Asian Institute of Technology

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Asian Institute of Technology
AIT
AsianInstituteOfTechnology.logo.jpg
Motto Learning beyond Boundaries
Established 1959
President Said Irandoust
Academic staff 106
Students 1,937
Location Bangkok, Pathum Thani, Thailand Thailand
Affiliations LAOTSE, ASAIHL, GMSARN
Website www.ait.asia
Asian Institute of Technology

The Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) is an international institution for higher education in engineering, advanced technologies, and management and planning. It "promotes technological change and sustainable development" in the Asia-Pacific region, through higher education, research and outreach.[1]

Contents

[edit] History and mission

Founded in 1959 as SEATO Graduate School of Engineering with a mission to develop highly qualified and committed professionals who will play a leading role in the sustainable development of the region and its integration into the global economy, it receives funding from organizations and governments around the world (initially from SEATO members).

It is quoted as "an excellent example of not only the initiative and organization of a technical university, but also of the success of a foreign aid program".[2] In 2006, AIT claimed that it "has become a leading regional post-graduate institute and is actively working with public and private sector partners throughout the region and with some of the top universities in the world". (See note presented at the Asia Commons conference, Bangkok, June 2006.) It also sees itself as being "recognized for its multinational, multi-cultural ethos." AIT celebrated its golden jubilee in 2009.[3][4] On October 22, 2011, AIT's campus was inundated by 2-meter-high floodwaters.[5]

[edit] Ramon Magsaysay Award

In 1989, AIT received a Ramon Magsaysay Award for Peace and International Understanding[6] "... for shaping a new generation of engineers and managers committed to Asia, in an atmosphere of academic excellence and regional camaraderie."

In 2009, an alumnus of AIT, Yu Xiaogang was also awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award. The citation[7] credited AIT and it said

"Yu fell in love with nature early on, having been raised in Yunnan, a province of amazing beauty and home to three of the largest rivers in the world: Nu, Yangtze, and Mekong. His interest in the environment was cultivated during a stint in the Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences, and was further deepened when he attended the Asian Institute of Technology, where he earned a master's degree in watershed management."

[edit] International organization

AIT has been granted the status of an International Intergovernmental organization by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Government of Thailand.[8] The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Thailand, H.E. Mr. Kasit Piromya presided over the signing and adoption ceremony of the New AIT Charter on August 25, 2010.[9] Besides Thailand, among those who signed the Charter include Seychelles, Cambodia, Japan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Sweden, Timor-Leste, Bangladesh, Philippines[10] India and the United Nations Development Fund for Women, East and Southeast Asia (UNIFEM). On January 20, 2011, the Republic of Indonesia became the 14th signatory of the new AIT Charter. Seven countries, Sweden, Japan, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan[11][12], Nepal and Bangladesh [13] [14]have ratified the new AIT Charter. According to the Charter, AIT would be regarded as an Intergovernmental Organization within six months of the fifth country ratifying the Charter. AIT will be accorded the status of an Intergovernmental Organization on 30 January 2012.

[edit] Location

AIT operates as a self-contained international community at its campus in Pathumthani province, some 40 kilometres (25 mi) north of Bangkok, Thailand. Besides laboratories and academic buildings, the main campus includes housing, sports, and medical facilities, a conference center, and a library with over 230,000 volumes and 830 print and online periodicals.

AIT was hosted by the Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, before it moved to its present campus in November 1973.

AIT has a remote campus in Vietnam called AIT Center in Vietnam. Asian Institute of Technology in Vietnam (AITCV) was established in 1993 under the MoA between The Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training and the AIT.[15] At that time AITCV was the first international institution in Vietnam and the first center of AIT out of its headquarters in Thailand. Two other centers have been authorized to be set up in Indonesia and Pakistan.

[edit] Structure

AIT consists of three schools: AIT Extension,[16] AIT centre in Vietnam[17] and AIT centre in Indonesia.[18]

The three schools are:

  • School of Engineering and Technology (SET)[19]
  • School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD)[20]
  • School of Management (SOM)[21]

It has a consulting wing called AIT Consulting.[22]

[edit] Yunus Center at AIT

Muhammad Yunus and Prof Said Irandoust

AIT has tied up with Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus to create a Yunus Center at AIT with an objective "to contribute to poverty alleviation by enabling rural people to handle and be in control of improving their own livelihoods". The center was launched on September 8, 2009.[23] The center intends to follow the objective of poverty reduction and sustainability with an initial focus on agriculture and food security issues, encompassing a variety of disciplines and facilitating interdisciplinary work. According to the MOU, the center will provide an independent and open platform for addressing issues in poverty alleviation in a way that has a direct impact on poor people’s lives. "It will act as an incubator for new social business plans that challenge conventional academic wisdom; it will facilitate generation of community-based knowledge; and it will promote opportunities for both women and men."[24]

[edit] Host to international organizations

The campus of Asian Institute of Technology is host to international organizations. They include the Asia-Pacific headquarters of Télécoms Sans Frontières[5], UNEP Environment Assessment for Regional Resource Center in Asia and the Pacific (UNEP RRC.AP)[6], and the Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for Africa and Asia (RIMES)[7].

It hosts the global secretariat of the International Partnership for Expanding Waste Management Services of Local Authorities (IPLA),[25] while the regional secretariat is hosted by UN HABITAT. Four UN agencies, three international donors and five national governments are part of IPLA.[26]

[edit] Academic programs

Asian Institute of Technology offers Master's and Doctoral degrees and from diploma and certificate courses. It has recently started offering Bachelor's degrees in Engineering. AIT is involved in the Erasmus Mundus academic cooperation programme offered by the European Union as a partner of EMMAsia.[27]

[edit] School of Engineering and Technology (SET)

The School of Engineering and Technology offers Masters degrees [MEng, MSc], professional Master degree programs, Doctoral degrees [DEng, DTechSc, PhD], and Certificates of Advanced Studies in the following areas:

Civil & Infrastructure Engineering Group

  • Construction, Engineering and Infrastructure Management (CEIM)[28]
  • Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering (GTE)[29]
  • Structural Engineering (STE)[30]
  • Transportation Engineering (TRE)[31]
  • Water Engineering and Management (WEM)[32]

Industrial Systems Engineering Group

Information and Communications Group

  • Computer Science (CS)[36]
  • Information Management (IM)[37]
  • Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems (RS-GIS)[38]
  • Telecommunications (TC)[39]

Interdisciplinary Programs

  • Information and Communications Technologies (ICT)[40]
  • Disaster Preparedness, Mitigation and Management (DPMM)[41]
  • Geosystem Exploration and Petroleum Geoengineering (GEPG)[42]
  • Offshore Technology and Management (OTM)[43]

[edit] School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD)

The School of Environment, Resources, and Development offers Masters degrees [MEng, MSc], professional Master degree programs, Doctoral degrees [DEng, DTechSc, PhD], Certificate of Advanced Studies in the following areas:

  • Agricultural Systems and Engineering[44]
  • Aquaculture and Aquatic Resources Management[45]
  • Energy[46]
  • Environmental and Engineering Management[47]
  • Food Engineering and Bioprocess Technology[48]
  • Gender and Development Studies[49]
  • Natural Resources Management[50]
  • Pulp and Paper Technology[51]
  • Regional and Rural Development Planning[52]
  • Urban Environment Planning[53]

Interdisciplinary Programs

  • Agribusiness Management[54]
  • Cleaner Production[55]
  • Integrated Tropical Coastal Zone Management[56]
  • Wetland and Aquatic Resources Management[57]

[edit] School of Management (SOM)

The School of Management offers the following programs:

  • MBA program[58]
  • EMBA Bangkok program[59]
  • EMBA-HRM program[60]
  • International EMBA Vietnam program (offered at Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, Vung Tau)[61]
  • Doctoral (PhD and DBA) programs[62]
  • Professional Masters in Banking and Finance

[edit] Demographic and project facts and figures

  • 2300+ students from 47+ countries/territories
  • 17000+ alumni from 80 countries/territories
  • 26000+ short-term trainees from 70+ countries/territories
  • 130 world-class faculty from 20+ countries
  • 468 research and support staff from about 30 countries
  • About 450 sponsored research projects
  • 33 board of trustee members from 19 countries

[edit] Athletics

AIT prides itself in the athletic diversity offered within the campus. Sports such as badminton, takraw, table tennis, tennis, basketball, cricket, volleyball, swimming, slow bicycle, and running enable students the chance to exercise and share valuable experiences with such a diverse student body.

[edit] Memberships

The institute is a member of the Greater Mekong Sub-region Academic and Research Network (GMSARN)[63] and LAOTSE — an international network of leading universities in Europe and Asia.

[edit] Notable alumni

Name Degree Degree Year Notability Notes
Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Member of the Thai Royal Family
Boonsrang Niumpradit D. Eng. 1978 Former Thai Army chief
Mao Chi-kuo M. Eng. (Community & Regional Development) 1975 Minister of Transportation and Communications in the Republic of China since 2008
Yu Xiaogang M. Sc. (Interdisciplinary Natural Resource Development and Management) 1993 Among the six winners of the 2009 Ramon Magsaysay Awards
Mohammad Kaykobad M. Eng. (Computer Science & Information Management ) 1982 Educator, author and columnist from Bangladesh
Imtiaz Gilani M. Eng. (Structural Engineering and Construction) 1971 Provisional Minister of Education for the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

[edit] .th domain

AIT administers .th, the country code top-level domain for Thailand.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Business Week
  2. ^ Tall, Lambert, 1972. "Asian Institute of Technology", Office of Naval Research, London, England
  3. ^ http://50-anniversary.ait.ac.th/
  4. ^ De Silva, Neville, 2009, "Asian Institute of Technology celebrates 50 years of service to the developing world," Asian Tribune [1]
  5. ^ AIT, Thammasat Rangsit inundated
  6. ^ The 1989 Ramon Magsaysay Award for International Understanding http://www.rmaf.org.ph/Awardees/Citation/CitationAIT.htm
  7. ^ The 2006 Ramon Magsaysay Award for International Understanding http://www.rmaf.org.ph/Awardees/Citation/CitationXiaogangYu.htm
  8. ^ Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Thailand http://www.mfa.go.th/web/2642.php?id=36565
  9. ^ The Nation, August 25, 2010 http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/apps/print.php?newsid=30136593
  10. ^ Department of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Philippines,September 1, 2010 http://www.dfa.gov.ph/main/index.php/news-from-rp-embassies/1804-philippine-signs-asian-institute-of-technology-charter-in-thailand
  11. ^ "Associated Press of Pakistan", July 30, 2011 http://ftpapp.app.com.pk/en_/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=146371&Itemid=39
  12. ^ "Pakistan Times, August 7, 2011 http://pakistantimes.net/pt/detail.php?newsId=23721
  13. ^ "The Daily Star", January 3, 2012 http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=216812
  14. ^ "New Age" http://newagebd.com/newspaper1/national/45625.html
  15. ^ AITCV, Vietnam
  16. ^ AIT Extension
  17. ^ AIT centre in Vietnam
  18. ^ AIT centre in Indonesia
  19. ^ School of Engineering and Technology (SET)
  20. ^ School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD)
  21. ^ School of Management (SOM)
  22. ^ [2]
  23. ^ Bangkok Post, 2009, "AIT launches Yunus Center"|http://www.bangkokpost.com/life/education/23480/ait-launches-yunus-center
  24. ^ Charter of Yunus Center at AIT
  25. ^ United Nations, Economic and Social Council, 13 May 2011, "New Initiative to Aid Local Governments in Managing Growing Waste Problems" [3]
  26. ^ United Nations Centre for REgional Development (UNCRD), IPLA Official Partners [4]
  27. ^ EMMAsia East
  28. ^ Construction, Engineering and Infrastructure Management (CEIM)
  29. ^ Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering (GTE)
  30. ^ Structural Engineering (STE)
  31. ^ Transportation Engineering (TRE)
  32. ^ Water Engineering and Management (WEM)
  33. ^ Mechatronics (MEC)
  34. ^ Microelectronics (MIC)
  35. ^ Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering (IME)
  36. ^ Computer Science (CS)
  37. ^ Information Management (IM)
  38. ^ Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems (RS-GIS)
  39. ^ Telecommunications (TC)
  40. ^ Information and Communications Technologies (ICT)
  41. ^ Disaster Preparedness, Mitigation and Management (DPMM)
  42. ^ Geosystem Exploration and Petroleum Geoengineering (GEPG)
  43. ^ Offshore Technology and Management (OTM)
  44. ^ Agricultural Systems and Engineering
  45. ^ Aquaculture and Aquatic Resources Management
  46. ^ Energy
  47. ^ Environmental and Engineering Management
  48. ^ Food Engineering and Bioprocess Technology
  49. ^ Gender and Development Studies
  50. ^ Natural Resources Management
  51. ^ Pulp and Paper Technology
  52. ^ Regional and Rural Development Planning
  53. ^ Urban Environment Planning
  54. ^ Agribusiness Management
  55. ^ Cleaner Production
  56. ^ Integrated Tropical Coastal Zone Management
  57. ^ Wetland and Aquatic Resources Management
  58. ^ MBA Program
  59. ^ EMBA Bangkok Program
  60. ^ EMBA-HRM Program
  61. ^ International EMBA Vietnam program
  62. ^ Doctoral (PhD and DBA) Programs
  63. ^ GMSARN http://mpuhost04.ait.ac.th/gmsarn/sitegmsarn2009/home.php

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Coordinates: 14°04′44.82″N 100°36′40.88″E / 14.0791167°N 100.6113556°E / 14.0791167; 100.6113556

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