WEEK# 22, 31 May- 6 June 2021
In this issue:
1) Updates from the AIT COVID-19 Task Force
Email from the Director, Office of Academic Administration on 29 May 2021.
Dear Members of the AIT Family,
AIT Vaccination – We are pleased to report that 302 AIT Thai and non-Thai employees—along with non-Thai adult dependents of the latter group—received the first dose of SINOVAC at Thammasat University Hospital (TUH) on 26 May. AIT is most thankful to all the TUH staff and nurses, who assisted us in the process, and for your kind cooperation which helped in ensuring that everything went smoothly. We are very appreciative to the Thai Government and the Ministry of Public Health for including AIT in this education institution vaccination drive. But we are also mindful that students were not covered in this vaccination, and other AIT employees may be waiting for future opportunities. So, AIT continues to pursue other vaccination possibilities for students and these interested AIT employees. As we told you before, we are also grateful to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for including AIT as part of the vaccination plan for “international organizations” later this year.
Extension of Work-From-Home and Online Classes – The COVID-19 situation has yet to stabilize with worrisome daily numbers and reports of new clusters, most recently at construction sites. Therefore, the Work-From-Home (WFH) basis for non-mission-essential AIT employees—and online contacts with students—will continue until further notice. A future decision will be made to either extend WFH or re-open AIT, depending on the COVID-19 situation and advisory from the Thai Government, following the Emergency Decree that was extended until the end of July 2021.
AIT OQ and Positive Cases – The AIT OQ has not had a positive case of AIT students for over two months now. In our earlier communication we had reported that an AIT student who resides off-campus tested positive for COVID-19 and was in hospital for treatment. He was the only non-OQ AIT student who tested positive so far. This student has been discharged from hospital and completed the 14-day home isolation, and we look forward to welcoming him back to AIT next semester. The six contractor staff, as well as the AIT OQ driver and spouse, who had tested positive, have also all recovered and have been discharged from hospital and are currently completing 14-day self-isolation in their homes. They only return to work after the additional self-isolation period.
However, the most recent positive case, i.e., one of our landscape contractor staff who tested positive on 20 May, is still undergoing treatment in the hospital. This staff resides off campus and her last day on campus was 8 May. After checking her timeline carefully, it was determined that the staff had very limited interaction with other people. The Contractor has advised the other staff to observe themselves and to immediately report if they are not feeling well and no report has been received so far. At this time, we would like to assure the AIT community that there continues to be rigorous monitoring of OQ staff and OFAM contractors. Both the OQ staff and the contractors have been told not to socialize or wander around campus. Contractors are to limit their work on campus to the most essential and emergency in nature, and to inform their staff to minimize their contact with others – whether with other contractors or AIT employees and students.
Inbound and Outbound International Travel – Please kindly be reminded that members of the AIT community MUST notify the AIT COVID-19 Task Force themselves of any inbound and outbound international travel. You MUST inform the Task Force if you or any of your dependents are coming in from outside Thailand or leaving Thailand. Anyone at AIT helping to process, or learn of, these travels must make sure the individual informs the TF. We are concerned that this prudent policy is not being rigorously followed.
Quarantine Period at AIT – As communicated earlier, when the travel restrictions for those countries ease and travel opens up, until it is decided otherwise, any new arrivals from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, will need to spend 21 days in quarantine.
Other Policies – All the other earlier announced policies still stand, but please check with the Task Force if you have any queries and also visit often the Intranet page where all COVID-19 related information and updates from the Task Force are available.
We urge you to continue to maintain a high level of safety and hygiene measures, avoiding large crowds, and please visit the AIT Medical Center if you feel unwell. We thank you for your continued cooperation.
Please take care and stay safe.
AIT COVID-19 Task Force
2) Deputy Director of the Office of Procurement, Inventory and Assets (OPIA)
Email from AIT President on 29 May 2021.
Dear AIT Family members,
I am pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Sureeporn Worachum as the new Deputy Director of the Office of Procurement, Inventory and Assets (OPIA).
Ms. Sureeporn holds a master’s degree in Leadership from Rangsit University and a Bachelor of Arts major in English and Economics degree from Naresuan University.
Ms. Sureeporn has extensive experience in purchasing and procurement, including vendor selection process. Her previous experiences include working in General Electric International Operations Company Inc. as Indirect Sourcing Manager. Prior to that, she worked as Regional Purchasing Manager at Amadeus Asia Ltd. and as Purchasing Manager at Michelin ROH Ltd.
Ms. Sureeporn will assume the post on 1 June 2021 and will be reporting directly to the Vice President for Administration. I am confident that with Ms. Sureeporn’s past experience, she will be an asset to AIT and the services provided by OPIA to our community.
Let us welcome her to our AIT Family and give her our full support and cooperation.
At this point, I would like to thank and acknowledge the services of Ms. Pakkamol Dherapongsthada for her dedication and as a loyal member of the AIT family for the past 13 years. She was appointed as the OPIA Director in 2016 and has been carrying this role efficiently. She will officially retire on 31 June 2021. We wish her well in her next journey after her retirement from AIT.
Dr. Eden Woon
AIT President
3) Webinar on "Discovering Plastic Leakage Hotspots"
Date: 2 June 2021
Time: 10.00 - 13.00 hrs.
4) Book Launching Webinar on “Water, Climate Change and Sustainability”
5) Webinar on "Discovering Plastic Leakage Hotspots"
Date: 2 June 2021
Time: 10.00 - 13.00 hrs.
6) The Visionary Entrepreneur Talk Series on "From bench to business - The making of E3A HEALTH"
We are pleased to invite you to join the launch of The Visionary Entrepreneur Talk Series with our first speaker Dr. Shawn Li who recently made it to the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30.
Dr. Shawn Li, was a former NUS student of our very own Prof. Dieter Trau, Dean of SET and Director of AIT EC. Dr. Li co-founded E3A Healthcare Pte. Ltd with Prof. Trau. E3A Healthcare is a Deep Medical Technology company working on non-invasive medical diagnostic and therapeutic devices, with the focus on Maternal & Newborn health and wearable technologies. The first product of the Singapore-based company is PTMaster, a phototherapy device that combines optoelectronics and signal processing to monitor jaundice in infants. E3A Healthcare has raised $1.5 million in funding from investors that include National University of Singapore (NUS) and Hong Kong X Startup Platform.
Topic: From bench to business - The making of E3A HEALTH
Date & Time: 08 June 2021, 3:00 PM Bangkok time
Register here: https://bit.ly/2RCshRL
7) Extended the Library closure until further notice
Email from AIT Library on 30 May 2021.
Dear all,
As the Covid-19 cases are still high and following the updated information from AIT COVID-19 Task Force, the Library closure will be extended until further notice. All books on loan will be automatically renewed to the end of June 2021, and the overdue book fines will not be incurred.
If you have any cases regarding the Library services or Library clearance during the closure, please contact staff on duty at the Library from 8.00 a.m. - 4.30 p.m.
Please find below for more information about the Library services during the closure.
Searching for Library resources:
Online journal databases and e-books databases: http://library.ait.ac.th or go to direct link of each database.
Library books: https://libopac.ait.ac.th/
e-Theses databases: http://203.159.12.58/ait-thesis
Please note that to download e-resources off-campus, you will be required to access the databases through AIT VPN. For more information about AIT VPN, please click on this link http://library.ait.ac.th/2019/04/20/off-campus-access-to-e-resources/.
For book loans, please send your request to library@ait.ac.th. Library staff will prepare the books for you. You can come to the Library for a loan. (The Book Loan Ride Thru Service is available from 8.00 a.m. - 4.30 p.m.)
For book return, please return books at the Automatic Books Drop at the side of the Library.
To request articles, e-Books, or past examination papers, please send an e-mail to library@ait.ac.th. The Library staff will find, scan and send you back the e-files.
To request printing at the Library, please send your request to library@ait.ac.th. You can come to use the photocopiers at the Library during 8 a.m. - 4.30 p.m.
For Library clearance, please send your request to libraryclearance@ait.ac.th. The library staff will check and process the library clearance online.
The Library will keep you updated on new library resources and services on the Library website and e-mail. If you have any problem with accessing the online databases or require any further assistance, please feel free to contact the Library.
B. Events
Training Courses/ Conferences/ Workshops
1) The National Conference on "Thailand and the SDGs: Learning and Boosting Implementation Together"
Join us for Session 2 of the National Conference on "Thailand and the SDGs: Learning and Boosting Implementation Together" on 02 June 2021
(2:00-5:00 PM, Bangkok Time)
The Conference aims to (i) raise awareness of SDGs among Thai stakeholders, especially concerning follow-up and review mechanisms; (ii) review the state of Thailand’s SDG implementation; (iii) identify Thailand’s priority SDG goals, current data gaps, and potential approaches for strengthening follow-up and review, including proxy indicators and data sources; (iv) identify priority research areas; and (v) capture lessons learned from Thailand that can be shared regionally and globally.
One hundred and fifty people from 35 countries participated in Session 1, which discussed SDG implementation status in the Asia-Pacific region, and SDG activities in Thailand.
Session 2 will identify opportunities for enhancing SDG implementation, including identifying priority data sources and proxies for SDG targets and indicators and highlight lessons from Thailand that can be shared regionally and globally.
Check out the Session 2 Agenda at: http://bitly.ws/dEwb
To go directly to the registration page, click this link:
https://forms.gle/iwLG1jcqMrG2jBre9
3) Online Professional Development Course on Artificial Intelligence for Healthcare: Innovations, Emerging Opportunities and Challenges (Batch 1)
We are pleased to announce that AIT Extension in collaboration with The Tanoto Center for Asian Family Business and Entrepreneurship Studies, HKUST, Hong Kong is about to organize Two Day International Workshop on " Asian Family Business and Family Office.
Instructors:
Prof. Roger King, Senior Advisor & Founding Director, Tanoto Center for Asian Family Business and Entrepreneurship Studies at HKUST.
Prof. Winnie Qian Peng, Director for Tanoto Center for Asian Family Business and Entrepreneurship Studies at HKUST.
Guest Speakers:
Mr. Isara Vongkusolkit, Honorary Chairman of Mitr Phol Sugar Group
Ms. Angel Young, Founder, and CEO of Harmony Advisors Ltd, Hong Kong.
Tuition Fee (Early Bird, offer expires 31th May): 200.00 USD
Tuition Fee THB : B6,000.00
Event Dates:
Saturday, 12th June 2021 (09:00-11:30 Bangkok Time)
Saturday, 19th June 2021 (09:00-12:30 Bangkok Time)
For more information and registration, please visit our website: https://extension.ait.ac.th/course/family-Business-Workshop
6) Online Course "Certification Course on Lean Six Sigma Green Belt"
Date 23rd June- 31st July 2021
Course Overview:
This Lean Six Sigma Green Belt course will dive deeply into the universally practiced process improvement methodologies of Lean Six Sigma, with both theoretical and practical components. This course will first teach participants the Lean Six Sigma methodologies, then have the participants successfully implement process improvement on live projects they bring to the course. With the instructors' guidance, students will use data collection and analysis skills and enact quantifiable improvements for their chosen projects.
For more information and application: Please visit the link
https://extension.ait.asia/course/1169
Participants will receive discount
Use Promo Code AIT to get a 15% discount!!
7) 2nd International Symposium on Disaster Resilience and Sustainable Development (DRSD)
We are happy to announce the "2nd International Symposium on Disaster Resilience and Sustainable Development” from 24 -25 June 2021 scheduled to be held at Asian Institute of Technology, THAILAND (In-person and Virtual) [www.disaster-sustainability.org]. The “2nd International Symposium on Disaster Resilience and Sustainable Development” organized by the Asian Institute of Technology brings together discussion on various dimensions of higher education systems in the Asia-Pacific region with a focus on Disaster Risk Reduction and Sustainable Development. The International Symposium will focus on various dimensions of existing and future risk scenarios and concerted efforts of the scientific communities to find new adaptation methods.
The international symposium will be organized from 24 -25 June 2021 in hybrid mode. The program will include keynote speeches, panel discussions, technical sessions, poster presentations, and academic exhibitions. The Symposium is one of the initiatives of ProSPER.Net project “Disaster Education for integrating SFDRR and SDG in Asia” lead by the Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand along with the partner universities in the Asia Pacific Region.
The symposium will also provide an opportunity to develop a Higher Educational Institution Platform on DRR to address the cross-cutting issues on Disaster Resilience and Sustainable Development and also understanding regional challenges that result from complex problems generated by natural hazards and human-induced threats.
On behalf of Organising Committee DRSD-2021, I would like to invite your valuable participation and interaction with Global Resilience and Sustainability Experts.
CALL for ABSTRACT is open
We will encourage you to circulate the announcement to your scientific and professional netw
8) 100 Innovations x Entrepreneurs : What Drives the Future?
WHAT DRIVES THE FUTURE?
The first 100 Innovations x Entrepreneurs (100X) event was organized by the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in 2019 as Southeast Asia’s first Research-to-Commercial conference to bridge the gap between academia and industry. The event also served as the venue to launch AIT’s Entrepreneurship Center, a breeding ground for future business leaders as well as a learning center with the ultimate goal of enhancing economic and social development. As our signature annual event, this year also AIT is organizing the second 100X in a new normal hybrid mode, a combination of online and in-person to also reach out to more people from different parts of the world. The theme for this event is What Drives the Future with a mindset to rethink our future by focusing on how we can improve the basic human needs such as Food, WellBeing, Living, Education, and Communication in context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).We believe that collaboration among different stakeholders: University, Industry, Government, and Civil Society is the key to safeguard our future and each stakeholder has a critical role to play in achieving the SDGs. Through this event, AIT, as one of the stakeholders, is reaching out to the Government, Industry and Civil Society to collaborate with us as co-organizer, partner, and participants.
More details:
100 Innovations X Entrepreneurs (ait.ac.th)
C. Classifieds (jobs)
Position: Assistant/Associate Professor, School of Environment, Resources, and Development (DDS/UIS)
Ref. No. 4/21
Deadline: 30 June 2021
http://www.hro.ait.ac.th/job/show/722
Position: Assistant/Associate Professor, School of Engineering & Technology (ISE-MEC)
Ref. No. 06/20
Deadline: 31 July 2021
http://www.hro.ait.ac.th/job/show/673
Position: Director, Language Center
Ref. No. 20/21
Deadline: 31 May 2021
http://www.hro.ait.ac.th/job/show/723
Position: Laborer, Structural Engineering Laboratory
Ref. No. 13/21
Deadline: 31 May 2021
http://www.hro.ait.ac.th/job/show715
Position: Civil Engineer, Structural Engineering Laboratory
Ref. No. 12/21
Deadline: 31 May 2021
http://www.hro.ait.ac.th/job/show/714
Position: Content Creator/Writer, Office of Public Affairs
Ref. No. 21/21
Deadline: 15 June 2021
http://www.hro.ait.ac.th/job/show/724