January & February 2020
Asian Institute of Technology
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JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2020
Editor’s Note:
We apologize for the delay of publication of this January-February Newsletter. Since March 18, AIT has moved to Interactive Online Instruction for all classes for the remainder of the Spring semester. Full details on this and other latest Covid-19 measures at AIT will be in the next newsletter in March-April.
MOU SIGNED TO FOSTER AIT CONNECTIONS WITH SHENZHEN ENTERPRISES
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n order to continue to promote diversified cooperation under the auspices of the AIT Belt & Road Research Center, AIT has signed an MOU with DeepRock company of Shenzhen in launching a cooperation to foster connections between AIT and enterprises in Shenzhen. DeepRock was founded by renowned China entrepreneur Wang Shi, who founded in Shenzhen the internationally prestigious Vanke Development Company in the 1980s.
This cooperation will have the theme of "Social Impact with Innovation”, with AIT leveraging its strength in sustainability studies and in its network of students from the Belt and Road region, and DeepRock — through its association with Vanke, leveraging on Shenzhen’s strength in enterprises which are models of innovation and entrepreneurship in China and the world. DeepRock will help AIT faculty and students with access to Shenzhen enterprises for visits, internships, and collaboration, with the support from Shenzhen Foundation for International Exchange and Cooperation (SFIEC) and Shenzhen Non-Governmental Organization Federation (ShenZhenNGO).
Shenzhen, a global technology hub in China The centerpiece of the AIT-DeepRock cooperation is the “AIT-Shenzhen Enterprises Program (ASEP)”. ASEP consists of a 4-week experience in Shenzhen for 20 AIT students each summer, in alignment with the students’ interests and fields of study. The first week will involve visitations to global corporate giants of Shenzhen, such as Tencent, Huawei, BGI, Vanke, among others. The next two weeks will be spent on internship in one of Shenzhen’s many enterprises, with the final week being participation in academic and athletic competitions and teambuilding activities in Shenzhen. Local expenses and arrangements will be provided by DeepRock. Tentatively, the ASEP program will begin in the summer of 2020. President Eden Woon, said: “This cooperation with DeepRock allows AIT faculty and students to gain a better appreciation of the enterprise success, innovative ability, and entrepreneurial spirit of Shenzhen — a global technology hub — and a deeper understanding of China. Specifically, ASEP will benefit greatly those students who will have a unique opportunity to have a one-month enterprises experience, which includes internship, in Shenzhen.
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AIT CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE January & February 2020
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AIT Measures in January-February during Global Coronavirus Crisis
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) now has spread across the world in varying degrees, including to Thailand and many of the countries where our AIT students, faculty and staff come from. This article describes briefly the actions AIT took in January and February. Later updates will appear in the next Newsletter, as developments are happening very rapidly.
The AIT Coronavirus Task Force was formed at the end of January to monitor the crisis, both in general and specifically on how it affects the institute. The Task Force has devised policies, measures and advice, and has kept the AIT community informed through a dedicated Intranet column— with links to the Thai government public health websites—and through frequent emails. Initially, the Task Force tracked down AIT students in China and brought them back to AIT, with a 14-day quarantine at a special quarantine quarters set up on campus. By the end of February, AIT students in Korea, Japan, France, Germany, Spain and Netherlands had either returned or were in the process of being strongly urged to do so. They are also subject to a 14-day quarantine on campus upon return. As the number of confirmed cases of Coronavirus increased daily worldwide, the work of the Task Force shifted into high gear in late February, and more precautionary steps have been and are being taken by AIT to ensure a safe and healthy environment on campus. Very early on, the Task Force closely monitored all events being held on campus, cancelling many, and requiring all to follow strictly some special measures such as tracking the travel history of the attendees. Large scale gatherings were disapproved. As time went on, travel abroad by any AIT member must be approved by the Task Force, and travel to certain highly infectious regions was prohibited. But normal educational activities in January and February continued as much as possible, even though these are not normal times. AIT also created a Lighting System for the status of the campus, where Green is “normal”, Yellow is “alert”, Orange is “affected”, and Red is “serious”. The status light in January and February was Yellow.
As of the publication date, no AIT member has caught the Coronavirus and fallen ill. However, AIT is prepared for any contingency in the event that the situation worsens. Therefore, two sets of Special Operations Contingency Plans were developed – one for Academics and one for General Operations. In particular, the Academics Contingency Plan allowed us to be ready should face-to-face classes had to be cancelled. (Which took place later on March 18.) Purchases of software and training and orientation were done by the faculty to get prepared for online interactive instruction. The Asian Institute of Technology is working hard to be ready for any eventuality. At this difficult time, all members of the AIT community are remaining vigilant and cooperative in order for the institute to get through this crisis successfully. More up to date information will come in the March-April Newsletter, including on the conversion to interactive online instruction and cancellation of all face-to-face classes for the rest of the Spring semester.
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FEATURE www.ait.ac.th
January & February 2020
AIT alumna leads first COVID-19 fight in Thailand EXCLUSIVE: Hospitals can apply management skills to battle the coronavirus, writes Kanda Yaemboonruang
Keeping morale high, correct understanding and maintaining social responsibility are the magic words to fight the epidemic. Dr. Dararat Rutanarugsa Director of Nakhon Pathom Hospital, Thailand Big news hit Thailand on 20 January 2020 when the first case of the new strain of coronavirus (COVID-19) was identified at Nakhon Pathom Hospital. The announcement made the Thai public sit up and take notice that the novel coronavirus had arrived and could be knocking on their front door anytime. Ten days later, new hope emerged when the hospital announced that they were able to cure the first patient, a Thai of Chinese descent had been given the nickname “A-Ma”, and that the patient was recovering. Overnight, Nakhon Pathom Hospital became a fixture of attention across the country, as media focused on this successful treatment. Dr. Dararat Rutanarugsa, MD, PhD, the director of Nakhon Pathom Hospital and an AIT alumnus who graduated from the AIT School of Management in August 2017 with a doctoral degree in Business Administration, was on the front-line along with her team combatting this fierce new virus.
UNKNOWN TERRITORY
Asked to describe the first COVID-19 case in Thailand, Dr. Dararat said: “When we first received the case, we didn’t know exactly how to treat the patient with COVID-19, but we believed in our ability and capacity, and our medical staff was ready for the hard work ahead. Finally, we succeeded in our first attempt. “The patient was a half Thai-Chinese, 73, with
heart disease, thyrotoxic and high blood pressure. She was in the vulnerable group. At the time she was tested and had a positive result for the coronavirus, the Thai medical personnel were still guessing blindly about how to fight the emerging disease identified in Wuhan, China. But we believed in our capacity as we are the main medical hospital in the province, which is well-equipped with advanced medical technology, and we had the support from the Minister of Public Health, Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul, and from the provincial governor so we were able to raise public confidence. Then all the hard work paid off when, ten days after the case was identified, the patient was tested negative for COVID-19.” She explained that the hospital ran the test twice by following the Standard Principles of Public Health to confirm the results before releasing the news to the public. The patient was discharged and was able to return home in time for the Chinese New Year celebration.
STRONG HOSPITALS KEY
The nation’s hospitals are key to reacting to serious public health scares, such as the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, she said. The public must be assured that hospitals are safe places for the patients especially in times of health crises. Dr. Dararat added that maintaining the physical health and morale of hospital staff is critical to success. She even purchased COVID-19 insurance for all hospital
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FEATURE January & February 2020
staff members as a top-up benefit to their current insurance plan to ensure that health workers are themselves well taken care of as they cared for patients. “Keeping morale high, correct understanding and maintaining social responsibility are the magic words to fight the pandemic. After the news broke that we had been successful in our effort to treat the first patient, we gained trust from the public. We thought we should optimize this trust and use it as our platform for knowledge distribution. We created a music video and uploaded on to our YouTube channel. It was a team effort with our doctors writing the lyrics and our hospital staff as the musicians and dancers in the video. It was definitely a fun-filled morale-boosting activity for all of us, and, at the same time, we are able to educate the public in a creative way.” Dr. Dararat added: “After this first case, we have been stricter with our management to ensure safety for everyone at the hospital. We have been trying to reduce the size of crowds at the hospital and to manage transferring routes for patients, relatives and staffs. Everyone is advised to wash their hands and check their temperatures at screening points and practice social distancing. Also, with the shortage of surgical masks now, we really need to consider who really needs them. Those who are not at high risk can use fabric masks, but those who are at high risk, especially medical personnel who work closely with patients, need masks with better performance, such as the N95. This is the management principle when battling with a disease.
ON THE FRONT LINE
“I liken hospital staff to the army on the front line, and crew morale is very crucial. They should be well equipped to fight their battles. Masks are one
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of armors in this battle against this disease. We must identify who really ‘needs’ masks. Once we have this information, hospitals can better manage the distribution of masks provided by Ministry of Public Health. Hospitals need to put in place the short-term and the long-term inventory. We need to make sure that, for the short-term inventory, we have enough masks for medical personnel for at least 2 weeks, but for the long-term inventory, we need several months’ worth of stocks. This can ensure we will not experience a mask crisis. As a PhD in Business Administration from AIT, Dr. Dararat underscored the need for proper management of hospitals, especially in times of such emergencies as COVID-19. “AIT is part of this success. I am very lucky to have had the opportunity to study in the Doctor of Business Administration program at AIT. I gained a great deal of knowledge about management, which I can readily apply in my management of the hospital and in my service to the public. The knowledge about how to manage resources, which I learned from my finance class at AIT has allowed me to assess how much I can spend and how much I should save, and to manage risks properly, like this crisis. All of this, I have AIT to thank for.”
“When we first received the case, we didn’t know exactly how to treat the patient with COVID-19, but we believed in our ability and capacity, and our medical staff was ready for the hard work ahead. Finally, we succeeded in our first attempt.”
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FEATURE www.ait.ac.th
January & February 2020
AIT’s five thematic research areas Asian Instititute of Technology (AIT) is the most international university in Thailand offering master’s and PhD programs in engineering and technology, environment and sustainability, and management. The current study body represents 40 countries around the world with the alumni network of more than 25,000 from over 100 countries around the world. AIT provides scholarships to both Thai and non-Thai students. With the motto ‘Social Impact with Innovation’, in a recent radio interview, Dr. Bhawat Traipattanakul, Special Assistant to the President and Affiliated Faculty at the School of Engineering and Technology, elaborated on AIT's 5 thematic areas and highlighted selected research studies within those areas. Dr. Bhawat also highlighted AIT’s research funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on the decentralized wastewater management for developing countries.
1. Climate change
Climate change creates significant impacts to environment in both global and regional scales. One of the on-going issues in Thailand is air pollution, especially a significant rise of the PM2.5 level during winter. To tackle this nation-wide environmental issue, AIT is now working with Thailand’s Pollution Control Department and Climate and Clean Air Coalition in developing a tool which will be used to identify the sources of the current PM2.5 in order to solve the problem at its root cause.
2. Smart communities
AIT focuses on not only the concept of Smart City, but also one of Smart Community which extends the research focus and the development to the rural areas as well. For this thematic area, Dr. Bhawat highlighted two research studies: AI technology for helmet detection on motorcyclists in Bangkok and the combination of the satellite and drone technology in rice mapping which offers a faster, more accurate and more affordable method of detecting problems in rice fields and estimating yields.
3. Food, Energy, Water Security
AIT places great emphasis on various issues of security for future population. Various research studies on campus now focus on securing stable food, energy and water resources to ensure sustainable future developments. Dr. Bhawat highlighted 3 studies: a study in collaboration with the British Council and Loughborough University in UK on energy generation from daily food waste on campus, a framework for river health assessment
in collaboration with Foundation for Integration of water Management (Thailand), and a study on the alternate wetting and drying rice farming method which can increase yields and reduce water consumption in rice farming.
4. Infrastructure
AIT has conducted many research projects in Infrastructure which include Transportation, Telecommunication, Construction, Structure, Geotechnology, Energy and Irrigation. A project in Bangladesh was given as an example. AIT in collaboration with Asian Disaster Preparedness Center, Government of Bangladesh, UNDP, DFID-B, EU, Norwegian Embassy, Swedish Sida and AusAID assessed seismic hazard in Bangladesh, and provided technical advice in conducting field surveys of infrastructure in 9 cities in Bangladesh.
5. Technology, Policy and Society
AIT in collaboration with the Mekong Migration Network has been studying the working conditions and discrimination in 4 special economic zones (SEZ) in the Mekong subregion, namely the Thilawa SEZ in Myanmar, the Phnom Penh and Manhattan SEZs in Cambodia, and the Tak SEZ in Thailand to ensure that employment is sustainable and lawful and that gender-equality is upheld. Dr. Bhawat Traipattanakul, Special Assistant to the President and Affiliated Faculty at the School of Engineering and Technology talked to a radio program, Coffee Break, on FM 96.5.
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STUDENT EXCHANGE www.ait.ac.th
January & February 2020
My Student Exchange Experience in France By Ying Chen environment. The learning atmosphere was really flexible and pleasant. Perhaps the most difficult part for me was making friends with French students. In many Asian cultures, people show outward hospitality towards foreigner visitors, but French people are more independent and reserved, I think. Of course, they are kind and hospitable, but to me you cannot always tell from external appearances on the surface.
As an MBA student of the School of Management at the Asian Institute of Technology, I received a great opportunity to study abroad for a semester at EDHEC Business School in France from September to December in 2019. A grande école in France, EDHEC specializes in business and management studies. It has five campuses around the world in Lille, Nice, Paris, London, and Singapore. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my 4-month exchange experience, which was full of surprises even though I had previously visited the country a number of times on business trips. I would like to share about my time in France, as it may help my fellow AIT students who are interested to follow the same international path. I chose to study for a semester at the Lille branch of EDHEC Business School located near the border of Belgium in the small city of Roubaix, which is a part of the Lille metropolitan area and is a 30-minute tram ride to downtown. EDHEC is one of the top five business schools in France, and its students come from a wide range of European and Asian countries, as well as the Americas. This impressive multicultural academic environment is certainly helpful for today’s students adapting to the globalized economic
So a key tip that I can pass along came from my French professor, who told me: “You have to get close to French students, once you get close, you will find out they are very warm.” Lille is the fifth biggest city in France. The city center is not so large and you can navigate it mostly on foot. As one of the oldest cities in the country, Lille has maintained its architectural history instead of opting for new urban developments. During the countless times I walked the city’s charming streets, I sometimes felt transported back in time to another century, and the plot lines of famous stories and old movies set in Europe kept running through my mind. The most interesting experience for me in Lille was participating in one of the most famous festivals in Europe called “La Braderie de Lille.” It is an annual social event where vendors sell their goods on the streets at reduced prices, and people can find virtually anything they need like second-hand goods and garments. Of course, great street food, live music and drink was all around. The most surprising experience for me was discovering that the festival-goers came from everywhere across Europe. As I rarely met many people from Lille, even during the weekends, this festival was an amazing event for me, and I learned quite a bit about local life and local customs.
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STUDENT EXCHANGE January & February 2020
Honestly, I felt a little bored sometimes during the first month that I studied in France, because the culture is quite different from Asia. In Asian countries, most university students tend to live on campus and life tends to be socially inclusive. Conversely, in France, students prefer to do their own thing after class and socialize within their own immediate circles. So I had to find things to occupy my free time. My first choice was exercise and participating in sports. Luckily, EDHEC has a well-equipped gym and great swimming pool, and I went jogging or swimming at least three times per week. Regular exercise kept my mind fresh and clear when I was overseas. Travelling around the continent is a must activity for anyone spending significant time in Europe. Lille is connected to a variety of good public transportation networks, so I could easily take the train or bus to visit other European countries. France’s famed high-speed train called TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) allows the people of Lille to get to Paris and Charles De Gaulle International Airport in less than one hour. Apart from France, I traveled to seven countries in Europe, including Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Luxembourg, and Italy. Of all of these, my favorite city had to be Prague in the Czech Republic, where I discovered great food and stunning urban landscapes at every turn. Germany also impressed me. There, I went to the world-famous Octoberfest Festival in Munich with
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some friends. The festival started at the end of September and lasted for around one month. This annual tradition is the country’s most famous national festival, and it attracts tourists from all across Europe and around the world. Germans themselves celebrate Octoberfest in every corner of the country, with citizens wearing traditional costumes as they drink beer nearly every day of the month, or so it seemed. At some famous bars, people enjoy their big beer steins while singing and dancing in groups. However, a word of warning – if you want to go to toilet at these giant, public venues, you will need to be brave and push yourself through the sea of happy crowds! By using my chance in France as a gateway to see so much of Europe, I gained useful insights from many newfound foreign friends about their lives and their perspectives about the world. These continue to help me to re-examine the global environment and my own life. Generally, my overseas exchange opportunity was excellent, and I learned many things not only from my academic studies at the elite EDHEC Business School but also from traveling. Obviously, this experience will have a long-term benefit for me and for my future. For this, I am appreciative that I got this chance from my home institution – the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand.
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RECENT NEWS/ HAPPENINGS AT AIT www.ait.ac.th
January & February 2020
Colorado State University, USA visits and lectures Representatives from the Colorado State University (CSU) in the United States visited AIT on 8 January 2020 to discuss potential collaboration between their engineering departments. The delegation was led by Prof. David McLean, Dean, Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering, CSU, who became a new member of the AIT Board of Trustees on January 9, 2020. Prof. McLean was joined on the mission by senior CSU colleagues Prof. Charles Shackelford of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Prof. Tony Maciejewski of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Prof. Christian Puttlitz, representing the Department of Mechanical Engineering. The three academicians delivered seminars at the AIT School of Engineering and Technology (SET). It was a great opportunity to learn from such distinguished experts in their fields and to talk about some key areas where we can work together between our respective engineering departments, said SET Dean Prof. Dieter Trau. Professor Shackelford visited the Geotechnical and Earth Resources Engineering program of the Civil and Infrastructure Engineering department,
Seminar on "Engineering Mechanics Applied to Orthopaedics" by Prof. Christian Puttlitz, Department of Mechanical Engineering.
where he delivered a talk on “Enhanced Bentonites for Sustainable Chemical Containment.” He also introduced the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at CSU to a large gathering of students. Prof. Tony Maciejewski paid a visit to the Information and Communications Technologies department where he gave a lecture titled "Kinematically Redundant Robots: The Promise of Human-Like Dexterity. He spoke to a full lecture room packed with over 40 students, faculty, and staff from ICT and Interlab who were excited about future possible collaboration with CSU. Prof. Christian Puttlitz, who is the Head of CSU’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, delivered a seminar titled "Engineering Mechanics Applied to Orthopaedics” to interested graduate students, researchers and faculty of the AIT Industrial Systems Engineering department.
Seminar on "Kinematically Redundant Robots: The Promise of Human-Like Dexterity" by Prof. Tony Maciejewski, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Seminar on "Enhanced Bentonites for Sustainable Chemical Containment" by Prof. Charles Shackelford, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
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RECENT NEWS/ HAPPENINGS AT AIT January & February 2020
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NSTDA and AIT join hands to boost science and technology talent pool in Thailand
Thailand’s National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) and the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) on 20 January 2019 signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a five-year strategic partnership to increase the country’s science and technology talent pool and support “Thailand 4.0”, a flagship national development plan. The agreement will enable a wide range of mutually beneficial academic exchanges in academic programs and research and development cooperation between the neighboring institutions in Pathumthani Province, north of Bangkok. A key goal aim is to enhance NSTDA’s human resources development, particularly by increasing the number of high quality, high caliber researchers and scientists. NSTDA staff can further their professional qualifications at AIT, as the MOU will allow for staff to enter a scholarship program for Master’s degree or doctoral degree studies. Qualified Ph.D. graduates from AIT will also be able to conduct postdoctoral research work at NSTDA. The agreement will eventually enable Thai postgrads to conduct advanced research in areas of vital national interest, including information infrastructure systems, material sciences, and intelligent systems. “It’s a win-win partnership,” AIT President Eden Woon said. AIT places a premium of applied research
and academic programs and producing workready, international graduates who can address the country’s technical skills needs, he added. To ensure the success of the Eastern Economic Corridor of Innovation or “EECi” in Chonburi, Rayong and Chachoengsao provinces, the country needs more scientists, experts and technical manpower, said NSTDA Executive Vice President Dr. Chadamas Thuvasethakul, explaining the importance of the tie-up. The uber-ambitious project is seen a linchpin for Thailand’s future prosperity and development. The MOU allows for across-the-board partnerships and academic exchanges. Scientists at both institutions will unite on joint research projects and researchers will gain access to lab facilities and equipment. The partners also expressed an aim to co-establish or develop a research Ph.D. or Master’s degree Program. NSTDA is an agency of the Government of Thailand. It supports research in science and technology and its application in the Thai economy. AIT is an international, Englishspeaking postgraduate institution specializing in engineering, environment, and management studies in capacity building and social impact areas.
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RECENT NEWS/ HAPPENINGS AT AIT January & February 2020
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KMITL-AIT International Unified Bachelor’s-Master’s Degree Program The Asian Institute of Technology and Thailand’s King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL) on 31 January 2020 unveiled their new KMITL-AIT International Unified Bachelor's-Master's Degree Program at a signing ceremony in Bangkok. The program provides an accelerated English-language pathway for KMITL students to earn a Bachelor’s degree awarded by KMITL and a Master’s degree awarded by AIT in a minimum of five years. AIT President Dr. Eden Y. Woon signed the agreement with Prof. Suchatvee Suwansawat, acting President of KMITL. The Bachelor’s degree is a 4-year program, however, undergrads will spend their first seven semesters (3.5 years) at KMITL and complete a Capstone Project at AIT while earning transferable undergraduate credits. Students then have the opportunity to complete an AIT Master’s degree program in one-and-a-half years. KMITL's challenging undergraduate offerings combine with AIT's emphasis on research and inno-
AIT President Dr. Eden Y Woon (Left) and KMITL Acting President Prof. Suchatvee Suwansawat (Right)
vation for social impact and international exposure. The program will stress opportunities for students to broaden their experience through exchange programs and entrepreneurship internships related to their chosen fields of study. At AIT, students will be challenged to apply their research to solve real-world problems through field exposures both in Thailand and abroad.
Dr. Tongchat Hongladaromp becomes the 10th Chairman of the AIT Board of Trustees Dr. Tongchat Hongladaromp was appointed as the new Chairman of the AIT Board of Trustees with effect from 10 January 2020. He succeeds H.E. Dr. Subin Pinkayan, former Foreign Minister of Thailand and distinguished AIT alumnus. A Thai national, Dr. Tongchat graduated with a bachelor degree in Civil Engineering from Chulalongkorn University and a master degree in Engineering from the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), before earning his doctorate from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA. Dr. Tongchat was among the inaugural inductees of the AIT Hall of Fame in 2010. Dr. Tongchat worked with major engineering companies in the United States for three years before returning to Thailand. He has accumulated vast experience in academia as well as administration and management of many major corporations, including at AIT, Expressway and Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand, Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT), PTT Exploration and Production Company Limited (PTTEP), National Petrochemical Corporation (NPC), Telecom Asia Company Limited, Thai Telephone and Telecommunication Public Company Limited (TT&T), and Thai Petrochemical Industry Public Company Limited. He was Senior Advisor to
the Minister of Energy of Thailand, and served as Chairman of the Board of King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Thailand. Dr. Tongchat has been appointed Chairman and Director of some major organizations in Thailand, including PTTEP, and was a member of the National Reform Council. Currently, Dr. Tongchat is serving as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Samart Corporation Public Company Limited, and Linde (Thailand) Public Company Limited. He is also Senior Advisor to PTTEP, PTTGC, Director of PTIT (Petroleum Institute of Thailand) Council of Trustee, Vice Chairman of PTIT (Petroleum Institute of Thailand) Foundation, and Director of Sahaviriya Steel Industries Public Company Limited.
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RECENT NEWS/ HAPPENINGS AT AIT www.ait.ac.th
January & February 2020
Dr. Dong Van Phung is new Director of AIT Centre in Vietnam The Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) was pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Dong Van Phung as the new Director of AIT Centre in Vietnam (AIT-CV), effective 1 February 2020. A Vietnamese national, Dr. Dong was the Director of the Department of R&D Software Solutions for Smart Cities, Technology Group, where he oversaw projects invested by government ministries across many provinces and cities in Vietnam. He has held an academic position at Hanoi University. Dr. Dong received his Ph.D. from the University of Technology Sydney, Australia, in the area of Information Systems. He also holds a Master of Science degree in Information System Design from the University of Central Lancashire (UK), a Master of Arts degree in Education Management from the National Institute of Education Management, Vietnam, and Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Sciences, Vietnam. His CV can be viewed at this link.
DONATION
As AIT-CV Director, Dr. Dong will be responsible for promoting the AIT mission in Vietnam, positioning AIT-CV with respect to the Vietnamese higher education and professional training marketplace and developing a mutually beneficial relationship with the AIT main campus in Thailand.
Dr. Tongchat Hongladaromp (STE’62) and AIT Alumni at King Mongkut University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT) Donates Funds for Renovation of Student Village 1
Dr. Tongchat Hongladaromp, an AIT alumnus in Structural Engineering in 1962 and the 10th Chairman of AIT Board of Trustees, signed an agreement with AIT President Dr. Eden Woon on 20 January 2020 to donate 504,969 Thai baht for renovation of Student Village 1 (SV1). In recognition of this generosity, the building is now named after Dr. Tongchat Hongladaromp and AIT Alumni at KMUTT. He was accompanied by Dr. Tippawan Pinvanichkul, AIT alumnus (MOT ’95 & ’98) and Associate Professor of King Mongkut University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), at the official ceremony. Dr. Woon expressed his sincere appreciation to Dr. Tongchat and the AIT Alumni at KMUTT for the donation during the AIT’s 60th Anniversary.
LAUNCH
AIT GRADUATES CLUB The new AIT Graduates Club is jointly initiated by AIT and AIT Alumni Association. Launched on 20 January 2020, it will serve as a platform for long-term professional engagement between our graduates and their Alma Mater, with focus on continuing education, career development, collaborative activities and connectivity.
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GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT www.ait.ac.th
January & February 2020
President Woon on 27 January 2020 called on H.E. Dr. Sarah Taylor, Ambassador of Canada to Thailand, Lao PDR and Cambodia at the Embassy of Canada in Bangkok
Mr. Brent Habig (left) Vice President, International Programs, Institute for Sustainable Communities, USA, met with the AIT President on 5 February 2020
President Eden Woon joined a reception in Bangkok hosted by the Ambassador of Japan H.E. Mr. Nashida Kazuya on 20 February 2020 to celebrate the Birthday of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan
The director of AIT’s Geoinformatics Center (GIC), Dr. Manzul Hazarika, served as an observer at the FAO’s biannual Asia and Pacific Commission on Agricultural Statistics which took place in Bali, Indonesia from 10-14 February 2020. Member countries who participated in APCAS 28 included Indonesia, Vietnam, Bhutan, Thailand, Cambodia, Nepal, Timor Leste, India, Fiji, Samoa. Sri Lanka, Philippines, Mongolia, Malaysia, South Korea, Tonga, Myanmar, and Lao PDR.
Delegates from the Universiti Brunei Darussalam paid a visit to AIT on 3 February 2020 to learn about alumni activities in AIT and to discuss potential tie-up.
Ms. Hanne Haukenes, Resident Advisor (Myanmar), International Section, from the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE), discusses academic programs and courses offered in AIT and potential for growing support and cooperation on 13 February 2020.
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RECENT NEWS/ HAPPENINGS AT AIT www.ait.ac.th
January & February 2020
MBA student receives seed funding from Digital Transformation Expert Platform Mr. Abhinut Srimasorn, an MBA student of AIT School of Management, received 30,000 Thai baht in seed funding for his project named 'DeepPrice by Digital Transformation Expert Platform (DXexpert), a pilot project by the Association of Thai Software Industry (ATSI).
Orientation for the January Semester 2020 intake
Orientation for the January Semester 2020 intake on 6 January 2020.
Close to 100 new students and international students on exchange were welcomed to the campus on 6 January 2020 by AIT President Dr. Eden Woon, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Vice President for Knowledge Transfer, the Vice President for Administration,
Deans of the School of Engineering and Technology, School of Environment, Resources and Development, School of Management, the AIT Student Union President and senior administration officials.
Master's students promote AIT on Thai national TV Ms.Nutkritta Udomkittayachai (Environmental Engineering and Ma-nagement) and Mr. Kantapon Pornprasertsakul (Computer Science) represented AIT students on February 25 during an appearance on Thai PBS, a national television network in Thailand. They discussed the opportunities provided by His Majesty the
King’s and Her Majesty the Queen’s Scholarships, and Royal Thai Government Fellowships to study at AIT.
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RECENT NEWS/ HAPPENINGS AT AIT www.ait.ac.th
January & February 2020
Promotion of Dr. Anil Kumar Anal, Dr. Sangam Shrestha, and Dr. Nophea Sasaki to full professor rank AIT is pleased to announce the promotion of Dr. Anil Kumar Anal, Dr. Sangam Shrestha and Dr. Nophea Sasaki from the rank of Associate Professor to Full Professor, following the approval of the Board of the Trustees at its meeting held on 9 January 2020.
Dr. Anal joined AIT as an Assistant Professor in the School of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD) in August 2009 and was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor in 2014. He obtained his PhD in Food Engineering and Bioprocess Technology and M.Sc. in Bioprocess Technology degrees from AIT in 2003 and 1998, respectively. He earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan in 1995. Dr. Anal’s research encompasses the areas of green technology, smart food processing and packaging. CV of Dr. Anil Kumar Anal: http://bit.ly/2OogoeA
Dr. Shrestha joined AIT as an Assistant Professor in the School of Engineering and Technology (SET) in November 2009 and was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor in 2015. He obtained his PhD in Integrated River Basin Management from the University of Yamanashi, Japan in 2007 and his M.Sc. in Integrated Water Resources Management from AIT in 2004. Dr. Shrestha also earned his Master of Science (Agriculture) degree from the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Tribhuvan University, Nepal in 2002. CV of Dr. Sangam Shrestha: http://bit.ly/2MbZpcB
Dr. Sasaki joined AIT as an Associate Professor in the School of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD) in 2016. Dr. Sasaki earned his PhD (Hons.) in Agriculture major in Forest Management from the United Graduate School of Agriculture Gifu University, Japan in 2002. He obtained his Master of Science in Agriculture majoring in Forest Management from Shinshu University, Nagano, Japan in 1999. Dr. Sasaki graduated from the Royal University of Agriculture, Phnom Penh, Cambodia with a Bachelor of Science in Forestry in 1994. CV of Dr. Nophea Sasaki: http:// bit.ly/2RbzGnl
Promotion
Welcome
Dr. Chutiporn Anutariya, Associate Professor in the Department of Information and Communication Technologies of the School of Engineering & Technology was appointed as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs effective 1 February 2020 to 31 December 2021. As Associate Dean, she will assist the Dean in dealing with the students, recruitment of new students, curriculum review and development, coordinating special programs and academic affairs.
Dr. Chaklam Silpasuwanchai has been appointed as Assistant Professor in the Department of Information & Communication Technologies (ICT) in the School of Engineer ing and Technology (SET), effective from January 2020. His research areas include Brain-Computer Interfaces, Human-Computer Interaction, Physiological Interfaces. Office: Room 101 at CSIM Building | Tel: 5704 | Email: chaklam@ait.ac.th
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SEMINARS/ WORKSHOPS/ CONFERENCES January & February 2020
RIMES Council Meeting 2020 at AIT on 8 January 2020
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Joint Mid-Term Science and Stakeholder Workshop of “ENRICH: Enhancing Resilience to future Hydro-meteorological extremes in the Mun river basin in Northeast of Thailand” on 16 January 2020
AIT Roadshow in Mandalay, AIT Roadshow in Yangoon, Myanmar on 18 January 2020 Myanmar on 19 January 2020
AIT Roadshow in Kathmandu, Nepal on 25 January 2020
The 'AIT Roadshow' found its way to the downtown Bangkok campus on 29 February 2020. Student recruitment representatives offered advice to 36 prospective students on how to apply to AIT for the upcoming August 2020 semester. All applicants received a complementary English class and completed an English language entry test
Special Lecture by University of Waterloo Computer Scientist
The annual seed acceleration program: TECH PLANTER in THAILAND 2020 on 23 January 2020
A Talk on “Agile Tech: add value in your research work/career” by Iwan Spillebeen CEO, BlockchainLabs.ai, on Monday, 27 January 2020
Security systems in our mobile platforms protect our privacy. Through continuous improvement, we can further protect our information. Dr. N. Asokan, Professor and David R. Cheriton Chair in Software Systems, David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science at the University of Waterloo, Canada on 24 January 2020 delivered a special seminar on "Security, Privacy and Machine Learning.” He shared his research on potential solutions against malicious contents that are hard to detect or prevent.
SEMINARS/ WORKSHOPS/ CONFERENCES January & February 2020
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A seminar on "Connecting Research to Impact Agri-Business in next Decade" by Dr. Ravinder Kumar Khetarpal, Executive Secretary of APAARI, on 7 February 2020
Expert’s Talk on “Innovation on Financial Services” by Mr. Chalermpol Tuchinda, Vice President, NSTDA on 29 January 2020
President Eden Woon invited 25 students to the "President’s Tea with Students." This informal dialogue session serves as a platform for students to share their views, concerns, and suggestions directly with the president. The sessions take place three times per semester with at most 25 students per session. The first session for the January 2020 semester took place on 13 February 2020 An Expert’s talk on “Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing) for Implants, Tissue Repair, and Personalized Medicine” by Dr. Pan Houwen Matthew on 13 February 2020 at the AIT Entrepreneurship Center.
School of Management Special Talk on "Negotiation Skills in a South Asian context" by Hari Kumar Silwal, LLB, on 14 February 2020.
AIT and The Netherlands' IHE Delft Institute for Water Education and Ministry of Infrastructure and Water conducted a Joint Scientific Workshop at AIT on 17 February 2020 to bring improved understanding on the “Estimation of 21st Century Runoff and Fluvial Sediment Supply for the Irrawaddy River Basin, Myanmar.”
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SEMINARS/ WORKSHOPS/ CONFERENCES January & February 2020
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A Workshop on learn about how to use AIT Share e-Learning platform on 17 February 2020. AIT Share is an interactive e-learning platform that provides access to the knowledge generated and offered at Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) through various forms of contents. Through AIT Share, you can learn from guest speakers, AIT experts and faculty, enroll in certified online courses and even take a full degree program. The platform is developed and managed by AIT Solutions
An Expert’s talk on “Thailand and Young Entrepreneurship” by Dr. Pun-Arj Chairatana, Executive Director, National Innovation Agency of Thailand (NIA) and “Mechanism of Youth Startup Fund” by Mr. Pariwat Wongsamran, Director of Startup Thailand, NIA on 18 February 2020 at AIT Entrepreneurship Center
A special lecture on “Sanitation Interventions toward SDG 6 in Japan and Southeast Asia” by Dr. Yoshitaka Ebie, National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), Japan. on 19 February 2020
Celebrating the month of Love and all of its forms was the theme of this year’s AIT Cultural Show organized by the Student Union on 21 February 2020. The event brought a whole new perspective to our students. Love for each other, Love for our countries, and most importantly, Love for our Earth were displayed through beautiful aesthetics and on stage artistic performances
A Special Seminar at AIT on “Biogas Generation from Biomass” by Prof. Dr. Turgut T. Onay, Bogazici University, Turkey on 27 February 2020
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January & February 2020
AIT students attend Special Address by H.E. Ban Ki-Moon, former Secretary General of the United Nations AIT School of Environment, Resources and Development students from 8 countries were invited to attend an invitation-only Special Address by H.E. Ban Ki-Moon, former Secretary General of the United Nations, on “Climate Change and Air Pollution at Asia-Pacific” at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Conference Centre, Bangkok on 31 January 2020.
AIT FACEBOOK LIVE LAUNCHED! The AIT Roadshow Team went online to connect with prospective students via Facebook
News You Can Use
Live. ML Thanisa Choombala and Dr. Bhawat Traipattanakul hosted the 1-hour episodes in English and Thai languages. ASIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY: AIT ROADSHOW LIVE... AIT Roadshow Live We are ready to answer any questions. Talk to us by commenting down below in the comment box. Academic Programs SERD - http://bit.ly/AIT_SERD SET - http://bit.ly/AITSET SOM - http://bit.ly/AITSOM Application Online https://www.ait.ac.th/admissions/application-form/ Scholarships https://www.
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