enormous challenge to humanity and the

life-support systems that make our planet

habitable.

Join in on the new Alumni Talk Series launched by the AIT Graduates Club to share your knowledge and

experiences while connecting with other alumni

friends and the AIT community! All Alumni are

invited to be a speaker in the upcoming GC

CONNECT’S Alumni Talk Series.

Topics can vary from global issues to a project you are currently working on. The e-Talk will be followed by

group discussions and interactive live sessions.

Visit: http://www.aitgradsclub.ait.ac.th/

Register Here: https://lnkd.in/dA5hwZa

BACKPAGE

MARCH & APRIL 2020 25

ADMISSIONS NOT AFFECTED BY COVID-19

AIT remains committed to continue its

mission of providing quality education

relevant to the region and the world.

Without missing a beat, AIT successfully

moved to online classes and exams for

the balance of this past Semester. We

look forward to welcoming all new and

current students to our campus for the Fall

Semester. If the COVID-19 crisis persists,

any admitted student who is not able to

come to our AIT campus will be able to start

the Fall Semester seamlessly online through

Interactive Online Classes supported by

AIT’s Online Learning Environment.

Admission to AIT is open. Apply Here

https://www.ait.ac.th/admissions/

More information for students and applicants https://www.ait.ac.th/covid-19-info/

For feedback, contact

Office of Public Affairs

opa@ait.ac.th

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