1JUNE 2014

Asian Institute of Technology JUNE 2014

F our-hundred and twenty-nine students from

���FRXQWULHV�VSDQQLQJ�¿YH�FRQWLQHQWV�JUDGX-ated on the occasion of the 121st Graduation

of the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT). The graduating students came from Asia, Europe, Af-rica, North and South America.

Vietnam produced the most graduates (93) closely followed by Thailand with 81. Sri Lanka with 70 graduates, Myanmar with 42, and Nepal with 25 URXQGHG�RXW�WKH�WRS�¿YH�QDWLRQDOLWLHV�

See photo gallery on page 5 >>>

429 students from 36 countries graduate from AIT

INSIDE ISSUE.. .

Recent News / Happenings at AIT................................................. 2-3Photo Gallery..................................................................................5People............................................................................................4Backpage.......................................................................................6

2JUNE 2014

RECENT NEWS / HAPPENINGS AT AIT

Thai shipping magnate, Mr. Sumate Tanthuwanit, Chief ([HFXWLYH�2I¿FHU�RI�1JRZ�+RFN�&RPSDQ\��DVNHG�VWX-dents to think of the world around them as an intercon-nected system where they can use the knowledge gained at AIT and relate it to their work.

'HOLYHULQJ�WKH�6SHFLDO�$OXPQL�6SHDNHU�$GGUHVV�RQ�WKH�occasion of AIT’s 121st Graduation, Mr. Sumate stat-ed that the future can be predicted if we integrate our NQRZOHGJH�ZLWK�RQJRLQJ�GHYHORSPHQWV��³:KHQ�,�JUDG-XDWHG�IURP�$,7��WKH�UHJLRQ�ZDV�PRYLQJ�IURP�DJULFXOWXUH�to industry, which led to a need for water management, energy and just-in-time logistics,” he said. Today, the emerging ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) of-

Prof. Shunji Murai

Alumni narrates his personal story of entrepreneurial success

(DUWKTXDNH�SUHGLFWLRQ�KDV�DOZD\V�EHHQ�D�GLI¿FXOW�VFL-ence, and computational models and simulations are tools which help the scientist in this task. Elaborating RQ�QHZ�GHYHORSPHQWV�ZDV�3URI���6KXQML�0XUDL��3URIHV-VRU�(PHULWXV��8QLYHUVLW\�RI�7RN\R��-DSDQ�DW�D�OHFWXUH�RQ����0D\������WLWOHG�³3UHGLFWLRQ�RI�(DUWKTXDNHV��$�Reality Now.”

3URI��0XUDL�VWDWHG�WKDW�DGYDQFHV�LQ�*166��*36��WHFK-QRORJ\�KDYH�PDGH�LW�SRVVLEOH�WR�GHWHFW�SUH�VLJQDOV�DQG�pre-slips of large earthquakes. Analyzing the GNSS GDWD��D�SUH�VLJQDO�FDQ�EH�GHWHFWHG�EHIRUH�WKH�HYHQW��DQG�predictions can be made a few days to a few months in DGYDQFH��+LV�WHDP�KDV�QRZ�EHHQ�DEOH�WR�SUHGLFW�HLJKW�large earthquakes based on pre-signals.

Predicting earthquakes before they happen

AIT to broaden partnership with RIMES

RIMES Council meeting at AIT.

$IWHU�IRXU�\HDUV�RI�RI¿FLDO�VFLHQWL¿F�FROODERUDWLRQ��$,7�is set to strenghten its partnership with the Regional ,QWHJUDWHG� 0XOWL�+D]DUG� (DUO\� :DUQLQJ� 6\VWHP� IRU�Asia and Africa (RIMES).

Addressing the opening session of the 6th Council Meeting of RIMES on 29 May 2014, AIT Interim 3UHVLGHQW� 3URI��:RUVDN�.DQRN�1XNXOFKDL� UHPDUNHG�that the partnership will be deepened with collabo-ration on water-related hazards research, and by expanding the RIMES-AIT Graduate Fellowship. Mr. Ali Shareed, Deputy Director General, RIMES and RIMES Council Chairman Dr. Shailesh Nayak �ZKR�MRLQHG�YLD�WHOHFRQIHUHQFLQJ�IURP�'HOKL��,QGLD��thanked AIT for its support.

Mr. Sumate Tanthuwanit

fers huge opportunities for graduates, AIT’s illustrious alumnus added.

3JUNE 2014

RECENT NEWS / HAPPENINGS AT AIT

Experts from AIT, Thammasat DQG� 0DKLGRO� XQLYHUVLWLHV� KDYH�completed a one-year research SURMHFW� IRU� WKH� 'LVDVWHU� 3UHYHQ-tion and Mitigation Department of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA). Teams RI� H[SHUWV� OHG� E\� 'U�� 3HQQXQJ�:DWQLWFKDL�RI�$,7�KDYH�SURGXFHG�D�VWDWLVWLFDO�PRGHO� WKDW� LGHQWL¿HV�the impact to Bangkok’s sky-scrapers, including 1,434 build-

Prof. Fumihiko Nakamura (left) with Prof.

Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai.

AIT’s earthquake expert leads study for BMA

<RNRKDPD�1DWLRQDO�8QLYHUVLW\� �<18�� DQG�$,7� KDYH� ¿QDOL]HG�a partnership agreement aimed at student and faculty exchange.

$W�$,7�RQ����0D\�������3URI��)XPLKLNR�1DNDPXUD��'HDQ��*UDGX-DWH�6FKRRO�RI�8UEDQ�,QQRYDWLRQ��<RNRKDPD�1DWLRQDO�8QLYHUVLW\��-DSDQ��GLVFXVVHG�PRGDOLWLHV�RI�DGPLVVLRQV�DQG�VWXG\�SURJUDPV�IRU�the exchange students. Under the agreement, both AIT and Yoko-KDPD�8QLYHUVLW\�ZLOO�VHOHFW�WKH�H[FKDQJH�VWXGHQWV��ZKLOH�WKH�KRVW�LQVWLWXWLRQ�ZLOO� GHFLGH� RQ� WKH�¿QDO� DGPLVVLRQ��7KH�¿UVW� EDWFK� RI�exchange students are expected to begin their programs in 2015.

<RNRKDPD�1DWLRQDO�8QLYHUVLW\�¿QDOL]HV�SDUWQHUVKLS�ZLWK�$,7

EU delegation meets AIT Erasmus students

From left: Dr. Sahas Bunditkul. Mr. Attila

Nyitrai, Prof. Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai and Dr.

Louis Hornyak.

A delegation from the European Union held an informal interaction with students,

Dr. Pennung Warnitchai

ings taller than 12 storeys and ����DERYH����ÀRRUV�

After crunching the data, scien-tists concluded that some four to 17 buildings of between 12 and 88 storeys - or 1 per cent of the buildings in Bangkok - are ex-pected to collapse during a distant large quake.

The study was featured in an ar-WLFOH�ZULWWHQ�E\�0U��6KDZQ�.HOO\��and published in The Nation news-SDSHU��5HDG��KWWS���JRR�JO�O+V;-N

staff and AIT faculty associated with EU’s Erasmus Mundus SURJUDPV��6HQLRU�(8�RI¿FLDOV�EDVHG�LQ�%DQJNRN�VRXJKW�IHHGEDFN�RQ�WKHLU�ÀDJVKLS�HGXFDWLRQDO�SURJUDP�LQ�WKH�LQWHUDFWLRQ�KHOG�RQ�23 May 2014.

0U��$WWLOD�1\LWUDL��'HSXW\�+HDG�RI�'HOHJDWLRQ�RI�(8�LQ�7KDLODQG��stated that EU was committed to creating a new generation of OHDGHUV� E\� LQYHVWLQJ� LQ� HGXFDWLRQ� SURJUDPV�� 0U�� 1\LWUDL� ZDV�DFFRPSDQLHG�E\�0U��0DGV�.RP��$WWDFKp��&RRSHUDWLRQ���'HOHJDWLRQ�of the European Union to Thailand. Dr. Sahas Bunditkul, former 'HSXW\�3ULPH�0LQLVWHU�RI�7KDLODQG�DQG�PHPEHU��$,7�([HFXWLYH�&RPPLWWHH��DQG�3URI��:RUVDN�.DQRN�1XNXOFKDL��,QWHULP�3UHVLGHQW��AIT thanked the EU delegation for their support to the institute and honored them with a token of appreciation.

Shawn Kelly’s other AIT-related article titled “Two degrees of unease for feverish Mother Earth” was also published in The Na-

tion. It was based on the IPCC 5th Assessment on Mitigation where AIT faculty Dr. Shobhakar Dhakal was the coordinating lead

author of the chapter on “Human Settlements, Infrastructure and Special Planning”. Read: http://goo.gl/jFVskm

4JUNE 2014

PEOPLE

Indian alumnus is COO of India’s top IT companyAIT alumnus Mr. C h a n d r a s h e k h a r .DNDO�� KDV�EHHQ� DS-pointed as Chief 2SHUDWLQJ� 2I¿FHU��&22�� RI� /DUVHQ�and Toubro (L&T) Infotech. L&T Info-tech is a subsidiary of L&T Limited, a USD 14 billion con-

Sri Lankan alumnus to be new Chairman of Colombo Stock Exchange0U�� 9DMLUD� .XODWL-laka, an AIT alumnus has been appointed the new Chairman of the Colombo Stock ([FKDQJH��&6(���+H�ZLOO� WDNH� RYHU� IURP�his predecessor Mr. .ULVKDQ�%DOHQGUD�RQ���-XQH������

:LWK�QHDUO\�WKUHH�GH-FDGHV�RI�H[SHULHQFH�LQ�WKH�¿QDQFLDO�VHFWRU�DQG�FDSLWDO�PDU-kets in Sri Lanka, he has been a Board member of CSE VLQFH�2FWREHU� ������0U��.XODWLODND� LV� WKH�&(2� RI�1'%�&DSLWDO� +ROGLQJV�� +H� REWDLQHG� KLV� %DFKHORU¶V� GHJUHH� LQ�&LYLO�(QJLQHHULQJ� IURP� WKH�8QLYHUVLW\�RI�0RUDWXZD�� DQG�his Master’s in Industrial Engineering and Management from AIT in 1987.

Mr. Vajira Kulatilaka

AIT student wins best student paper award

Continuing with the tradition of bagging honors, AIT student Dong Nguyen has been awarded the Best Student 3DSHU�DZDUG�E\�WKH�:HVW�&RDVW�6HFWLRQ�RI� WKH� $LU� DQG� :DWHU� 0DQDJHPHQW�$VVRFLDWLRQ� �$:0$�� IRU� LWV� DQQXDO�$:0$������&RQIHUHQFH��$,7�VWXGHQWV�KDYH� FRQVLVWHQWO\� ZRQ� WKLV� DZDUG�� DQG�Dong is eighth in line of his worthy predecessors.

Dong’s paper is based on research conducted during his Master’s study DW�$,7�� 7KH� %HVW� 6WXGHQW� 3DSHU�$ZDUG�fetched him a cash prize of USD 1500 for participating in the International Air and :DVWH�0DQDJHPHQW�$VVRFLDWLRQ�0HHWLQJ�DQG� LWV� 6WXGHQW� 3RVWHU� &RPSHWLWLRQ�ZKLFK�ZLOO� EH�KHOG�RQ���� -XQH������ LQ�Long Beach, California, USA. A student RI� (QYLURQPHQWDO� (QJLQHHULQJ� DQG�0DQDJHPHQW� �((0�� ¿HOG� RI� VWXG\� DW�$,7¶V�6FKRRO�RI�(QYLURQPHQW��5HVRXUFHV�DQG� 'HYHORSPHQW�� 'RQJ� 1JX\HQ�conducted his study under the guidance RI�3URI��1JX\HQ�7KL�.LP�2DQK��

Mr. Dong Nguyen

Mr. Chandrashekhar Kakal

glomerate.

0U��.DNDO�ZKR�JUDGXDWHG�IURP�$,7¶V�6FKRRO�RI�0DQDJH-ment with a Master’s degree in International Business in 1996, will also join the board of directors of L&T info-WHFK��/7�,QIRWHFK�LV�UDQNHG�DPRQJ�WKH�WRS����,7�VHUYLFH�companies in India.

5JUNE 2014

PHOTO GALLERY

121st Graduation: 23 May 2014

6JUNE 2014

Editor��%DMLQGHU�3DO�6LQJK�

bajinder@ait.asiaDesigner:

Nadhika MendhakaPhotos:

3DLWRRQ�7LQQDSRQJ

For feedback, contact Media and Communications

Unit at AIT mcu@ait.asia

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NewsYouCanUse

Asian universities adopt strategies to boost rankings

Follow AIT at

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³81,9(56,7<�HQUROPHQW�FRQWLQXHV�WR�JURZ�DFURVV�$VLD��$�QHZ�UH-port from the Unesco Institute for Statistics (UIS) has analysed ways in which countries across the region can accommodate more students ZKLOH�VWUHQJWKHQLQJ�WKH�TXDOLW\�RI� WKHLU�XQLYHUVLW\�SURJUDPPHV�DQG�research.”

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Prof. Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai (left) with Mr. Sisira Mendis

Abeysekera.

Bhagya Enterprises donates THB 280,000 to AIT%KDJ\D� (QWHUSULVHV� KDV� GRQDWHG� 7+%� �������� WR-ZDUGV�SDUWLDO�VFKRODUVKLS�IRU�D�GHVHUYLQJ�7KDL�VWXGHQW�LQ�WKH�(QHUJ\�¿HOG�RI�VWXG\�DW�$,7��7KH�FKHTXH�ZDV�KDQGHG�RYHU�WR�WKH�$,7�,QWHULP�3UHVLGHQW��3URI��:RU-VDN� .DQRN�1XNXOFKDL� E\� WKH�0DQDJLQJ� 'LUHFWRU� RI�Bhagya Enterprises, Mr. Sisira Mendis Abeysekera on 8 May 2014.

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