Bangkok--21 Jun--AIT
President of Nepal, Rt. Honorable Dr. Ram Baran Yadav and Prime Minister Rt. Honorable Jhala Nath Khanal praised the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), and thanked the Institute for its contribution towards development of human resources in Nepal. They made these remarks in separate meetings with an AIT delegation led by the AIT President Prof. Said Irandoust on 16 June 2011.
The Nepal President referred to the positive experience of his son when he was studying at AIT, stating that AIT enjoys a prestigious place in the realm of education. He termed education as the backbone for development of a country, while adding that graduates from AIT were occupying significant position all over the world.
President Yadav, who is from the field of medicine, and has served as a Minister of Health in Nepal, highlighted the longstanding relationship between Nepal and Thailand. President Yadav also offered his full support to AIT and wished the Institute success in its endeavours.
The AIT delegation also met the Prime Minister, Rt. Honorable Jhala Nath Khanal. Prime Minister Khanal highlighted the importance for Nepal to consolidate and update its educational system, and termed the partnership between AIT and the Nepal Education Foundation — Consortium of Colleges, Nepal (NEF-CCN) NEF-CCN as an important step in this direction. The Prime Minister extended the Government of Nepal’s unequivocal support in expediting the ratification process of the new AIT Charter, which was endorsed by the Nepal Council of Ministers in its meeting held on 15 June 2011.
The Prime Minister welcomed AIT’s plans to open an AIT Satellite Campus in Nepal, and indicated that the government is willing to help in land allocation for this project. The Prime Minister also highlighted the tremendous hydro potential in Nepal, and welcomed AIT’s plan to launch an academic offering in this area.
During the interactions with the President and the Prime Minister of Nepal, President Irandoust appreciated Nepal’s active engagement in processing the new AIT Charter, stating that he hoped that Nepal would be among the first five countries to ratify the new AIT Charter. He also thanked the Government of Nepal, for approving the replenishment of the Nepalese Local Currency Grant.
The President elaborated on AIT’s partnership with NEF-CCN, which would not only make the AIT degree more affordable to students in Nepal, but also help Nepal in its efforts to internationalize its higher education. President Irandoust spoke about AIT’s plans to explore the establishment of an AIT satellite campus in Nepal, Vietnam and Sri Lanka, under different Public-Private Partnership (PPP) modalities.
The Nepal Prime Minister appreciated the idea of PPP in education, and fully supported the concept.
The members of the AIT delegation included Prof. Dr. Joydeep Dutta, Vice President for Academic Affairs; Prof. Ram Manohar Shrestha, Emeritus Professor; Mr. Karma Rana, Institute Secretary, and Dr. Pritam Krishna Shrestha, Head of External Relations and Communications Office. They were joined by the team from NEF-CCN, along with the President and officials from the AIT Alumni Association (AITAA) Nepal Chapter and other senior alumni.
Photo caption: AIT delegation led by its President Prof. Said Irandoust (fourth from left) with the President of Nepal, Rt. Honorable Dr. Ram Baran Yadav.