Annual Report 2012 | 1 the Board of Trustees 2012
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Copyright © 2012 Asian Institute of Technology. All rights reserved. POSTAL ADDRESS: STREET ADDRESS: P.O. Box 4, Klong Luang 58 Moo 9 Klong Nueng Pathumthani 12120 Km. 42 Paholyothin Highway Thailand Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120 www.ait.asia Thailand This Annual Report was compiled and produced by Karma Rana, Izel Ann Mojado Dante, Namita Sravat, Sanjeev Jayasinghe, Ahmed Amjad Ali, and Shawn Kelly with the technical and editorial support of the Media and Communications Unit (MCU) and the involvement of all AIT employees. The report was designed by Nadhika Mendhaka. AIT wishes to thank the many people who rendered their assistance in preparing this report. table of Contents THE AIT BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2012 2 Outreach 34 MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF School of Environment, Resources and THE AIT BOARD OF TRUSTEES 3 Development 34 AIT Extension 34 AIT’s CrISIS IN 2012 4 AIT Consulting 36 INSTITUTIONAL HIGHLIGHTS 9 UN, AIT Office 38 AIT AT A GLANCE 12 AIT Center in Vietnam 38 AIT Projects at a Glance 12 Wetlands Alliance 41 Projects Initiated in 2012 13 Fundraising 42 Ongoing Projects in 2012 13 School of Management Alumni Donation 42 Completed Projects in 2012 13 Collaboration and Partnerships 43 Most cited in Scopus 14 Institute Agreements signed in 2012 43 Top researchers with the highest number of Ongoing Partnerships and New Initiatives 46 projects initiated in 2006 - 2012 14 AWARDS AND RECOGNITION 47 Students at a Glance 15 Faculty / Staff 47 Total Enrollment by Region 15 School of Engineering and Technology 47 Total Enrollment by School 15 School of Environment, Resources and Student Research by School/FoS and by Type 16 Development 47 Alumni at a Glance 17 Students 49 Number by Degree, School and Gender 17 School of Engineering and Technology 49 Number by Country 17 School of Environment, Resources and Alumni Affairs Office 18 Development 49 AIT Faculty at a Glance 19 Graduation Prize/Award Recipients in 2012 in recognition of their most outstanding 2012 ACTIVITIES & ACHIEVEMENTS 20 academic performance 49 Academic Developments 20 Alumni 51 Facts through Figures 22 School of Engineering and Technology 51 AIT Non-Regular Programs 24 School of Environment, Resources and School of Engineering and Technology 24 Development 51 School of Environment, Resources and APPENDICES 52 Development 26 Financial Statement and Auditor’s Report 52 School of Management 28 Institute Administration 66 AIT Extension 28 Faculty Members 67 Research 29 School of Engineering and Technology 29 Research / Project Staff 72 School of Environment, Resources and Administrative Staff 76 Development 30 Partners in 2012 82 School of Management 30 Governments 82 Internet Education and Research Laboratory 31 Higher Education and Research Institutions 83 Center of Excellence on Sustainable Development Private Sector 87 in the Context of Climate Change (SDCC) 31 Associations 88 International Organizations 88 Prominent Visitors to AIT 89 AIT Annual Report 2012 | 1 the board of trustees 2012 Chairman Emeritus Chairman H.E. Dr. Thanat Khoman H.E. Dr. Tej Bunnag Former Deputy Prime Minister and Former Minister of (Until 11 December 2012) Foreign Affairs of Thailand Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand and Assistant Secretary General for Administration, the Thai Red Cross Vice Chairmen Society Professor Shinichiro Ohgaki Chairman (Until 29 October 2012) Professor Emeritus of the University of Tokyo, President, Mr. Nopadol Gunavibool National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), Japan (Served as trustee and elected as Chairman On 12 December 2012) Mr. Jean-Pierre Verbiest Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign affairs of Former Country Director, Thailand Resident Mission, Asian Thailand Development Bank Board Members H.E. Mr. Johannes Andries Boer Mr. Apichart Jeerawut (Resigned 20 November 2012) Secretary-General, Commission on Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Thailand Ambassador of the Netherlands to Thailand H.E. Mr. Seiji Kojima Dr. Tongchat Hongladaromp Ambassador of Japan to Thailand (Until 29 January 2012) President of the University Council, King Mongkut’s H.E. Gen. Shantha Kottegoda University of Technology (Thonburi) Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Thailand H.E. Ms. Sirpa Mäenpää H.E. Mrs. Linglingay F. Lacanlale (Resigned 20 December 2012) Ambassador of the Philippines to Thailand Ambassador of Finland to Thailand H.E. Mr. Gildas Le Lidec Ambassador of France to Thailand Mr. Deepak Seth (Resigned 19 December 2012) Professor Dr. Somkit Lertpaithoon Chairman, House of Pearl Fashion Ltd., India Rector, Thammasat University Khunying Jada Wattanasiritham H.E. Mr. Lim Jae-hong (Until 29 October 2012) Ambassador of Republic of Korea to Thailand Director and Executive Director, Siam Commercial Bank H.E. Mr. David Lipman Public Co., Ltd. Ambassador-Head of Delegation European Commission to Thailand Professor Yongyuth Yuthavong (Until 29 January 2012) H.E. Mr. Sohail Mahmood Former Minister of Science and Technology, Ministry of Ambassador of Pakistan to Thailand Science and Technology, Thailand H.E. Mr. Klas Molin Mr. Dornath Aryal Ambassador of Sweden to Thailand Chargé d’Affaires, the Embassy of Nepal H.E. Mrs. Katja Christina Nordgaard H.E. Mrs. You Ay Ambassador of Norway to Thailand Ambassador of Cambodia to Thailand H.E. Mr. Ouan Phommachak Mr. Chawalit Chantararat Ambassador of Lao People’s Democratic Republic to President, AIT Alumni Association (ex-officio) Thailand Professor Hubert Gijzen H.E. Mr. Ngo Duc Thang Director of UNESCO in Jakarta Ambassador of Vietnam to Thailand H.E. Mr. Lutfi Rauf H.E. Mr. Anil Wadhwa Ambassador of Indonesia to Thailand Ambassador of India to Thailand H.E. Mr. Kazi Imtiaz Hossain Ms. Yang Xinyu Ambassador of Bangladesh to Thailand Deputy Secretary-General of China Scholarship Council (CSC), PR of China Professor Said Irandoust President (ex-officio) Secretary to the Board Mrs. Kulvimol Wasuntiwongse 2 | AIT Annual Report 2012 message from the chairman the ait board of trustees It is indeed a great honor and privilege to serve as Chairman of this prestigious insti- tution with an illustrious history of over five decades of excellence in the service of countries, people and communities of the Asian region and beyond. I wish to thank the members of the Board of Trustees, Deans, Faculty, Staff as well as the students, partners and the AIT community for their trust and confidence in elect- ing me as Chairman of the AIT Board of Trustees on 12 December 2012. I am also grateful to the President and the Vice Presidents for the valuable support I received in carrying out my duties and in representing this important office, which had been held by highly respectable and qualified individuals. I was called upon to take up the responsibilities as Chairman of the Board during a very difficult period for AIT. The Institute had still not recovered from the worst natu- ral calamity in our history, as the AIT campus was completely inundated during the great flood of 2011. It was also faced with a deadlock in its administration and a void in governance due to its legal challenges regarding the new AIT Charter vis-à-vis the host country, which affected its budgetary funds as well as brought into question the validity of AIT degrees. Thailand has hosted AIT from its inception, starting from the SEATO Graduate School of Engineering, and has since been its largest donor over the years. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand has been in charge of the execution of the AIT Enabling Act, and in view of the grave challenges faced by the Institute, the Ministry consid- ered it as its duty to help the AIT resolve the deadlock that paralyzed it and to enable the Institute to uphold its prestige. It was primarily in that spirit that I accepted the daunting task of Chairman of the AIT Board of Trustees to assist AIT in finding an amicable way out of the institutional crisis with a win-win solution for all parties. The Board of Trustees and its committees, especially the Executive Committee, have worked tirelessly to resolve difficulties within the AIT and to put the Institute back on a stronger footing. Several major issues have been largely clarified and operations are to a large extent back to normal, thanks to the sincere efforts and dedication of the faithful workers of AIT. The AIT Annual Report 2012 highlights the achievements and accomplishments of the Institute in the field of education, research, training and outreach over the year. It showcases AIT’s regional as well as global reach through an array of its partnerships and networks. I am confident that the Institute will continue in its path of recovery and maintain its lofty standards as a higher education institution of excellence serving the region in human resources development and capacity building. Mr. Nopadol Gunavibool Chairman of the Board of Trustees Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) AIT Annual Report 2012 | 3 AIT's Crisis in 2012 Chronology of Events January 18 – Thai Newspaper Matichon Online reported that AIT stu- dents and faculty members rose up in protest against their 2 – Republic of Bangladesh became the seventh country to rat- president for, as it was stated: “Pulling (in a) private company ify the New AIT Charter. The Charter was ratified at the meet- to take over the administration.” ing of the Council of Ministers of Bangladesh held in Dhaka. 20 – A letter from the AIT President to Thailand’s Ministry of 5 – Following a directions by the Executive Committee on ob- Foreign Affairs asking for Clarification on the status of the cur- taining the services of a PR firm, Midas PR was contracted to rent AIT after the New Charter was to ‘Enter into Force’ on 30 help AIT during the post-flood recovery phase and to come up January 2012 without Thailand. with a set of recommendations. 20 – Chairman of the AIT Board of Trustees H.E.