A Higher Vision: The Bangkok Post

AIT Signs Academic Exchange Agreement with UNU-IAS

DNP and AIT Collaborate on a Pilot Project for Khao Yai National Park

Ambassador of Thailand to Viet Nam visits AIT

New School of Engineering and Technology Dean Appointed

Dr Shobhakar Dhakal Promoted to the Rank of Professor
Dr Bonaventura HW Hadikusumo Promoted to the Rank of Professor

AIT Alumna Appointed Deputy Minister in the Maldives

Condolences: Prof. SM Qureshi

AIT Alumna Dr Jirapan Chaowanapong receives NRCT Award

Seminars and Workshops

Students' Union Cultural Show

Coming Up

Social Media

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A Higher Vision: The Bangkok Post

Following the enunciation of his vision last September, President Eden Y. Woon shared his thoughts with the Bangkok Post. In his first major public interview after assuming the Presidency of the Institute, President Woon informed the Bangkok Post about how he wants AIT to be an academic player both regionally and worldwide.

Delving into AIT’s glorious past, President Woon spoke about modernizing the Institute, re-establishing its global footprint, and injecting more innovation into its core strengths. He also stressed the need to become well-known among the masses, not just among specific groups.

Read the interview at these links

Bangkok Post: https://www.bangkokpost.com/lifestyle/social-and-lifestyle/1635294/a-higher-vision

AIT: https://www.ait.ac.th/2019/02/higher-vision-president-woon-tells-bangkok-post/

AIT Signs Academic Exchange Agreement with UNU-IAS

The Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) has signed an academic exchange agreement with the United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS), based in Tokyo. The agreement was signed by AIT President Eden Y. Woon and UNU-IAS Director Dr. Kazuhiko Takemoto on February 5, 2019.

The agreement will pave the way for collaborative research, lectures, symposiums, and exchanges of students and researchers between the two institutions. Dr. Takemoto stated that AIT plays an important role in academic research within higher education, and its work in capacity building is widely recognized. President Woon spoke about his vision to encourage innovation and expand AIT’s footprint. He also thanked Prof. Mario Tabucanon, Visiting Professor at UNU-IAS and Emeritus Professor at AIT, for playing an instrumental role in bringing the two institutions together. Dr. Takemoto was accompanied on his visit to AIT  by Prof. Tabucanon and Dr. Hiroaki Takiguchi, Project Director, UNU-IAS.

DNP and AIT Collaborate on a Pilot Project for Khao Yai National Park

The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Khao Yai is implementing a pilot project in collaboration with AIT and the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation (DNP) to develop a mobile app integrated with low-energy Bluetooth beacon technology. The app will aid visitors during their stay in the Park by providing them with context-aware information about various aspects of the sites they are visiting.

Dr. Naveed Anwar, Executive Director, AIT Solutions, unveiled the pilot project at the inauguration of the 200-year commemorative US-Thai Friendship Trail organized at the Park on 9 February 2019, where General Surasak Karnjanarat, Thailand’s Minister for Natural Resources and Environment and Mr. Peter Haymond, Chargé d'Affaires, Embassy of the United States in Thailand, jointly inaugurated the commemorative trail. While AIT is developing the app, the solar-powered beacons have been developed by a team led by Prof. James She, Director of the Social Media Lab, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), with content provided by Park officials.

Ambassador of Thailand to Viet Nam visits AIT

H.E. Mr.Tanee Sangrat, Ambassador, Royal Thai Embassy in Viet Nam, and Ms.Woratip Otrakul, First Secretary, Royal Thai Embassy in Viet Nam, visited the Asian Institute of Technology on 7 February 2019. Leading the talks for AIT was Prof. Sivanappan Kumar, Vice President for Academic Affairs. Also representing AIT were Prof. Weerakorn Ongsakul of the School of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD), Ms Chalita Lertwinyu, Mr. Shawn Patrick Kelly, and Piyapat Kallaya .

New School of Engineering and Technology Dean Appointed

Professor Dieter Trau, of the National University of Singapore (NUS), will be the next Dean of the AIT School of Engineering and Technology (SET), starting on July 1, 2019. He will have the rank of Professor and will also be the new Director of the AIT Entrepreneurship Center, which will be set up later this year.

Professor Trau is currently a tenured Associate Professor and Associate Head Research in the Biomedical Engineering Department of the National University of Singapore. He received a degree in Chemical and Bioengineering from the FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences, Germany in 1994 and a PhD in Chemistry from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in 2001.

Dr Shobhakar Dhakal Promoted to the Rank of Professor

Dr. Shobhakar Dhakal has been promoted to the rank of Professor. This follows approval by the Board of the Trustees at its meeting held on 31 January 2019.

Dr. Dhakal joined AIT as an Associate Professor in the School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) in July 2012.

He received a PhD in Energy Management and Mitigation of Urban Heat Island from the University of Tokyo in 2000. Prior to this, Dr. Dhakal received a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from the SV Regional College of Engineering and Technology, South Gujarat University, India in 1993 and a Masters of Engineering in Energy Policy and Planning from AIT in 1996.

Dr Bonaventura HW Hadikusumo Promoted to the Rank of Professor

Dr. Bonaventura HW Hadikusumo has been promoted to the rank of Professor. This follows approval by the Board of the Trustees at its meeting held on 31 January 2019.

Dr. Hadikusumo joined AIT as an Assistant Professor in the School of Engineering and Technology (SET) in July 2002 and was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor in April 2009. He received a PhD in Construction Management from the University of Hong Kong in 2001. Prior to this, Dr. Hadikusumo received a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Universitas Diponegoro, Indonesia in 1996, and he graduated from AIT in 1998, earning a Masters of Engineering in Construction Management.

AIT Alumna Appointed Deputy Minister in the Maldives

AIT alumna Fathimath Yumna (Masters in Gender and Development Studies, 2004) has been appointed Deputy Minister of Gender, Family, and Social Services, Republic of the Maldives. She previously served as consultant to the collaborative project between the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and UNWOMEN and also as Director General in the Department of Gender and Family Protection Services in the Maldives’ Ministry of Health and Family.

Condolences: Prof SM Qureshi

AIT Hall of Fame Inductee Prof. SM Qureshi passed away on 17 February 2019. The founder Vice-Chancellor of Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUET), Jamshoro, Pakistan, he also served as a Federal Secretary in the Government of Pakistan and as an honorary advisor to the Governor of Sindh Province, Pakistan. After completing a Bachelor's degree in Engineering from the University of Karachi, Dr. Qureshi came to AIT to pursue a Masters in Structural Engineering and Construction (1965). He received a PhD in  from the University of Sheffield, UK.

An active participant in AIT affairs, he was among the 11 alumni to be inducted in the AIT Hall of Fame in September 2010. He also attended the inauguration of the modernized AIT Library in April last year, where he was among the alumni who greeted HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.

AIT Alumna Dr Jirapan Chaowanapong receives NRCT Award

AIT alumna Dr. Jirapan Chaowanapong has been honored with an award by the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT) for the best top three thesis  in the field of Economics. The Award Ceremony was organized on 2 February 2019 on the occasion of “Inventors’ Day” at BITEC, Bangna. Her thesis title is “Factors  influencing a firm's decision to conduct remanufacturing: Evidence from  Thai industries.” She worked with her supervisor at AIT Dr. Juthathip Jongwanich.

Seminars and Workshops

Seminar on “Reversing Climate Change within a Generation: The Pivotal Role of Algae”

1 February

Dr. Mark Huntley (University of Hawaii at Hilo)

Inception workshop on “ENRICH: Enhancing Resilience to future Hydro-meteorological Extremes in the Mun River Basin in the Northeast of Thailand”

5 February

Special Talk on “The PM2.5 Episode  in Bangkok: Situation, Outlook, and How to Protect Yourself”

7 February

Dr. Ekbordin Winijkul (AIT)

Seminar on “International Collaboration in the Field of Environmental Sciences and Management”

11 February

Dr. Lunchakorn Prathumratana (Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, South Korea)

Seminar on “Climate Investment, Climate Finance, and Carbon Markets”

12 February

Talk on “Modelling and Mapping of Above-Ground Biomass of Mangrove Forests and their Replacement Land Uses Using Sentinel Imagery”

and Talk on “Remote Sensing of Tropical Forests for Natural Resources and Environmental Management: Recent Advances and Future Opportunities”

13 February

Dr. Armando Apan (University of Southern Queensland, Australia)

Seminar on “Revisiting Development Processes in Asia: How Can Fast-growing Economies of Today Adopt, Adapt, and Leapfrog? “

13 February

Dr. Bindu Lohani (AIT)

Seminar on “MRC Support for Sustainable Hydropower Development in Lower Mekong Basin”

18 February

Mr. Palakorn Chanbanyong (Mekong River Commission Secretariat)

Seminar on "5G and Beyond: Role and Function of APT"

20 February

Masanori Kondo (Asia-Pacific Telecommunity)

Seminar on “Energy Systems in Transition and Their Impact on Research and Educational Programs”

20 February

Prof. Mohsen Assadi (University of Stavanger, Norway)

Seminar on "Distributed Plug-and Play Event-Based Control for DC Microgrids Using Directional Radio Links"

20 February

Dr. Kamyar Mehran (Queen Mary University, London)

Seminar "Experiences in Design and Implementation of Megawatt Scale Isolated Microgrid Systems"

22 February

Dr. Wuthipong Suponthana (Leonics Co. Ltd.)

Students' Union Cultural Show

16 February 2019

Coming up

Career Fair and Research Exhibition

27 March 2019

AIT Day in Bangladesh

11 March 2019

Social Media

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Editor: Bajinder Pal Singh bajinder@ait.ac.th

Photos:

Paitoon Tinnapong

Samphat Semathong

AIT Students Union

Contact: Office of Media and Communications omco@ait.ac.th