Bangkok--13 Feb--Asian Institute of Technology
The Asian Development Bank-Japan Scholarship Program (ADB-JSP) at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) is among the most successful scholarship schemes, and the program will continue to offer scholarships to students. These were the sentiments expressed by Mr. Tatsuya Kanai, Senior Advisor, Office of Cofinancing Operations, ADB during this visit to AIT on 4 February 2015.
The scholarship program, which began in 1988, has so far benefitted 334 recipients, and 21 students are currently enrolled at AIT under this program.
Headed by Mr. Kanai, the ADB delegation included Mr. Kazushi Sato, Senior Financing Partnerships Specialist, and Ms. Eloise Valerie M. Martinez, Associate Financing Partnerships Officer.
Mr. Kanai stated that while the ADB is extremely happy with the program, it also seeks feedback both from the recipients and AIT on ways to strengthen the program. He also proposed a system for tracking the career paths of the ADB scholarship recipients, and stressed on greater diversity among the scholarship recipients.
The ADB delegation interacted with senior AIT officials led by Prof. Sivanappan Kumar, Vice President for Academic Affairs, and including representatives of AIT’s three schools. They also met the Head-Students, AIT Admissions and Scholarship Office, AIT Finance Office, and held two separate meetings with ADB scholarship recipients. They also attended two classroom lectures, one each in “Natural Resources Economics” and “Digital Communications,” delivered by AIT faculty members Dr. Damien Jourdain and Dr. Attaphongse Taparugssanagorn respectively.
Scholarship recipients met the ADB officials and expressed their gratitude for the scholarship. The students included Ms. Sheila Carillo Salde (The Philippines), Ms. Umama Zobayer (Bangladesh), Ms. Roshani Bharati (Nepal), Ms. Amrita Das (Bangladesh), Mr. Matiullah Bahier (Afghanistan), Ms. Rafia Zaman (Bangladesh), Ms. Oanh Phuong Vo (Viet Nam), Mr. Md. Mustiafiz Al Manun (Bangladesh), Ms. Pragya Niraula (Nepal), Mr. Bipun Man Pati (Nepal), Ms. Anita Gautam (Nepal), Mr. Tristan Guzman Magallones Jr. (The Philippines), Ms. Ranjika Lalani Perera (Sri Lanka), Ms. Manisha Singh (Nepal), Mr. Bijaya Maharjan (Nepal), Mr. Sudipta Bain (Bangladesh), Ms. Kalumith Upeka Madhavi De Silva (Sri Lanka), Mr. Niraj Bhujel (Nepal), Mr. Hasan Tariq (Pakistan), Mr. Imran Akbar Khan (Bangladesh), and Mr. Pradeep Baral (Nepal). Ms. Pragya Niraula also presented a token of appreciation on behalf of the students.
Photo caption: Mr. Tatsuya Kanai, middle, is seen in a group photo with ADB scholarship recipients at AIT.