DECEMBER 2015 1

Asian Institute of Technology DECEMBER 2015

Five Signature Events in November that affirm AIT's Novelty

AIT Cultural Show. Photo by Pasindu Perera.

IT's international orientation, academic and research

1 2 excellence and welcoming atmosphere were all on Adisplay during November as the Institute hosted five mega events - Cultural Show, Career Fair, Research Exhibi- tion, Open House, and ICC Women's World Twenty20 Quali- fier Cricket Tournament.

While the Welcome Show held on 7 November was a bou- quet of cultural offerings from various countries, the Open 3 House on 20 November welcomed student aspirants to its Pathumthani campus and acquainted them with its various academic and research offerings. The Career Fair on 4 No- vember saw 42 companies from and abroad visit AIT to engage with AIT students. Besides, career talks and on-the-spot interviews, the Career Fair also had a side event in the form of the AIT Research Exhibition where students presented their research work. At the end of the month, AIT 4 was one of the two venues that hosted the prestigious Inter- 1. Career Fair 2. Research Exhibition 3. Open House national Women’s Cricket Tournament with eight national 4. International Women's Cricket Match. teams playing 10 matches at AIT.

INSIDE ISSUE.. .

Recent News / Happenings at AIT...... 2-3 Photo Gallery...... 4 People...... 5 Backpage...... 6 RECENT NEWS / HAPPENINGS AT AIT DECEMBER 2015 2

HRH PRINCESS MAHA CHAKRI visits AIT Exhibition Booth at CRMA, bestows token of appreciation

Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirin- dorn visited the AIT booth at an exhibition orga- nized by the Chulachomklao Royal Military Acad- emy (CRMA) on 17 November 2015. The Princess also bestowed a token of appreciation to AIT for par- ticipating in the event and showcasing five research projects at the exhibition, which was received by Dr. Sarawut Ninsawat of School of Engineering and Technology.

The five AIT projects included “Developing an Op- Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindorn erational Framework for River Health Assessment bestowing a token of appreciation to AIT. in the Mekong River Basin”(by Prof. Mukand Singh Babel and Dr. Victor R. Shinde); “ AIT Green Weath- er Station” (by Mr. Sanit Arunpold under the supervision of Dr. Sarawut Ninsawat); “Climate Change and Flash Floods, Highlighting the Needs of a Basin Wise Approach of Implementation of Existing Policies in Jiadhal River, North East ” (by Mr. Arnob Bormudoi, supervised by Dr. Masahiko Nagai); “Assessment of Climate Variability and Change in the Coastal City: A Case Study of Padang City, ” (by Mr. Nurrohman Wi- jaya); and “Removal of PPCP (Acetaminophen) from Wastewater in Constructed Wetland with Scripus Validus” (by Mr. Vo Hoang Nhat Phong under the supervision of Dr. Thammarat Koottatep).

AIT short courses are excellent examples of its mission: Chairman AIT short course programs are “excellent examples of its commitment of developing highly qualified and committed professionals who can play a leading role in the sustainable development of their countries, besides accelerating its integration into the global economy.” These were the comments of Dr. Subin Pinkayan, Chairman, AIT Board of Trustees, while delivering the inaugural remarks at the commence- ment of three professional programs for participants from , , and Thailand, on 16 November 2015. The three programs were Energy for Sustainable Development, Professional Leader- ship Program, and Performance Management and Dr. Subin Pinkayan (left) being honored by Directorate- Employee Relationship. General of Personnel Administration, Executive Yuan of Taiwan.

Dr. Subin said that the 56-year history of AIT is no- table for the achievements of its alumni, with the ap- as Premier of Taiwan on 8 December 2014 being a pointment of AIT Alumnus H.E. Dr. Mao Chi-Kuo historical first for the Institute. RECENT NEWS / HAPPENINGS AT AIT DECEMBER 2015 3

UNESCO to Bangchak Awards Two 1Mil. THB celebrate birth Scholarships centenary of AIT’s The Bangchak Petroleum Pub- lic Company Limited on 2 Nov. first Board Chairman 2015 welcomed AIT to its cor- porate headquarters in for an official Bangchak Schol- arship Ceremony. The event recognized two current AIT Master's students who have each been awarded a scholar- From left: Dr. Weerakorn Ongsakul, Mr. Yodphot Wongrukmit, and Mr. Somchai ship of 1 Million Thai Baht Tejavanija. (THB) by the Thai energy giant. Dr. Mr. Yodphot Wongrukmit, Senior Executive Vice President for Corporate Administration and Information Technology, and Mr. United Nations Educational, Sci- Somchai Tejavanija, Senior Executive Vice President for Corporate entific and Cultural Organization Strategy Business Development, welcomed a small AIT delegation for (UNESCO) will celebrate the the event led by Dr. Weerakorn Ongsakul of the School of Environment, birth centenary of Dr. Puey Un- Resources and Development (SERD). Scholarship awardees Mr. Danupol gphakorn, first Chairman of the Wetchasirikul, a Thai national who studies in the Energy field of study AIT board of Trustees. His birth and Ms. Nattaphan Suksri, a Thai citizen who studies Environmental centenary falls in 2016. The reso- Engineering Management, attended the cheque hand over event. lution for celebrating Dr Puey’s 100th birth anniversary was ac- cepted at the 38th General Con- XYZ Printing gifts 3D printers to AIT ference of UNESCO held on 2 November 2015. XYZprinting, Inc., Thailand, donated four 3D printers and Dr. Puey Ungphakorn was the a high-tech scanner to AIT at Chairman of the AIT Board of a press conference in Bangkok Trustees from 1968-1973, and on November 26. The donation he played an instrumental role in was made at the media event transforming SEATO Graduate which marked the opening of School of Engineering into the operations for XYXprinting, Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand, and the firm’s 3D Dr. Matthew Dailey (left) with Mr. Simon Shen. 1968. He also helped in securing printer product launch for the a permanent campus location for country. AIT from the Royal Thai Govern- ment. An economist by profes- Mr. Simon Shen, CEO of New Kinpo Group and Chairman of XYZ- sion, Dr Puey was former Gov- printing, Inc., handed over the printers to Dr. Matthew N. Dailey, Co- ernor of the , ordinator, Computer Science and Information Management Program, and former of Thamma- School of Engineering and Technology. Two AIT recent graduates, sat University (TU). He received Dr. Waqar S. Qureshi of Pakistan and Mr. Milinda Seneviratna of Sri the Ramon Magsaysay Award in Lanka, who are now employed by Cal-Comp Electronics, Thailand, a 1965. subsidiary of XYZprinting, also joined the event. PHOTO GALLERY DECEMBER 2015 4

AIT Career Fair: 4 November 2015

AIT Open House: 20 November 2015 PEOPLE DECEMBER 2015 5

AIT alumnus appointed Governor, Expressway Authority of Thailand AIT alumnus Mr. as Deputy Governor of Administration at EXAT. Mr. Narong Gieddech, has Narong graduated with a Master’s in Engineering in been selected as the new Infrastructure Planning and Management from AIT’s Governor of the Ex- School of Civil Engineering in 1997. pressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT). He Established in 1972, EXAT is state enterprise under shall assume office from Thailand’s Ministry of Transportation and Communica- 1 January 2016. Prior to tions, with an objective of creating, organizing, renovat- Mr. Narong Gieddech his elevation, he served ing and maintaining expressways.

Dr. Somchet Prof. Babel elected to IWRA Executive Thinaphong elected Board AITAA president Prof. Mukand Singh Babel of AIT’s Water En- gineering and Management (WEM) has been Dr. Somchet elected as one of the 10 Directors of the Interna- Thinaphong tional Water Resources Association (IWRA). The has been unan- new 20-member Executive Board of IWRA has imously elect- representatives from 15 countries, representing ed as the new five continents, and they will assume office for a President of Prof. Mukand Singh Babel three-year period from 1 January 2016. the AIT Alum- Dr. Somchet Thinaphong ni Association The President and Secretary General of IRWA are from France, while (AITAA). He the Vice Presidents are from Portugal, and . IWRA is an was elected during the forty-fourth international network of multidisciplinary experts on water resources, Governing Body Meeting of the which was incorporated in 1971 in the state of Wisconsin, USA. AITAA held in Colombo, Sri Lan- ka. He succeeds Mr. Thanin Bum- rungsap, and shall assume office for Thomas Hamilton to be new Director, a two-year term beginning 1 Janu- AIT Language Center ary 2016. Thomas Hamilton has been appointed the new Dr. Somchet obtained his Master’s Director of the AIT Language Center. He will of Engineering (Water Resource take over his duties and official responsibilities Engineering) and Ph.D from AIT on 1 January 2016 from current director Matthew in 1975 and 1980 respectively. He C. Laszewski. is currently serving as the Chairman of the Executive Board of National Mr. Hamilton joined AIT in 2011 as Language Innovation Agency (NIA), Ministry Thomas Hamilton Lecturer, and he was assigned the duties of Co- of Industry, as well as Chairman of ordinator in 2012, and Senior Language Lecturer Executive Board of Geo-Informat- in 2015. He began his teaching career in Humboldt State University, ics and Space Technology Develop- California, in 2003, and since then, he has taught in South ment Agency (GISTDA), Ministry Korea and Thailand. Prior to AIT, he was teaching at the National Insti- of Science and Technology. tute of Development Administration (NIDA), Bangkok, Thailand. BACKPAGE DECEMBER 2015 6

AIT hosts ICC Women's World Twenty20 Qualifier Cricket Tournament The lush fields of AIT are host to the World Women’s Cricket matches from 28 November to 5 December — a landmark international tournament being hosted by Thailand for the first time. AIT is one of the field venues for this international sports event where eight teams from Bangladesh, China, Ireland, the Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Scotland, Zimbabwe, and hosts Thailand are competing for two spots to play in the ICC World Twenty20 to be held in India next year.

Four qualifying matches between Ireland and Scotland, China and Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and Scotland, Thailand China play Zimbabwe at AIT. Picture courtesy: and Papua New Guinea have already been played. Two International Cricket Council (ICC). more qualifying matches, two Shield Semi-Finals, besides the Shield Trophy and playoff for the third position will also be at AIT. Coming up

AIT Everything you need to know GRADUATION News about COP21 16 Dec 2015

You As COP21 gets underway, various news organiza- Can tions published primers about the event. Use Here is a short list of 5 such guides: Guardian: http://goo.gl/68AZmk

Politico: http://goo.gl/FPt3Da Editor: Bajinder Pal Singh ABC: http://goo.gl/VsEzA9 [email protected] Designer: SBS: http://goo.gl/zwLvJq Nadhika Mendhaka Photos: Telegraph: http://goo.gl/gPtW9B Paitoon Tinnapong AIT's Dr. Shobhakar Dhakal was quoted in The For feedback, contact Economist :http://goo.gl/o9TWiB Media and Communications Unit at AIT [email protected]

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