Bangkok--31 May--AIT
Four hundred and twenty eight graduates from 25 countries spread across five continents graduated from the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) on 26 May 2011. Thailand provided the maximum cohort of 144 graduates, followed by 93 graduates from Vietnam.
AIT’s internationality was very much evident on the occasion of the 115th graduation, when students from Asia, Africa, Europe, North America and Oceania went to the podium to be honored with degrees. Students from Nepal (36), India (27), Myanmar (23), Sri Lanka and Indonesia (16 each), and Afghanistan and Bangladesh (11 each) formed the other large contingents.
Female students accounted for 42 per cent of the graduates at AIT. Thirty seven graduates were honored with the doctoral degree.
Dr. Madhav Karki, Deputy Director General of the International Center for Intergrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), who read the graduation speech on behalf of Dr. Andreas Schild, Director General of ICIMOD, exhorted students to take risks, and experiment in their young professional life. Stressing on the paradigm of the green economy and sustainable development, the speaker described it as the “first professional challenge” for graduates.
“For Asian countries, green economy should be achieved in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication,” the speaker said, while adding that growth has to be achieved by conserving resources for future generations. We have to move towards a low carbon economy, resource management efficiency and social inclusion, he added.
AIT President Prof. Said Irandoust remarked that global challenges and economic realities validate the case for institutions of higher learning to collaborate in addressing these common problems. He added that the twenty first century has been widely proclaimed as the Asian century, and as new graduates, all of them will be playing an important role in ensuring that this proclamation holds true.
Delivering the graduation speech in the afternoon session, Prof. Dr. Chira Hongladarom, Secretary-General, Foundation for International Human Resource Development, asked students to remember the issues of ‘reality’ and ‘relevance’ while dealing with the real world. Stressing on the need for lifelong learning, Prof. Hongladarom said graduates should always reinvent themselves all the time.
Conducted by Prof. Joydeep Dutta, Vice President for Academic Affairs, the graduation also saw the conferment of Emeritus Professor titles on Prof. Ram Manohar Shrestha of Nepal, Prof. Ashim Das Gupta of India, and Prof. Mario T. Tabucanon of The Philippines.
The AIT Alumni Association (AITAA) was represented by Mr. Chaovalit Ekabut, President of AITAA, who congratulated the students on their graduation and asked them to network with AIT’s strong alumni network. In the afternoon session, Dr. Pornsak Suppataratarn represented the AITAA and welcomed the students to the alumni fold.
Mr. Bikendra Shamsher Thapa of School of Management delivered the “Most Outstanding Student” speech on behalf of students of School of Management (SOM) and School of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD); while Mr. Nuwan Suresh Ferdinand delivered the “Most Outstanding Student” speech on behalf of students of the School of Engineering and Technology (SET).
Ms. Plama Gioreva of Bulgaria, a Mezzo soprano, provided intermission numbers at the graduation.
Photo caption: Dignatories at the 115th Graduation Ceremony of the Asian Institute of Technology. From left to right: Prof. Said Irandoust, President, Asian Institute of Technology,Dr. Madhav Karki, Deputy Director General of the International Center for Intergrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD); Dr. tej Bunnag, Former Foreign Minister of Thailand and Chairman, Board of Trustees,
AIT; Mr. Chaovalit Ekabut, President of AIT Alumni Association; H.E. Prof. J.B. Disanayaka, Ambassador of Sri Lanka; H.E. Mr. Joao Frietas de Camara, Ambassador of Timor Leste; H.E. Mr. Kazi Imtiaz Hossain, Ambassador of Bangladesh; and H.E. Mr. Sohail Mahmood, Ambassador of Pakistan.