Bangkok--5 Nov--Asian Institute of Technology
Israel’s Ambassador to Thailand, H.E. Mr. Simon Roded has stressed the need for greater innovation in universities. In his maiden visit to the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) on 28 October 2014, the Ambassador invited senior AIT management to visit Israel, and obtain a first-hand experience of innovation in academic institutions.
Stating that Israel has the highest per capita startups in the world, H.E. Mr. Roded remarked that innovations that germinate in academic institutions equip the industry and the private sector to become more competitive.
The remarks by the Ambassador were welcomed by the AIT President Prof. Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai, who stated that this was in tune with the vision enunciated by the Chairman of the AIT Board of Trustees, H.E. Dr. Subin Pinkayan, who is keen to embark on an engineering leadership and entrepreneurship program.
H.E. Mr. Roded appreciated the role that Institutions like AIT play in equipping students to become leaders. The ambassador said he wished to explore possibilities of future cooperation, while resuming past partnerships.
Prof. Worsak highlighted the role that AIT has played in the region in academics, research and outreach. Highlighting new initiatives, Prof. Worsak stated that AIT, along with Governments of France, Germany, United Kingdom; and organizations like UNESCAP, UNEP and FAO, will be organizing a regional forum on Climate Change in July 2015, which will contribute to the 21st Conference of the Parties on Climate Change(COP21). The AIT President also sought faculty and expert exchanges from Israel, and proposed holding a joint workshop on creativity and innovation.
Dr. Subin stated that AIT is a regional institution which can become a hub in various themes including water, food, energy, infrastructure and environment. AIT can host an ASEAN Water Academy, and it would be a perfect institution to act as a coordinator of an ASEAN Power Grid. Food security is another critical issue, and we need to focus on postharvest technologies to produce value-added products, Dr. Subin said. Elaborating on infrastructure, Dr. Subin focussed on transport, communication and logistics, adding that AIT could take a lead in ASEAN logistics and networking. “Further, AIT could be the place where we can demonstrate the concept of a ‘green city’ leading a pilot project for a city of 100,000-500,000 people,” Dr. Subin added.
Photo caption: H.E. Dr. Subin Pinkayan (left) with H.E. Mr. Simon Roded.