AIT Campus Bulletin

In this issue:

A. Announcements 

B. Events

C. Faculty and Staff Travel

D. Classifieds (jobs)

A. Announcements 

1) New Quarantine Regulations and Other Updates from the AIT COVID-19 Task

Email from the Director, Office of Academic Administration on 31 October 2021.

Dear AIT Family,

With effect from Monday, 1 November 2021, the Thai Government is putting in place new regulations as part of the Government’s gradual reopening plans for the country.  Please read this email carefully as it covers a number of new policies for Thailand and for AIT.

I.    QUARANTINE – Anyone arriving in Thailand from 1 November, will be grouped into three categories:

Category 1 – Fully vaccinated arriving from a ‘low risk’ country (currently 63 countries)

Category 2 – Fully vaccinated from a non-‘low risk’ country

Category 3 – Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated

In light of the above, the AIT quarantine requirements will be adjusted from 1 November 2021 for the three different categories as follows: 

Category 1 – Fully vaccinated arriving from a ‘low risk’ country – Anyone who is fully vaccinated and arriving from one of the 63 countries (see Link below) deemed to be low risk must stay one night in an SHA+ certified hotel or alternative quarantine hotel for one night while they await the result of a RT-PCR test taken upon their arrival.  If the test is negative, they are free to travel anywhere in Thailand.

AIT students and employees (and their spouses) who come under Category 1, will need to make a reservation for one night in an SHA+ certified hotel or alternative quarantine hotel.  [Please note that our AIT OQ cannot accommodate those in this Category, who are exempt from Phase 1 of the AIT quarantine requirement.]  Upon testing negative for COVID-19, they can leave the SHA+ certified hotel or alternative quarantine hotel.  However, they will be required to undergo their Phase 2 Self-Isolation (SI) either at AIT or off-campus.  For Category 1 individuals, the duration of the Phase 2 SI will be reduced from 7 to 6 days.

Category 2 - Fully vaccinated from a non-‘low risk’ country 

AIT students and employees (and their spouses) who come under Category 2, may undergo their entire 7-day Phase 1 quarantine at the AIT OQ or at an SHA+ hotel in a Blue Zone ‘sandbox’ area.  (See Link below for explanation.)  After completing Phase 1, they will be required to undergo a 7-day Phase 2 Self-Isolation either at AIT or off-campus. 

Category 3 – Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated 

AIT students and employees (and their spouses) who come under Category 3 will need to undergo a 10-day Phase 1 quarantine at an alternative quarantine hotel or at the AIT OQ.  After completing Phase 1, they would need to undergo a 7-day Phase 2 Self-Isolation either at AIT or off-campus.

Please note that from 1 November 2021 onwards, the Certificate of Entry (COE) will not be issued anymore.  It will be replaced by the Thailand Pass which is an electronic entry certification, and one needs to register for the Thailand Pass at least 7 days before the departure date.  However, a COE approved before 1 November 2021 remains valid to enter Thailand.

Further details on the Thailand Pass, entry requirements for the different categories and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs updated notification on the low risk countries are available in the below links:

https://twitter.com/MFAThai/status/1454464578541158401

https://www.tatnews.org/entry-thailand-frequently-asked-questions/

https://www.mfa.go.th/en/content/thailand-pass-faqs

When preparing for your travel to Thailand it is important that you check with the Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate General in your respective country for the latest information and any updates they may have in terms of the entry requirements.  Remember, entry and quarantine policies and requirements are subject to change based on the COVID-19 circumstances.

II.             ONLINE CLASSES and WORK-FROM-HOME (WFH) – Online classes and Work-from-Home (WFH) will continue until 30 November 2021, or until further notice.  However, laboratory work with social distancing will be allowed.  Further details on the guidelines on this will be communicated by the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

III.           FURTHER EASING of Certain Restrictions at AIT – We would like to announce further relaxation of the following restrictions for the AIT campus with effect from Monday, 1 November 2021:

Overnight guests will now be allowed, and the AIT Conference Center (AITCC) can now accept bookings / reservations.  However, all overnight guests at AIT (AITCC and on-campus residences) must inform the Task Force and present proof of vaccination status or submit a negative ATK test result (with certificate) 72 hours prior to check-in.

Full contractor services on campus will be resumed.

Following the Thai Government’s announcement that from 1 November onwards, the nighttime curfew will be lifted in most provinces including Pathum Thani where AIT is located, the main entrance of AIT, Gate 1, will remain open.

IV.           ACCOMMODATION Unit: New occupants of the on-campus accommodation units will be requested to present proof of vaccination status or submit a negative ATK test result (with certificate) 72 hours prior to check-in.  AIT will facilitate the vaccination of its new students and employees who are still not vaccinated 

V.             VACCINATION opportunities through phone companies – There are now new vaccination opportunities as follows:

1.     For members of AIT and their dependents who received two (2) doses of Sinovac only (not Sinopharm) – AIT is working with the Department of Disease Control (DDC) in availing of the AstraZeneca booster dose.  However, it is not yet known when the allocation for AIT will be available.  While waiting for the allocation from the DDC, there are other ways to register for the AstraZeneca booster through any of the telephone operators, i.e. AIS, TRUE, DTAC and NT using the following links.  One does not need to have a subscription in these phone companies to register.  The period of administration of the booster shot is from 1-30 November 2021.

Several AIT community members have already been able to confirm appointments through these channels.  Based on those who have registered, doing so through the AIS website is the most convenient.

AIS: www.ais.th/vaccine

TRUE: vaccine.trueid.net

DTAC: https://app.dtac.co.th/vaccine/index.html

NT : https://covid19vaccine.ntplc.co.th

2.     For members of the AIT and their dependents who did not yet receive any vaccine – This group can also register through the above same links and will receive the two dose Sinovac/AstraZeneca combination.  The period of administration of the vaccine for this group is from 1-10 November 2021.

It is of utmost importance that despite the relaxation of measures we must still have a vigilant mindset and continue to adhere to good practices.  Please keep abreast of the news, and continue with D-M-H-T-T-A precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19: D – Distancing, M – Mask wearing, H – Handwashing, T– Temperature check, T– Testing for COVID-19, and A– alert application.

Please check with the Task Force if you have any queries and also visit the Intranet page where all COVID-19 related information and updates from the Task Force are available.

Thank you for your cooperation.

AIT COVID-19 Task Force

2) Wellness Counseling - Available Online this November 2021

Email from the Office of Student Affairs on 29 October 2021 

Dear students, 

Greetings from the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) !

We are pleased to inform you that this November starting from Wednesday, 3 November 2021, special health counseling sessions will be conducted again every Wednesday and Friday by a professional psychologist.  This is to provide the best possible welfare to AIT students which includes mental health counseling and wellness, especially in this challenging time of the COVID-19 pandemic and social difficulties.  

The schedule on Wednesdays and Fridays, from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 pm is online through 2 platforms: Zoom Meeting and Google Meet. 

The first session will be on 3 November 2021 (Wednesday) from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.  The doctor can accommodate approximately 45 mins counseling and mental health promotion for each student.  

Appointment will be on a first-come-first-serve basis through the Wellness Counseling registration form in this link 

We look forward to welcoming you and encourage you to make use of this opportunity, which is currently twice a week.

3) Seminar: Some Recent Trends in Development Studies and Climate Change by Dr. Mokbul Morshed Ahmad

You are cordially invited to a public seminar via Zoom to be delivered by Dr. Mokbul Morshed Ahmad, Associate Professor in the Regional and Rural Development Planning (RRDP) academic program, Department of Development & Sustainability (DS), School of Environment, Resources and Development.

Seminar Topic: Some Recent Trends in Development Studies and Climate Change

Dr. Mokbul will talk on his works in areas of international development, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and adaptation to climate change. He will also discuss some of his recent works on the effects of the covid-19 pandemic and highlight his plans for his future works in these areas.

Date: 2 November 2021 (Tuesday)

Time: 1:00 – 2:15 pm

Join Zoom:

https://ait-ac-th.zoom.us/j/93609229126?pwd=dm1acEVheVMzT0ZRSVZEdTVTTmlZ...

Meeting ID: 936 0922 9126

Passcode: 835745

The public seminar provides an opportunity to our faculty members to present their most significant contributions to their field of expertise or area of research.

4) The virtual 50th AITAA Governing Board Meeting and Global Reunion

The Asian Institute of Technology Alumni Association (AITAA) is inviting all AIT alumni and friends to join the virtual 50th AITAA Governing Board Meeting and Global Reunion with the 1st Global AITAA Symposium and Exhibition on 20-21 November 2021 to be hosted by AITAA Vietnam Chapter in partnership with AIT Extension. Please check all activities and register to reserve your slot by clicking this link AIT Extension (https://extension.ait.ac.th/page/50th-aitaa-governing-board-meeting-and-...)

50th AITAA Governing Board Meeting and Global Reunion

1st Global AITAA Symposium and Exhibition

Connect, Communicate, Collaborate, Contribute

… for a better tomorrow…

20-21 November 2021

Vietnam

The Asian Institute of Technology Alumni Association (AITAA) holds an annual Governing Board Meeting (GBM) for all its member chapters spread worldwide. This year 2021, AITAA Vietnam Chapter hosts the 50th AITAA GBM for our AIT Family. The 1st Global AITAA Symposium and Exhibition will be inaugurated to showcase solutions on key regional issues. The Exhibition will be accessible globally 24x7 for 365 days.

 

B. Events

Training Courses/ Conferences/ Workshops

1) Certificate Course on Lean Six Sigma Black Belt

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