WEEK #43: 24 – 30 October 2016
In this issue:
A. Announcements
(i) Meeting of AIT’s Institute-level Advisory Board (ILAB)
Email from AIT President:
RENOWNED INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS ADVISERS DISCUSSED AIT'S FUTURE
21 October 2016
Dear Members of AIT Stakeholders
Today, nine of the ten world eminent scholars of the Institute-Level Advisory Board (ILAB) of Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) had its first meeting that lasted almost 7 hours. Also participated in the meeting from AIT side were AIT Board Chair, AIT President, Vice President for Academic Affairs, the three School Deans, Director of External Relations and the Institute Secretary.
The core issue extensively discussed in the meeting was on the "future positioning" of AIT, of which some details can be summarized below:
The meeting agreed that AIT is not and will not be a traditional full-fledged university. The consensus is that AIT should position itself based on its niche and exclusive uniqueness, so AIT can take full advantage of the blue ocean, i.e., an uncontested market space.
Over its past 57 years of operation, the international character of the Institute has been the trademark of AIT. AIT was ranked last year as world's top in International Orientation by the EU-funded U-Multirank. This internationality has continued to gain strengths, as our networks now span to all continents.
Most issues that confront the sustainable future of mankind today, such as climate change, natural disasters, energy, food, infrastructure, etc., have cross-border dimensions. They need to be addressed at a global level for regional solutions. AIT has the potential to seize the opportunity to be an international platform to tackle these issues due to its solid academic and research focus which cuts across countries and disciplines.
To conclude, the ILAB meeting supported the two key phrases that I have put forward for navigating AIT into its future position:
(1) AIT develops "Global Citizens";
and
(2) AIT serves as "Regional R&D Platform for the Sustainable Future of Mankind".
These two key phrases require AIT to remain truly international in all aspects of its operation, and gear its R&D beyond the regional and the disciplinary boundaries for the sustainable future of mankind, thus providing a rare opportunity for its international students to be exposed to worldly issues and emerge as true global citizens.
Based on the deliberations of ILAB, a tentative vision statement to be further considered for AIT shall be:
"AIT Develops Global Citizens for the Sustainable Future of Mankind"
This vision is now open for further discussions by members of AIT stakeholders.
More details are available from my presentation slides at
https://www.slideshare.net/WorsakKanokNukulchai/ait-develops-global-citi...
With kind regards,
Prof. Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai
AIT President
(ii) Year End Salary Adjustments
Email from AIT President
As we change our merit increment to the traditional system of steps, it is time to request Dean/Directors of all RCs and SCs to recommend step adjustment of their employees.
OHRS should be the management of this process which aims to be transparent and fair.
1. The mid-year assessment of individual faculty and staff should have been completed by all RCs.
2. Based on across the board comparison, Dean or Director of each RC or SC should come up with a recommendation for their employees. Each employee will be assigned one of these 3 ranks (Ranks A, B, and C). Each RC and SC can only have the same number of A as the number of C so the average shall be B. Thus the average increment of each RC or SC is one step or 4.75% increase.
3. I suggest OHRS prepare a form that contains a list of employees for each RC or SC, with columns showing the current Level and Step, the midterm assessment result, and a blank column for the RC/SC Dean/Director to fill the ranks (A,B or C). At the bottom, let summarize the numbers of As, Bs and Cs, to ensure that As = Cs.
4. The overall results will be vetted by President and the final communication to individuals will be made by OHRS before the year end.
5. The Dean/Director of RC/SC will not be included in this process as they will be assessed separately by the performance of the RC/SC under their management.
With regards,
Prof. Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai
AIT President
(iii) Revised P&P on Engagement of Faculty and Staff Beyond the Retirement Age of 60 (PA-4-1-2)
The revised policy & procedure statements (P&Ps) on Engagement of Faculty and Staff Beyond the Retirement Age of 60 (PA-4-1-2) were approved by the President based on the recommendations of the AIT Management Team.
Specific revisions made were as follows:
* Introduced a one-year transition period to engage / re-employ retired Institute faculty members at full salary, retaining their most recent academic rank / position, soon after reaching their mandatory retirement age.
* Discontinuation of Institute’s contribution to employees Provident Fund (PF) accounts after the age of 60.
* Retention of leave entitlements for full-time appointments after the age of 60.
* Faculty members, with continuous full-time employment with the Institute, including and beyond the one-year transition period after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 60 years, will still have full use of their accumulated professional development funds (PDF), but which cannot be used for payroll costs.
(iv) Condolences- passing away of the father of Miss Waranluck Poonsang, SU Secretary
The AIT Community expresses its condolence and sympathy to Miss Waranluck Poonsang, SU Secretary, whose father, Mr. Thavorn Poonsang, passed away on 14 October 2016 on 5.00 pm due to heart attack.
Funeral rites were held at Wat Suntornthammikaram, Amphur Bangyai, Nonthaburi Province until 19 October, 2016. Cremation ceremony was held on Thursday, 20 October 2016.
(v) CANCELLED: AIT Fun and Sports Day Event on 2 December 2016
As a mark of respect on the part of AIT to the passing away of His Majesty the King and as AIT joins the host country Thailand in their mourning, please be informed that the AIT Fun and Sports Day event scheduled on 2nd December 2016 is cancelled.
(vi) EURAXESS ASEAN Flashnotes - Latest Funding and Career Opportunities for AIT Researchers
The Office of External Relations (OEXR) has announced a number of attractive opportunities for researchers which are presented in the latest EURAXESS ASEAN flash notes.
Topics:
1) United Kingdom - Newton Fund Institutional Links Programme. Thailand and Vietnam Eligible
2) EMBO Short-Term Fellowships Open to Researchers in ASEAN. 3 month Research Visits to Labs in Europe and Elsewhere. Rolling Deadline.
3) Germany - Humboldt Incoming Fellowships for researchers at different stages in their careers. ASEAN Researchers Eligible. Rolling Deadline.
4) Advice on applying to funding schemes by Dr Claire McNulty, Director Science and Research, British Council
5) Italy – Jean Monnet Fellowships. ASEAN Researchers Eligible. Deadline 25 October, 2016
6) List of European Institutions Interested in Hosting Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
7) United Kingdom: Training Fellowships in Public Health and Tropical Medicine. ASEAN Researchers Eligible. Deadline 28 November, 2016
Check out:
Sign up to EURAXESS Links ASEAN here:
http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/links/singapore/index_en.html
For more details, please contact Director of Office of External Relations (OEXR) at email: shawnpk@ait.asia
(vii) Gentle reminder: work permit renewal
In December 2016, work permit of many non-Thai AIT faculty and staff will expire. Due to a long holiday in December, please renew your Work Permit at least 1 month before it expires. Kindly provide the following documents:
• Passport and Visa
• Work permit license
• Medical certificate (valid for 1 month) from AIT Medical Clinic.
• Certificate Employee from HRO
• Rate of Government Fees for Work Permit
o 950 Baht (For 3 months)
o 1,700 Baht (For 6 months)
o 3,200 Baht (For 1 year)
o 3,950 Baht (For 1 year and 3 months)
o 4,700 Baht (For 1 year and 6 months)
o 6,200 Baht (For 2 years)
Please apply to extend the work permit from 15 November – 15 December 2016. However, if you submit late you must apply for a new work permit.
For further questions, please contact K.Suvanee/K.Pipat, GRU Unit, at Tel. 5014 or 5021
B. Events and Happenings
(i) EVENTS
(a) TOEIC Test at AIT on 26 October 2016
The TOEIC test will be organized on 26 October 2016 from 08:00 - 12:00 hrs. at the Milton Bender Auditorium, AIT.
TOEIC test questions are based on real-life work settings in an international environment (meetings, travel, telephone conversations, etc). The Test is used by organizations to determine whether an employee is suitable for a particular task. If any staff and students are working or want to work for a large organization, particularly in Asia, then the TOEIC test will be useful to you.
The schedule of registration, payment method, confirmation of payment and TOEIC preparation course are given below:
Online Registration : 7 - 20 October 2016
Payment for TOEIC Test : 10 - 20 October 2016
Payment (by cash) at Student Office thru Ms.Chatchata , AIT Admin Building during office hours
26 October 2016 (Wednesday) : TOEIC Test at the Milton Bender Auditorium from 08:00 - 12:00 hrs.
The price for students is 700 baht (from 1,500) and for current AIT staff is 1,000 baht (from 1,500).
Lastly, please note that a minimum of 25 students is needed for this test to be administered in AIT.
Important link:
To register for the test: https://goo.gl/forms/Zxf9ko4eEOTQmjQW2
For more information and questions, please visit AIT Career Center FB page at http://www.facebook.com/aitcareercenter or e-mail: careercenter@ait.asia
(ii) EXHIBITION
(a) AIT Career Fair & Research Exhibition: 2 Nov. 2016
AIT Career Fair & Research Exhibition will be organized by the AIT Career Center on 2 November 2016 from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. at the AIT Conference Center.
Mark your calendar! For developments and career opportunities, drop by at: www.careercenter.ait.asia
or like: https://www.facebook.com/officialaitcareercenter/
or email: careercenter@ait.asia
or contact us via phone: 662 524-6744, 662 524-6326
(b) Research Exhibition
SU Academic will organize “Research Exhibition” as part of the AIT Career Fair. The event is an excellent platform for the students to showcase their original ideas, research and project in the form of posters and/or exhibits and to engage other towards their research. Students will have an opportunity to present their work to the professionals as well as prospective companies that will be visiting during the career fair.
Registration deadline: 12 October 2016
Poster (soft copy) submission deadline: 20 October 2016
Event date: 02 November 2016
Venue: AITCC Lobby.
Awards:
All the participants will be awarded certificates.
Winners from each school will be awarded cash prizes.
Cost of posters' printing will be covered.
(We will provide you the template and sample poster)
Participants:
Students from all three Schools: SET, SOM, and SERD
PhD, Master and Undergraduate student
Evaluation:
Students’ presentations (posters/exhibits) will be evaluated by the panel of distinguished judges from SET, SOM, and SERD
To register the Research Exhibition, please fill in the form below:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfkReuGOuHSWhU47tM82-cDwphMq0TEKQJYk9g4xGALvyqFBA/viewform
If any query, please contact: suacademic.ait@gmail.com
(iii) LECTURES / SEMINARS / CONFERENCES
(a) Lecture on Potential Applications of UAVs in Disaster Risk Assessment, Monitoring and Response: 26 Oct. 2016
The Geoinformatics Center invites the AIT Community to attend a lecture on Potential Applications of UAVs in Disaster Risk Assessment, Monitoring and Response to be delivered by Dr. Hiroshi Inoue, National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience (NIED), Japan, on Wednesday, 26 October 2016, from 09:30 - 10:30 AM, at Geoinformatics Center, AIT.
(b) Career Talks
AIT Career Center cordially invites interested faculty, staff and students to attend three Career Talks to be held this week as follows:
• PMK Group Career Talk
Representatives from P.M.K. Group, the leading manufacturer and distributor of electrical products, will give a talk on:
Date: Wednesday, 26 October 2016, from 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm
Venue: B-202, 2nd Flr., AITCC
Speaker : Mr.Chanapatt Pattaramaetakul, Chief Marketing Officer
Career /Internship Opportunities from these background fields:
• Electrical Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Industrial Engineering
• Management or related field
For pre-registration, please fill in link below:
https://docs.google.com/a/ait.asia/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfViqF5uep4vmRQ-vYfSRCBNfxwWWKiEkvh76kJEpzimqA0yw/viewform
• PTT GC Innovation Challenge Info Session
Representatives from PTT Global Chemical PCL, the chemical flagship of PTT Group will give a talk on:
Date: Wednesday, 26 October 2016, from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm
Venue: B-202, 2nd Flr., AITCC
Speaker : Dr. Sukhgij Ysothonsreekul, Vice President, Corporate Innovation
Other guests:
1. Dr. Tanyarut Rerkpattanapipat, Division Manager, External Innovation
2. Dr. On-Anong Rochvatanaboon, Senior R&D Officer, Science and Innovation Group Support
Target Group: AIT Faculty members, staff, researchers & students
Opportunity to join the:
PTTGC Open Innovation Challenge:
PTTGC Open Innovation Challenge campaign is a program initiated to bring in new ideas and co-create with external sources; to accelerate R&D commercialization in the scientific community, as well as to build a network of collaborators. The theme of the 1st initiative is “Smart Eco-Innovation”, which comprises of three categories: Smart-Eco Products, Smart-Eco Plants, and Circular Thinking. The target group can be academia, research institutes, start-ups, SMEs, and independent inventors.
Each proposal will go through 1st screening. Up to 10 proposals will be selected for final selection. The external judges will then judge the teams according to the criteria and finally award the 3 winners, each in the three categories, with a Royal trophy and 500,000 THB cash prize for the proposal and funding for conducting research & development afterwards with PTTGC.
For more information, please visit:
Website: http://www.pttgcgroup.com/en/openinnovation/innovation-challenge
Facebook: PTTGC Open Innovation Challenge, www.facebook.com/PTTGCOpenInnovationChallenge
For pre-registration, please fill in this link:
https://docs.google.com/a/ait.asia/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScevrZk26DB1CdByT1czuwTj6KtTEO3Px3Kuu-RNq03BkxbdA/viewform
• Biosci (Thailand) Co. Ltd. Career talk
Representatives from Biosci (Thailand) Co. Ltd, a world leader in the advancement of statistical and data analytical tools and solutions for the biotechnology sector, will give a talk on:
Date: Friday, 28 October 2016, from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm
Venue: Milton Bender Auditorium
Speaker : Dr. Jantiwan Sutthangkul , General Manager
Career Opportunities: Application developer, Cloud Solution Architect
For pre-registration, please fill in link below:
https://docs.google.com/a/ait.asia/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfP41_Z6WHByHtKTZVy5Dnt0jVidoO8Hgl3x8fdFQb3QMYRZQ/viewform
Those interested to know more about PMK, PTTGC and Biosci (Thailand) Co. Ltd.'s career and internship opportunities are welcome to attend.
A total of 23 companies have confirmed to join the AIT Career Fair & S.U. Research Exhibition on 2 November 2016. For the list of companies, please check:
http://www.careercenter.ait.asia/career_fair_profile.php
(c) Design of Tall Buildings: Trends and Advancements for Structural Performance: 7 – 9 Nov. 2016 (seminar) and 10 - 12 Nov. 2016 (workshop)
AIT Solutions will organize the “Design of Tall Buildings: Trends and Advancements for Structural Performance” Seminar and Workshop from 7 – 9 November and 10 – 12 November 2016, respectively.
The event will provide participants with an insight to the new developments in tall building design, innovative structural systems for better performance and in-depth understanding of structural behavior and highlight the value of wind tunnel test, probabilistic seismic hazard assessment, peer reviews and performance-based design. It also will focus on hands on understanding of modeling and analysis.
(d)Institute-level Talk on “Innovation Challenges – How to Become Better in Research–based Innovation and Commercialization” - A Swedish Perspective: 15 Nov. 2016
AIT Solutions will organize an Institute-level Talk on “Innovation Challenges – How to Become Better in Research–based Innovation and Commercialization - A Swedish Perspective” by Mr. Kjell-Håkan Närfelt on 15 November 2016, from 9:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. at Room 115, AIT Extension Building. Mr Närfelt is currently working at VINNOVA (the Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems) as a Chief Strategy Officer.
(e)11th GMSARN International Conference 2016: 16 – 18 Nov. 2016
The 11th Greater Mekong Sub-region Academic and Research Network (GMSARN) International Conference 2016 will be held from 16-18 November 2016 in Kunming, China.
The conference brochure is available at: http://www.ait.ac.th/news-and-events/2016/events/gmsarnbrochure.pdf
More details are available at the GMSARN website at: http://www.gmsarn.com/conference2016/
(f) European Research Days in ASEAN: Workshops on Effective Proposal Preparation for the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA): 18-25 November, 2016.
These one-day workshops in Jakarta, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok will provide detailed information on the eligibility and application criteria for the MSCA Individual Fellowships and the MSCA Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE). Hands-on training led by a European trainer will focus on proposal structure, partner Identification, financial aspects, evaluation as well as a review of sample proposals.
These workshops will take place in Jakarta, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Bangkok 18-25 November, 2016.
Participation in the workshop is free of charge but registration is required. Participation is limited to 60 people only.
This workshop will be conducted by Dr Juliane Sauer, EUresearch, Switzerland.
For more information: https://www.eventbrite.sg/e/erd-2016-effective-proposal-preparation-for-the-marie-skodowska-curie-actions-tickets-27921422727?aff=erellivmlt
Check out:
asean@euraxess.net
asean.euraxess.org
Sign up to EURAXESS Links ASEAN here:
http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/links/singapore/index_en.htm
(iv) COURSES
(a) Professional Development Technical Training on: Innovative Irrigation Management (Thailand & Indonesia): 17 – 28 October 2016
AIT Extension will organize a 2-week customized Professional Development Technical Training on Innovation Irrigation Management (Thailand & Indonesia). This will be prepared for 12 Officials of Irrigation Management Improvement Project (IMIP), Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), Ministry of Water Resource (MoWR), Bangladesh during 17- 28 October 2016.
For further details, please contact: Dr. Pradeep Kumar Dash, Senior Program Specialist, AIT Extension. Email: dash@ait.asia , pradeepdash@gmail.com
Tel. 524-5358
(b) Project Management, Monitoring and Evaluation Course: 17 Oct – 28 Oct. 2016
AIT Extension will organize a course, “Project Management, Monitoring and Evaluation” from 17 Oct 2016 - 28 Oct 2016.
Please look for details from the link: http://extension.ait.ac.th/course/57
To apply please go to: http://extension.ait.ac.th/content/online-application?nid=57&cname=Project+Management%2C+Monitoring+and+Evaluation&fromd=17+Oct+2016&tod=28+Oct+2016
(c) Training Course on "Accounting for Carbon Emission Reductions and Removals through REDD+ Activities": 27 Nov. – 4 Dec. 2016
Natural Resources Management Field of Study, School of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD) will organize a training course on "Accounting for Carbon Emission Reductions and Removals through REDD+ Activities" on 27 November – 4 December 2016 at the AIT conference center.
For more information, please see:
http://www.nrm.ait.asia/specialprograms/training/
C. Faculty and Staff Travel
Dr. Nophea Sasaki, Dr. Damien Jourdain, Dr. Nicolas Faysse, Mr. Nikorn Asakati / Samut Sakhon and Phetchaburi Province, Thialand / 2 – 5 October 2016*
Dr. Lal Samarakoon / Colombo, Sri Lanka / 7 – 25 October 2016
Dr. Chotchai Charoenngam / Myanmar / 11 – 12 October 2016*
Dr. B.H.W. Hadikusumo / Vietnam / 12 – 14 October 2016*
Dr. B.H.W. Hadikusumo / Myanmar / 14 – 17 October 2016*
Dr. Jagath K. Rajapaksha / Colombo, Sri Lanka / 14 – 25 October 2016
Mr. Nawarathnage L. Deshapriya / Colombo, Sri Lanka / 14 – 25 October 2016
Mr. Sasanka Madawalagarna / Colombo, Sri Lanka / 14 – 31 October 2016
Mr. Surendra Shrestha / Antwerp, Belgium and Stockholm, Sweden / 15 – 21 October 2016
Naritsara Bootdeekun / Colombo, Sri Lanka / 15 – 24 October
Ms. Amalia S. Canullas / Innsbruck, Austria and Milan, Tenlo, Italy / 15 – 24 October 2016
Dr. Djoen San Santoso / Myanmar / 16 – 17 October 2016*
Dr. Pisut Koomsap / Lisbon, Portugal / 18 – 24 October 2016
Prof. Kazuo Yamamoto / Dubai, United Arab Emirates / 18 – 31 October 2016
Dr. Jai Govind Singh / India / 19 – 25 October 2016
Dr. V. Rajesh Chowdhary / Andhra Pradesh, India / 19 – 26 October 2016
Dr. Kyoko Kusakabe / Kobe, Japan / 20 – 25 October 2016
Mr. Shelkh Aminur Rahaman / Phnom Penh and Hue City, Vietnam / 20 – 26 October 2016
Prof. Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh / Phnom Penh and Hue City, Vietnam / 20 – 26 October 2016
Dr. Didin Agustian Permadi / Phnom Penh and Hue City, Vietnam / 20 – 26 October 2016
Dr. G. Louis Hornyak / Kokkata and Varanasi, India / 20 – 26 October 2016
Dr. Chotchai Charoenngam / Vietnam / 20 – 27 October 2016
Dr. Sanyogita Andriyas / Goa, Dharwad, India / 21 – 28 October 2016
Dr. Jonathan Shaw / Hong Kong / 23 – 28 October 2016
Dr. Sundar Venkatesh / Hong Kong / 23 – 28 October 2016
Dr. Pradeep Kumar Dash / Denpasar Bali, Indonesia / 25 – 28 October 2016
Mr. Voravate Chonlasin / Vientiane, Lao PDR / 25 – 28 October 2016
Ms. Narumon Wangnai / Vientiane, Lao PDR / 25 – 28 October 2016
Ms. Kanlaya Muangsan / Denpasar Bali, Indonesia / 25 – 28 October 2016
Dr. Panneerselvam Peramalyan / Surin and Sisaket Provinces, Thailand / 25 October – 3 November 2016
Mr. Piyapong Katpiyarat / Sisaket and Surin Provinces, Thailand / 25 October – 3 November 2016
Prof. Mukand Singh Babel / Nakhon Phanom / 26 – 27 October 2016
Mr. Gayanendra Sthapit / Muscat, Oman / 26 – 28 October 2016
Dr. Supat Wangwongwatana / Jakarta, Indonesia / 27 – 29 October 2016
Dr. Masahiko Nagai / Pathumthani, Thailand / 30 October – 5 November 2016
Dr. Thammarat Kootatep / Durban, South Africa / 30 October – 5 November 2016
Dr. Manzul K. Hazarika / Yerevan, Armenia / 30 October – 5 November 2016
Mrs. Nitasha Arora / Durban, South Africa / 30 October – 5 November 2016
*(Staff or faculty member travelled and returned to AIT prior to documentation received for publication)
D. Classifieds (Jobs)
Faculty Position (Assistant/Associate Professor) (School of Environment, Resources & Development)
Ref. No. Fac 2/16
Deadline: 31 October 2016
http://www.hro.ait.ac.th/job/show/397
Faculty Position (Assistant/Associate Professor) in Food Engineering and Bioprocess Technology (School of Environment, Resources and Development)
Ref. No. Fac 3/16
Deadline: 31 October 2016
http://www.hro.ait.ac.th/job/show/398
Faculty Position (Assistant/Associate Professor) - IME (School of Engineering & Technology)
Ref. No. Fac 4/16
Deadline: 31 October 2016
http://www.hro.ait.ac.th/job/show/400
Position: ACSIG Center Manager (School of Engineering & Technology)
Ref. No. 44/16
Deadline: 31 October 2016
http://www.hro.ait.ac.th/job/show/405
Position: Head, Strategy & Coordination Cluster (Regional Resource Centre for Asia and the Pacific)
Ref. No. 46/16
Deadline: 9 November 2016
http://www.hro.ait.ac.th/job/show/407
Position: Program Associate/Senior Program Associate (School of Environment, Resources & Development)
Ref. No. 41/16
Deadline: 15 November 2016
http://www.hro.ait.ac.th/job/show/401
Faculty Position (Assistant or Associate Professors) (School of Management)
Ref. No. Fac 5/16
Deadline: 31 December 2016
http://www.hro.ait.ac.th/job/show/402
Position: Director (Office of the Human Resources Services)
Ref. No. 7/16
Deadline: 31 December 2016
http://www.hro.ait.ac.th/job/show/363