Bangkok--26 May--Asian Institute of Technology
Four-hundred and twenty-nine students from 36 countries coming from five continents graduated on the occasion of the 121st graduation of the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT). The graduating students came from Asia, Europe, Africa, North and South America.
Vietnam provided the maximum number of graduates (93) closely followed by Thailand with 81. Sri Lanka with 70 graduates, Myanmar with 42, and Nepal with 25 were the other countries among the top five.
AIT’s Interim President Prof. Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai, while congratulating the graduands, stated that the Graduation Day was a perfect occasion for students to pay tribute to their faculty who taught, guided and mentored them. It is also an opportunity to thank the donors who facilitated their education, and their families who supported them during this endeavor.
While introducing Prof. Norihito Tambo, former President and Professor Emeritus of Hokkaido University, who was the Graduation Speaker during the morning session, Prof. Worsak stated that Prof. Tambo’s presence is an acknowledgement of the strong collaboration between AIT and Japan. Japan has provided scholarship support to nearly 1000 students at AIT, deputed 140 faculty members as secondments, and helped in creating infrastructure including the AIT Conference Center and the AIT Library.
Delivering his Graduation Address, Prof. Tambo stated that the world is now on the threshold of moving towards a post-modern society. While burgeoning population, it is upon the graduates of today to ensure that our civilization is stable and sustainable. “AIT is an elite academic educational organization in the Eastern Hemisphere,” he said, while adding that it is the graduates of such institutes which shall help pave the way in the future.
The Graduation Address for the afternoon session was delivered by Mr. Attila Nyitrai, Minister-Counsellor, Deputy Head of Delegation on behalf of H.E. Mr. Jesús Miguel Sanz, Ambassador– Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Thailand and Laos. Stating that several issues including sustainability, peace and stability confront humanity in the twenty-first century, Mr. Nyitrai remarked that European Union remains committed towards tackling these challenges by engaging universities and young scholars. Climate Change remains one of the most serious issues today, and institutions like AIT can contribute towards providing solutions to such issues.
Prominent Alumni messages were delivered by Mr. Sumate Tanthuwanich, President, Managing Director and Executive Director, Regional Container Lines (RCL) Public Company Limited, and Dr. Yuan Derun, Education and Training Program Manager, Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific. Prof. Nitin Kumar Tripathi delivered the Professorial Address.
Photo caption: Photo shows AIT’s Interim President Prof. Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai presenting a degree certificate to one of the AIT graduands.