Bangkok--28 Feb--AIT
Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) inaugurated a new office in Shanghai, a first of its kind in the People’s Republic of China on 24 February 2011. The formal ribbon cutting ceremony to inaugurate the AIT China office was jointly performed by H.E. Dr. Tej Bunnag, Chairman, Board of Trustees, AIT and former foreign minister of Thailand; Ms. Yang Xinyu, Member, Board of Trustees, AIT and Deputy Secretary-General, China Scholarship Council (CSC), Ministry of Education, People’s Republic of China (PRC); and Prof. Said Irandoust, President, AIT. H.E. Dr. Tej Bunnag said the AIT China office not only reaffirms the institute’s long-standing relationship with China, but also signifies the beginning of a new era based on “an ardent desire for a bright future of linkages in higher education between China and Thailand, and other countries in the region.” Apart from establishing a physical presence in Shanghai, AIT will expand its collaboration with its Chinese partners and intensify its human resource development and capacity building service, Dr. Tej added.
Ms. Yang Xinyu, while welcoming the opening of AIT China Office said this would strengthen AIT’s relations with China.
Prof. Irandoust, remarked that the AIT China Office in Shanghai could be the first step in the opening of an AIT Center in China. Prof. Irandoust said that 700 Chinese students have graduated from AIT since 1984. “It is our belief that successful operations in China require local presence and competence, and the AIT China Office will channel AIT’s strengths to serve China’s national goals of human capital development and sustainable green economic growth,” he added.
Prof. Zhou Nanzhao, President of UNESCO Asia-Pacific Network of International Education and Value Education (APNIEVE) and President of Chinese Council of Private Higher Education spoke on “Enhanced AIT-China cooperation as a win-win strategy in building on Asia’s power in higher education and inclusive sustainable development.” Prof. Ren Youqun, Vice President of East China Normal University and Vice President and General Secretary of APNIEVE-China talked about the opportunities in China in the field of higher education and capacity building.
While Mr. Johan Wikander, AIT Representative in China, informed about the future plans of the AIT China Office, Dr. Jonathan Shaw, Director, AIT Extension said that the 20 year long partnership between AIT and the Ministry of Education, PRC has been central to the cooperation between AIT and PRC in general. The AIT China Office has been established by AIT in collaboration with YueHan(Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd. The AIT China Office will increase the visibility of AIT in China and will help in student recruitment, joint ventures and offering short courses.
In another agreement signed to coincide with the opening of the AIT China Office, CSC announced that it will offer 40 scholarships to Chinese students to pursue Master’s and doctoral studies at AIT. The scholarship will include tuition fee, registration fee and research fee, living stipend, visa fee and return airfare. The CSC scholarship program shall run for four years. The Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was signed by Ms. Yang Xinyu and by Prof. Said Irandoust.
Dignitaries present on the occasion included Mr. Piroon Laismit, Consul General of Thailand in Shanghai; Mr. Bj?rn O. Blokhus, Consul General of Norway in Shanghai; Mr. Zafar Hasan, Consul General of Pakistan in Shanghai; and Mr. Bengt Johansson, Consul General of Sweden in Shanghai.
The AIT delegation also comprised of Dr.Weerakorn Ongsakul, Dean, School of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD); Dr. Pritam Krishna Shrestha, Head, External Relations and Communications Office (ERCO); and Ms. Hui Qu Janson, Deputy AIT Representative in China.
Photo caption: Prof. Said Irandoust, HE Dr Tej Bunnag and Ms Yang Xinyu at the inauguration of the AIT China Office.