WELCOME Dr. Mrs. Tripta Thakur

The School of Environment, Resources and Development is pleased to welcome Dr. Mrs. Tripta Thakur,Visiting Faculty to the Energy field of study for one semester ( January 2010) under the Indian Government Secondment scheme.

Dr. Thakur is an Associate Professor at MANIT-Bhopal, India. She obtained her PhD (Energy Policy/Energy Studies) from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi. She worked for over 5 years as Associate Professor and was involved in research and teaching. She has more than 15 years of experience in research and teaching in MANIT-Bhopal.

Dr. Tripta is guiding 6 PhD students and has guided 15 Master Tech students. She has published 1 book and 60 research articles. She has done her M.Tech from IIT Kanpur and PhD from Centre for Energy Studies, IIT, Delhi. She received the Common Wealth scholarship to work at the University of Dundee U.K, and also received fellowship to study the French electricity Market. She is a consultant for developing common electricity market in SAARC countries. Her area of specialization is Energy Policy, Modeling, Energy Management Regulation and Benchmarking.

Dr. Mrs. Thakur can be contacted at Room No. ET210, Energy Building I. She can be reached at telephone extension: 5403 or by email at tripta_thakur@ait.ac.th

Congratulations !!!
Dr. Edsel E. Sajor promoted to Associated Professor

Dr. Edsel E. Sajor, faculty in the School of Environment, Resources & Development (SERD) has been promoted from the rank of Assistant Professor to Associate Professor. AIT President Said Irandoust approved the promotion of Dr. Edsel E. Sajor following the recommendation of the Faculty Evaluation Panel (FEP). Dr. Sajor joined AIT as faculty member in the Urban Environmental Management (UEM) Field of Study, SERD in 2001.

His specialization and research interests encompasses the areas of conflict management, governance, land development in peri-urban, policy process and scientific discourse, politics of environmental policy, state-society relations in UEM, urban land management and urban management. Dr. Sajor obtained both his Ph.D. and MA (Cum Laude) in Development Studies from the Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, The Netherlands. He graduated from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines with the degree of Bachelor of Science in Sociology.

Congratulations !!!
Promotion of Dr. Rajendra Prasad Shrestha to Associate Professor

Dr. Rajendra Prasad Shrestha, faculty in the field of study in Natural Resources Management (NRM) in the School of Environment, Resources & Development (SERD), was promoted from the rank of Assistant Professor to Associate Professor.

AIT President, Professor Said Irandoust, approved the promotion of Dr. Shresthra upon the recommendation of the Faculty Evaluation Panel (FEP).  His promotion was considered taking into account his overall academic accomplishments, the FEP assessment and in light of the recommendation of the Promotions Committee of SERD and the external evaluation letters received from external experts in his field.

Dr. Shresthra earned his Ph.D. in Natural Resources Management at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand.  He finished M.Sc. in Natural Resources Planning and Management also at AIT.  He got his B.Sc. in Agriculture with honors at the Haryana Agricultural University, India.

Before Dr. Shrestha joined AIT in 2003, he was a Senior Program Officer at the United Nations Environment Program Regional Resources Center for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok, Thailand in 2002.  He became a visiting researcher in RRIAP, Nihon University, Japan in 2006.  He was also an Associated Faculty at Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology, Bangkok in 2005 and 2007.

Dr. Shrestha’s areas of expertise include land use/cover and change, land degradation and conservation, land evaluation and management, food security, and GIS/RS applications in NRM.  His scope of research interests are in the area of Land Use Planning and Sustainable Land Management, Land use and climate, Natural Resources Degradation and Environmental indicators, Poverty alleviation and livelihood, and GIS/RS applications and Geoinformation in Decision-making.

The relevant documents regarding the Dr. Shrestha’s promotion case can be accessed via the link:
http://www.vpaa.ait.ac.th/promotion/DrRajendraShrestha.pdf

Congratulations !!!
Promotion of Dr. Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh to the Rank of Full Professor

Dr. Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh, a faculty member in the Field of Study of Environmental Engineering and Management (EEM) at the School of Environment Resources and Development (SERD), was promoted from Associate Professor to the rank of Full Professor by the Executive Committee in its meeting held last November 2, 2009.

Dr. Kim Oanh joined AIT faculty in 1997 as Assistant Professor.  She finished her Diploma in Engineering Meteorology at the Odessa Hydrometeorological Institute in Odessa, Ukraine in 1978.  She earned a degree in Masters in Engineering Environmental Technology and Management at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in Bangkok Thailand.  She also finished her Doctoral degree in Engineering Environmental Technology and Management at AIT in 1994.

Before joining AIT faculty in 1997, she was a lecturer at the Department of Meteorology, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam from 1978 to 1989.  She became a Research specialist at the AIT-SIDA Environment Programme from 1994 to 1997.  She became an Associate Professor in Environmental Engineering and Management at AIT, Thailand from 2001 until her most recent promotion.  She was a Visiting Scholar at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in Illinois, USA and a Forgaty Visisting Scholar at the University of Washington, Seattle in Washington, USA both in the year 2004.

Her areas of expertise include air pollution, environmental monitoring and modeling, exposure assessment, industrial environment management, and climate change.  Her particular interests in research include Particulate matter: ambient levels, source emission, composition and source apportionment; Interaction between air pollution and climate: emission of black carbon and climate forcing properties of different source categories; Modeling secondary particle formation in tropical urban areas; Long-range transport of air pollution; Development of integrated management strategies for open agro-residue burning;  Rural air pollution: levels, sources, local effects and atmospheric/global effects; Air pollution meteorology; Toxic air pollutants in the environment and health effects; and Industrial environment management: cleaner combustion, clean production auditing.

Dr. Kim Oanh’s promotion was considered taking into account her overall academic accomplishments reflected in the CV, the Faculty Evaluation Panel (FEP) assessment and in light of the recommendation of the Promotions Committee of SERD and the evaluation letters received from five (5) external experts in her field.

Relevant documents on Dr. Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh’s promotion can be accessed through the link provided below:
http://www.vpaa.ait.ac.th/promotion/DrKimOanh.pdf

Xin chúc mừng!!! (Congratulations!!!)

WELCOME Dr. Jai Govind Singh

The School of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD) welcomes Dr. Jai Govind Singh, who joins as an Assistant Professor in Energy Field of Study (EFoS).

He can be contacted at Energy Building 2, 2nd floor, Room ET230 and over the telephone extension 5426 or email at jgsingh@ait.ac.th.

Think Twice, Don’t Throw Your Banana Peels: 
International Conference on Separation Processes Chaired by an FEBT Assistant Professor

Dr. Anil Kumar Anal, Assistant Professor at the Food Engineering and Bioprocess Technology in the School of Environment, Resources, and Development at AIT, was invited as Guest Speaker and chaired a session on “Extraction” in an International Conference on Separation Processes (ICSP) in Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India, held last October 20-24, 2009.

The five-day conference witnessed a consortium of experts, academicians, and researchers in discussing the recent developments in the field of energy intensive and eco-friendly separation processes for industries.

It was in this conference where Dr. Anal presented a research result which could potentially source antioxidant properties from banana peels.  In a news article from Hindustan Times, Dr. Anal says, "We're working on the extract separated from the toxic components of banana peel, which holds the promise of slowing down the ageing process and hence delaying onset of age-related diseases."

Apparently, the process of separation of the toxic components of banana peel from its anti-oxidant property polyphenol will pave way to develop a separate food supplement or incorporate anti-oxidants in food products, which can help people stay active and young.  This can be possible through the process of ‘encapsulation’, which incorporates useful ingredients like anti-oxidants in food items, with the help of eco-friendly extracts called ‘biopolymers’.

This process could be a breakthrough for developing countries to help enrich food products and serve as a promising option for biodegradable solid waste management.

Furthermore, he states that research is currently on its way to identify encapsulated bacteria which slow down bio-degradation and help increase the shelf-life of value-added food products.

He adds that researchers at the Food Engineering and Bioprocess Technology in AIT are working on the extraction of anti-bacterial elements and anti-oxidant properties from mango, basil leaves, and garlic peels through the process of separation.  Hopefully the results would yield food supplements for the kids to help boost the immune system.

"Result of the research will be integrated in packaged form with food products not only for delivering health benefits, but also increasing shelf life of food products," Dr. Anal concludes.

The International Conference on Separation Processes (ICSP) 2009 was organized by the Department of Engineering and Technology, Institute of Technology (IT) – Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in Varanasi, India.

Congratulations !!!
Dr. Wenresti Gallardo promoted to Associated Professor

Dr. Wenresti Gallardo, faculty in the School of Environment, Resources & Development (SERD) has been promoted from the rank of Assistant Professor to Associate Professor. AIT President Said Irandoust approved the promotion of Dr. Wenresti Gallardo following the recommendation of the Faculty Evaluation Panel (FEP). Dr. Gallardo joined AIT as faculty member in the Aquaculture & Aquatic Resources Management (AARM) Field of Study, SERD in 2005.

Before joining AIT, he was a Scientist at the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center, Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC AQD) and has served as Program Leader for Stock Enhancement and Head of the Farming Systems and Ecology Section. He was a lecturer in SEAFDEC AQD's national and international training programs and has also taught Biology of Exploited Invertebrates to Master students at the University of the Philippines in the Visayas.

Dr. Gallardo’s promotion case was considered taking into account his overall academic accomplishments, the FEP assessment, recommendation of the Promotions Committee of SERD and the three external evaluation letters received from external experts in his field. Dr. Gallardo received his B.S. Fisheries and Master of Aquaculture degrees from the University of the Philippines, and his M.S. Fisheries and Ph.D. in Marine Science from Nagasaki University, Japan.

His research encompasses the areas of aquatic seed production, coastal resources management, farming systems and ecology, marine protected areas and stock enhancement. His research interests include aquaculture seed production and grow out technology development, coastal resource management, and stock enhancement. He has several international journal publications on abalone, oysters, mussels, rotifers, and other aquaculture and stock enhancement species. He is a recipient of the Outstanding Young Scientist Award given by the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) of the Philippines.

At AIT, he teaches and supervises graduate students, apart from conducting research in the field of aquaculture and integrated tropical coastal zone management.

WELCOME: Dr. Abdul Salam

The School of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD) welcomes Dr. Abdul Salam, who joins as an Assistant Professor in Energy Field of Study (EFoS).

He received his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, and Master of Engineering and Doctor of Engineering in Energy Technology from AIT.  From August 1994 to March 2007 he was attached to the Asian Regional Research Programme in Energy Environment and Climate, a pioneer research programme in energy, environment and climate change, carried out at AIT.

He has so far co-authored two books and seventeen international refereed journal articles on bio-energy, and energy-environment-climate change issues.  He is also member of American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).

He can be contacted at Energy Building 1, 2nd floor, Room ET214 and over the telephone extension 5420 or email at salam@ait.ac.th

WELCOME Dr. Charles O.P. Marpaung

The School of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD) welcomes Dr. Charles Marpaung who joined the Energy Field of Study (EFoS) as a Visiting Faculty.

Before joining AIT, Dr. Charles was an Associate Professor at the Department of Electrical Engineering, Christian University of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia. Dr. Charles received his Ph. D. from Energy Program, Asian Institute of Technology, He has published International Journals 7, International Conference 16, Research Report 10, Booklet 7, and International Paper Reviewer 3 and his post doctoral was from the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Sophia University, Japan. His area of specialization is generation expansion planning and energy, economic and environmental modeling.

In this August 2009 semester, Dr. Charles will teach course ED72.24: Electricity Economics and Planning.

He can be contacted at Energy Building 1, 2nd floor, Room ET215 and over the telephone extension 5405.

WELCOME Dr. Anil Kumar Anal

Dr. Anil Kumar Anal, formerly a Research Scientist at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand, has joined Food Engineering and Bioprocess Technology, School of Environment, Resources and Development as Assistant Professor from July 2009. He received his Bachelor in Veterinary Medicine from University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan in 1995, M.Sc. in 1998 and Ph.D. (Bioprocess Technology) in 2003 from Asian Institute of Technology.

He can be contacted in room 203 (AFE Building) ext. 5473, email: anil.anal@ait.ac.th.

We wish him a pleasant stay in AIT.

“184 SERD Graduates Recognized in the 111th Graduation Ceremony”

The 111th Graduation Ceremony of the Asian Institute of Technology took place at the AIT Conference Center Auditorium on Wednesday, 27 May 2009.

A total of 184 candidates from the School of Environment, Resources and Development received their respective Doctoral (19), Master’s (154) and Diploma Degrees (11).

For the May 2009 batch, 14 students from SERD bagged awards in recognition of their exemplary academic and research achievements.

Among the graduates in Master of Engineering in Agricultural Systems and Engineering, Umesh Adhikari received the Y.Y. Kishida Prize in recognition of his outstanding academic performance. 

The Y.Y. Kishida Prize was established in 1992 by Mr. Yoshisuke Kishida, owner of the Shin Norinsha Co., Tokyo, Japan, in memory of his son, Yoshiyuke. 

Mr. Adhikari is a Nepali citizen with a B.Eng. degree, major in Agricultural Mechanization and Automation from Zhejiang University, P.R. China in 2001.  Mr. Adhikari was admitted to the AIT Master’s program in August 2007.  He completed his M. Eng degree with a thesis (thesis advisor: Dr. Hemantha P. Jayasuriya) entitled ‘Assessment of the Potential of Sustainable Farming System through Farm Level Energy Generation:  A Case Study of Sijuwa VDC, Morang District, Nepal’.   Mr. Adhikari worked as an Agricultural Engineer at Nepal Agricultural Research Council (National Wheat Research Program), Nepal before joining AIT in 2007.

Out of 13 graduates in Master of Science in Aquaculture and Aquatic Resource Management, Randy Goshorn got the Chintana Boonthamjinda Memorial Prize in recognition of his outstanding academic performance.

The Chintana Boonthamjinda Memorial Prize was established in May 1998 with funds from her family, AIT alumni, faculty and staff in memory of Mrs. Chintana, a long-serving, dedicated staff in Aquaculture and Aquatic Resources Management.

Mr. Goshorn is an American citizen with a B.Sc.Eng degree, major in Civil Engineering, from the Geneva College, USA, Vietnam in 2001.  He was admitted to the AIT Master’s Program in January 2007, completing his MSc degree with a thesis (thesis advisor: Dr. Wenresti Gallardo) entitled ‘The Effect of Varying Light Color on Giant River Prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) Larvae and Juveniles’.  Mr. Goshorn worked as Engineering Designer at the Dennis E. Black Engineering, Inc, USA before joining AIT in 2007.

MD. Rakibuzzaman Shah is the recipient of Yoshiro Takasaki Prize out of 11 of graduates in Master of Engineering in Energy, for his exemplary performance in the field of Energy.

The Yoshiro Takasaki Prize was established from funds provided in 1999 by Mr. Yoshiro Takasaki, Chairman of Toyo Seikan Kaisha Ltd., Japan, member of the AIT Board of Trustees since 1994.

Mr. Shah is a Bangladeshi citizen with a B.Sc.Eng. degree, major in Electrical & Electronics, from Khulna University of Engineering and Technology, Bangladesh which he obtained in 2005.  He completed his M.Eng. degree in AIT with a thesis (thesis advisor: Dr. Mithulananthan Nadarajah) entitled ‘Interconnection of Photovoltaic Base Generation and its Impact on Stability of the Electric Power System’.  Mr. Shah worked as a Lecturer at the Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology, Bangladesh before joining AIT in August 2007.

James A Linen III Memorial Prize is an award given to student with the most outstanding academic performance in the field of Pulp and Paper Technology, which was received by N. Srikanth who also bagged the AIT Masters Thesis Prize.

The James A. Linen III Memorial Prize was established in 1988 in memory of Mr. Jim Linen, a charter founding member and life member of the AIT Board of Trustees.

Mr. Srikanth is a citizen of India with a Bachelor degree, major in Chemical Engineering, which he obtained in 2003 from the Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers.  He completed his M.Eng. degree with a thesis (thesis advisor: Dr. Mousa M. Nazhad) entitled ‘Effects of Bio-Polymer Latex on the Properties of Coated paper ’. Prior to his admission to the AIT Master’s program in August 2007, he worked at the Ballarpur Industries Ltd., Unit Bhigwan, India.

In the field of Environmental Engineering and Management, Master of Engineering graduates Amila Abeynayaka and Efren Laguda Linan received the Robert B. Banks Prize and AIT Masters Thesis Prize, respectively.

Amila Abeynayaka has been chosen as the recipient of the Robert B. Banks in recognition of his outstanding academic performance in the field of Environmental Engineering and Management.

The Robert B. Banks Prize named after Professor Robert Banks, one of the Institute’s former Presidents, was awarded for the first time in 1994 from funds generated by the continuing education and consultancy activities in Geotechnical Engineering led by Professor A.S. Balasubramaniam and his colleagues. 

Mr. Abeynayaka is a Sri Lankan citizen with a degree in B.Sc.Eng degree, major in Civil Engineering from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka which he obtained in 2006.  Mr. Abeynayaka completed his M.Eng. degree with a thesis (thesis advisor: Prof. Chettiyappan Visvanathan) entitled ‘Thermophilic Aerobic Membrane Bioreactor for Industrial Wastewater Treatment’.  He worked as an Instructor at the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka prior to joining AIT in August 2007.

Pruet Pathirapong received the Hisamatsu Prize among the Master’s graduates in Food Engineering and Bioprocess Technology for his outstanding academic performance.

The Hisamatsu Prize is awarded from funds provided in 1982 by Professor Yoshihiro Hisamatsu, former Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Tokyo and now Advisor in Technology to the Nisshin Steel Co., Ltd. of Japan

Mr. Pruet is a Thai citizen and obtained his degree in B.Sc., major in Biotechnology, from Kasetsart University, Thailand in 2007.  He was admitted to the AIT Masters program in August 2007 and completed his M.Sc. degree with a thesis (Prof. Sudip K. Rakshit) entitled ‘Modification of Corn Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles by Probiotics’.

Nir Prasad Dahal and Sufia Khanom both received Alastair M. North Prize in recognition of their exemplary work and academic performance among the 10 of graduates in Master of Science in the field of Gender and Development Studies.

The Alastair M. North Prize was established from funds contributed by Professor Alastair M. North, former President of the Asian Institute of Technology.

Mr. Dahal is a Nepali citizen with M.A. degree, major in Population Studies, from Tribhuvan University, Nepal which he obtained in 2001.  He was admitted to the AIT Master’s program, completing his M.Sc. degree with a thesis (thesis advisor: Dr. Philippe Doneys) entitled ‘Gender Implications of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Among Home Based Workers in Nepal’.  He worked as a Research Manager at the Nepal Institute of Peace, Nepal before joining AIT in August 2007.

Ms. Khanom is a Bangladeshi citizen with a Master in Social Science, major in Women’s Studies which she earned in 2005 from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh.  She worked as a Research Officer at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies in Bangladesh before joining AIT in August 2007 for the Master’s program.  She completed her M.Sc. degree in Gender and Development studies with a thesis (thesis advisor: Dr. Bernadette P. Resurreccion) entitled ‘A Comparative Analysis on Insecurity among Thai, Thai-Karen ad Karen Women in the Context of Forest Livelihoods in Kaeng Krachan Complex, Thailand.’

Thitikan Satchabut is the recipient of the Tim Kendall Memorial Prize among the 14 number of graduates in Master of Science in Natural Resources Management for her outstanding academic performance.  She is also the recipient of the Yoh Kurosawa Prize in recognition of her being the most outstanding academic performer among female graduating students in the School of Environment, Resources and Development.

The Tim Kendall Memorial Price was established in 1981 from funds provided by the United Kingdom Appeal, in memory of Mr. R.M. (Tim) Kendall, member of the Board of Trustees from 1971 to 1981.

The Yoh Kurosawa Prize is funded by KEIDANREN, the Japan Federation of Economic Organizations.

Ms. Thitikan is a Thai citizen with a Bachelor of Environmental Science degree, major in Regulatory Science, which she earned in 2007 from the University of Arkansas, U.S.A.  She was admitted to the AIT Master’s program in August 2007, completing her M.Sc. degree with a thesis (thesis advisor: Dr. Dietrich Schmidt-Vogt) entitled ‘Gender-based Community Participation in Biodiversity Conservation Activities: A case Study from Ratchaburi, Thailand’.

Ms. Poonam Sharma has been chosen as the recipient of the James A. Linen III Memorial Prize in recognition of her outstanding academic performance in the field of Regional and Rural Development Planning.

The James A. Linen III Memorial Prize was established in 1988 in memory of Mr. Jim Linen, a charter founding member and life member of the AIT Board of Trustees.

Ms. Sharma is a Nepali citizen with M.Sc. degree, major in Environmental Management, which she earned in 2004 from Pokhara University in Nepal.  Prior to joining the AIT Master’s program in August 2007, she worked as a Program Officer at the Rural Reconstruction Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal.  She completed her M.Sc. in Regional and Rural Development Planning with a thesis (thesis advisor: Prof. Gopal Bahadur Thapa) entitled ‘Impacts of Conflict Induced Displacement in the Livelihoods of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nepal’. 

From the field of Urban Environmental Management, Allan Laban Lagrosa and Amornrat Rattanapan both received the Grand Prize Winner of the AIT 50th Anniversary Logo and Slogan Contest.

Tran Thanh Tu is recognized for her outstanding research in her Master’s thesis in Urban Environmental Management with the AIT Masters Thesis Prize. She completed her M.Eng. degree with a thesis (thesis advisor: Dr. Vilas Nitivattananon) entitled ‘Adaptation to Flood Risk in Coastal Urban Area Under Rapid Urbanization and Climate Change in the Ho Chi Minh City, Vienam ’.

Faisal Mamicpic Alih received John A. Hornes Prize for his outstanding academic performance in the field of Urban Environmental Management.  He is also the recipient of the AIT Alumni Association Prize in recognition oh his most outstanding academic performance in the School of Environment, Resources and Development.

The John A. Hrones Prize is awarded from funds provided in 1996 by the AIT Foundation Inc., U.S.A., in honor of the late Dr. Hrones, who served as a member of the AIT Board of Trustees from 1968 to 1998.

The AIT Allumni Association Prize is awarded from funds provided by the AIT Alumni Association (AITAA).

Mr. Alih is a Filipino citizen with a B.Sc. degree, major in Architecture, which he earned in 2002 from the University of the Philippines.  Prior to his admission to the AIT Master’s program in August 2007, he worked as a Project Manager at the Siquijor Heritage Foundation, Philippines.

He completed his degree in Master of Science in Urban Environmental Management with a thesis (thesis advisor: Dr. L.A.S. Ranjith Perera) entitled ‘An Analysis of Paratransit Services from a Multi-Benefit Perspective:  A Case Study of Jeepneys in Cebu City, Philippines’. He delivered a message (link to his speech in text: ) in conclusion to the morning ceremony of the 111th Graduation Ceremony in behalf of all outstanding students in the School of Environment, Resources and Development and the School of Management. 

Outstanding Student Message
by Mr. Faisal Mamicpic Alih
UEM, SERD

AIT President Prof. Said Irandoust, Chairman of the AIT Board of Trustees Dr. Tej Bunnag, Excellencies, Members of the AIT Administration, Faculty, Staff, Guests, fellow graduates, good morning.
Coming to AIT for the first time is like being introduced into the whole world, where people of different cultures live together, where harmony, freedom and understanding reign supreme. It was not difficult to make friends as everyone welcomed one another as members of a family—and that’s when we realized that, yes, we finally belonged to the AIT family.  Our social life in AIT taught us to be independent and well-prepared for the challenges ahead. It provided for a holistic sense of being where nights at the SU Café, hours spent on Facebook and the events organized by the Student Union balanced the quest for academic excellence.

Academic excellence, with its multicultural ethos, is the hallmark of AIT education. Some say that the “A” in AIT stands for assignments, but we realized that those assignments were designed for us to explore different subject matters outside the classroom. Our studies and activities inside the classroom provided avenues for intellectual exchange where our experiences and perspectives added to the lectures of our teachers. The workshops and fieldtrips demonstrated that learning is not confined in the classrooms; learning extends to the outside world where problems are authentic and where solutions can be proven realistic. AIT education offered us a comprehensive and integrated system of learning where we were able to grasp the essence of theories and concepts in relation to the conditions of the world we live in. More importantly, AIT education has equipped us with the necessary skills—technical and social—to cope with any situation in our future working environments.

We come from different fields of study but we all are qualified and committed professionals who must lead in efforts towards regional and global sustainable development. This is both a caveat and a challenge for us to carry on the ideals and principles taught to us during our stay here in AIT. While we may have proven our academic and technical abilities, we must always carry with us the values of hard work, understanding, and, most importantly, friendship.

In one of the welcome parties for new students, our professor shared with us a story of their own welcome party. They had a single watermelon for their food. They proceeded to divide the fruit equally among themselves. Our professor told us how that single watermelon created a bond of friendship between them—a bond which continues today. Our fields of expertise are varied but we need such kinds of bond or network of friendship among us to be able to deal with the various social, economic and environmental problems surrounding us. According to a French statesman....”it is courtesy and friendship that will lead us to where we want to go and what we want to achieve.”  As educated persons, we must exude the virtue of humility and therefore embrace stakeholder partnership and collaboration.  By this, we should recognize each other’s qualifications as well as each one’s contributions towards achieving a higher goal. Global change is inevitable but the challenge lies in cooperating with one another to meet such change for the betterment of our world.

As we leave the halls of the Asian Institute of Technology, we should never forget the values we learned, the hardships we endured, the women and men who have helped us in one way or another, the fun and laughter we all shared, and even the thunder that explodes like bombs, the monitor lizards and the frogs that croak louder than buffalos.

We will always be grateful to the Administration, the donors who made it possible for us to get the much sought-after AIT education, the staff in our respective fields of study, our parents who have been supportive, and above all, to the Source of Life who made all these things possible. 

In our academic lives, we have our academic parents. May I request our professors, advisers and thesis committee members to please rise..... It is with a sincere heart that we say thank you so much for your valuable guidance, supervision and care. We will always remember how you all inspired and motivated us to think beyond. Thank you very much and we share the honor with you.

To all of us here today, congratulations and congratulations. May we always continue to pursue our dreams for a better world to live in.

Sawasdee krap!

Summer School Partnership with America's Georgia College and State University

AIT is currently developing a summer school program with America's Georgia College and State University (GCSU) which is anticipated to begin in 2010.
An internationally recognized expert in the field of environmental science, Prof. Andrei Barkovskii, visited AIT from 14-30 May 2009 to discuss this initiative and to determine other possible areas for collaboration. GCSU has a number of international campus sites and partners in Europe, Australia and South America. Prof. Barkovskii said he is eager to explore the camp’s Southeast Asian potential with AIT.
A faculty member of GCSU's Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Prof. Barkovskii also joined a field excursion to Cambodia with AIT faculty members and Wetlands Alliance Partnership (WAP) coordinator Dr. Theo Ebbers. The exercise was integral to establish and align both partners’ wetlands-related experience and activities. WAP is a one of AIT’s signature projects, and its secretariat is located on campus.
Vice-President for Research, Prof. Sudip Rakshit, welcomed the proposal, saying it fits with AIT’s plan to increase its visibility and extend its reach into the United States. The proposal was jointly developed by AIT and GCSU. To start the program, approximately 10-12 students from GCSU will spend few weeks of study at AIT. The first module on environmental engineering and management, will be led by Field of Study Coordinator, Dr. O. Shipin. After the 3-week program, 5 credits will be awarded.

The summer school’s tentative theme is “Environmental problems and their solving: paving the road to environmental sustainability in the Southeast Asia region.” The program will make heavy use of integrated and diversified discussions, and tackle differences in perceptions of sustainable development found in the USA and Thailand. A series of lectures on the environmental assessment and conservation of natural ecosystems will also be performed by selected specialists.

Prof. Barkovskii, left, with AIT environmental engineering expert Dr. O. Shipin

New AIT grad's study on Hanoi motorcycle emissions takes best student paper award, USA bound

June 11, 2009

Newly graduated (May 2009) Miss Mai Thi Thuy Phuong (left) has co-authored a paper with Dr. Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh (right), of the School of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD), which received the winning student paper award of the West Coast Section of the Air Pollution Control Association in Hanoi, Vietnam.  Her paper titled “Emission Inventory for Motorcycles” also earned her a cash award of US$1500 and an invitation to present the paper at the 2009 Annual Conference and Exhibition of the Air and Waste Management Association (AWMA), which will be taken place in Detroit, United States, June 16-19, 2009. 

“I am really happy to be recognized with this award. It's a good step for continuing my studies further. I also feel glad to contribute to the academic reputation of the AIT,” said Ms. Phuong on receiving this award. 

“The award also reflects the hard work, continuous efforts, support, encouragement and guidance of my advisor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh, who enabled me to accomplish my research and achieve this honor. I also would like to thank AIT staff members and my colleagues for their support, she added.

Based on her master’s thesis, Ms. Phuong’s paper focuses on the research that addresses existing air pollution in Hanoi caused by motorcycles, which has become a pressing issue due to the rapid growth in the number motorcycles plying the city's streets. Making up more than 95% of the motor vehicle population, motorcycles are the largest single contributor of emissions from mobile sources in Hanoi. 

The research collected local specific data (using video camera, GPS logger and interviews) to estimate current and future motorcycle emissions in Hanoi using the International Vehicle Emissions (IVE) Model, with a projection time to 2025.  Eleven chemicals, including toxic pollutants and climate forcing agents were considered. 

The study has produced for the first time a detailed database of motorcycles' activities and related emissions for the city. The developed emission factors and emission inventory are important to design appropriate vehicular emissions control strategies in Vietnam. The data produced can also be used to analyze potential impacts of various management strategies on air quality in the city.

According to Dr. Kim Oanh, the daily emissions model of output agrees well with the temporal variation of roadside measurements of volatile organic compounds and carbon monoxide. This suggests that motorcycles are the main sources of these pollutants in Hanoi. Adopting at once the tighter EURO-3 emissions standard would be more cost-effective to reducing emissions than the step-wise implementation of EURO-2 to EURO-3 for Hanoi, she said. 

China's Yunnan University and AIT discuss partnership on GMS Studies
June 16, 2009

In early June 2009, AIT and Yunnan University officials explored possible partnerships to push forward scholarly development studies concerning the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS). Both learning institutes have current programs on GMS issues, with AIT establishing a certificate to master’s degree in GMS Development Studies and Yunnan University (YU) offering a master’s degree in GMS studies. 

Discussions for increased partnership took place when a delegation from Yunnan University visited AIT on June 9, 2009. The Chinese delegation was comprised of Dr. Jianwen Qu, Vice Dean;  Dr. Lu Xing, Director; and Ms. Liang Chen, a lecturer from the School of International Relations, Yunnan University, China. The officials were welcomed to AIT by Prof. Vilas Wuwongse, Vice President for External Relations; Professor Peter Haddawy, Vice President for Academic Affairs; Professor Sivanappan Kumar, Dean of School of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD); Dr. Kyoko Kusakabe, Associate Dean, SERD; Dr. Weerakorn Ongsakul, Secretary General, the Greater Mekong Sub-region Academic and Research Network (GMSARN) and Mr. Tenzin Rabgyal, Program Officer, External Relations and Communication Office (ERCO).

Possibilities for a dual degree program in GMS Development Studies, student exchanges and faculty training immersions for deeper understanding on issues within the GMS region, were discussed. Modalities of the academic program include the likelihood of students conducting their studies at different universities within the scope of GMSARN. 

The officials said the program's dynamism could be enhanced by utilizing GMSARN. Concrete proposals will be prepared in time for the GMSARN Annual Board Meeting this year. A proposed international conference in Vietnam in November 2009 on GMS Development Studies is also another promising joint activity.

“This program should not compete with other institutes who are currently running similar kinds of programs but should provide a forum to better compliment and strengthen GMS Development Studies for the sustainable development of the region,” said Dr. Kyoko, Associate Dean, SERD.

Professor Peter Haddawy, also invited Yunnan University to apply for membership  in ProSPER.Net, an Asia-Pacific university network which he chairs. He said more funding opportunities to support GMS studies development could also be explored within this academic network.