Bangkok--7 Oct--Asian Institute of Technology
The Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Irrigation Department, Sindh, Pakistan to establish a framework of cooperation under the World-Bank funded Sindh Barrages Improvement Project (SBIP). The MoU was signed by Prof. Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai, President, AIT and Mr Aijaz Shaikh, Project Director, SBIP, Sindh Irrigation Department, on 26 September 2016.
The agreement will address five aspects of capacity building, namely technical assistance, project management and procurement, finance and administration, environment, and communication and social development.
Mr Aijaz Shaikh, the SBIP Project Director, stated that the overall objective of the five-year project is to improve the reliability and safety of the Guddu barrage and strengthen the capacity of the Sindh Irrigation Department to operate and manage the barrage.
AIT's capacity building efforts will include offering post-graduate degree programs, professional development training programs, applied research activities, and helping find solutions to specific issues faced by Sindh's Department of Irrigation. Specific areas of cooperation will include developing and conducting customized professional development courses for engineers and other public sector officers; and developing and conducting postgraduate certificate, diploma, Master's and professional Master's degree programs for employees of the Department of Irrigation.
Mr. Irshad Memon, Chief Engineering,Guddu Barrage, Irrigation Department, Government of Sindh; Mr. Istiaque Memon, Chief Engineer, Planning, and Development; Mr. Abdul Rahman Nizamani, Chief Engineer, Small Dams; Mr. Zahid Shaikh, Project Director, Sindh Resilience Project; and Mr. Jamal, PS to Secretary Irrigation, attended the MoU signing ceremony.
Besides President Worsak, AIT was represented by Dr. Gregory L.F. Chiu of AIT's School of Engineering and Technology (SET); Dr. Jonathan Shaw, Mr. Fazle Karim, Furqan Ali Shaikh, and Mr. Tharakorn Chanlapa of AIT Extension; and Mr. Shawn Kelly and Ms. Sumana Shrestha of Office of External Relations.