AIT Campus Bulletin

In this issue:

A. Announcements 

B. Workshops/ Conferences

C. Visitors/ MoU/ Agreement Signing 

D. Faculty & Staff Travel

E. Classifieds (jobs)

A. Announcement

1. Webinar #1 on SDG 6.3.1 Data Governance & Policies for Wastewater Management.

GWSC would like to invite you to attend the South & Southeast Asia Region Webinar #1 on SDG 6.3.1 Data Governance & Policies for Wastewater Management. This webinar will be held on the 21st November 2022, 14:00 to 16:15 hrs Bangkok Time GMT+7 (Virtual). 

 Wastewater treatment and its monitoring are a neglected area of the water cycle. In general, the sector has suffered from many decades of neglect, which has resulted in woefully inadequate treatment and discharge in many countries. Inadequate wastewater treatment and discharge are causing significant damage to the environment as well as to human health and economy, even in developed economies. As new threats are also identified in the form of priority and emerging pollutants in urban and industrial (treated) wastewater effluents, strong efforts must be made to improve wastewater management, treatment and reuse. 

The ultimate objective of this framework is to help countries achieve Target 6.3 by promoting wastewater safe treatment and reuse among sanitation and water utilities, through stimulated investment. The program of activities will benefit utilities generating valuable data and that, to some extent, are already informing governmental institutions, ministries of water/environment or equivalent institutions, for the preparation of national statistics on wastewater production and treatment. The Urban Wastewater 2030 initiative will develop and issue a “Call for Action” for governments, water professionals and financiers to take action on improvement of sustainable wastewater services and therefore contributing to the SDG 6 Global Framework for Acceleration.   

Please find the attached program agenda for your kind reference.

Please click the link to register: https://ait-ac-th.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEuc--trDgqEtS_wfh7Lrcxcd-jA...

For more information please contact:

Mr. Hendra Gupta

AIT Global Water and Sanitation Center

hendragupta@ait.asia

Thank you and we look forward to seeing you there! 

 

 

 

2. The Bridge Between Business and Environmental Aspirations

Register

Tuesday, 29 November 2022 at 1:00 PM ICT Thailand

Mr. Yash Lohia will address how to bridge the gap between traditional business models and net zero aspirations of the future in his Keynote speech – sharing his personal story of how he became a bridge between the hopes of the next generation and the business models of the past.

Born in New Delhi, and raised in Thailand, Yash is the oldest son of Aloke Lohia, Founder of Indorama Ventures PCL (IVL), a sustainable chemical company with a consolidated 2021 revenue of US$14.6 billion. Headquartered in Thailand, the firm has more than 26,000 employees in more than 35 countries. 

Yash’s career started in IVL’s Packaging division, overseeing the company’s operations across seven countries. Later setting up the first Philippines Packaging division in 2013, followed by working in the Fibers business in 2018. During this time, Yash built a personal passion for sustainability and wanted to make an impact on the chemicals industry and beyond. So, in 2019, he became IVL’s first-ever Chief Recycling Officer, and later IVL’s Chief Sustainability Officer. Since then, his vision has been instrumental in defining IVL's path to Sustainability, including the ambition to recycle 50 billion polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles per year by 2025, and a US $1.5 billion investment to build the recycling infrastructure needed to divert waste from the marine environment. 

Yash believes recycling will be a growth engine to drive industry and sustainability goals forward. And he will share his insights into how businesses can align sustainability performance with traditional metrics, like revenue and growth. 

 

3. December 31, 2022 closing announcement

Email from Finance Department on 16 November 2022

To ensure that there will be no overlapping of transactions between 2022 and 2023, please strictly adhere to the following guidelines:

1)      2022 Payments cut off

●        All “approved” 2022 Payment Requests/ Cash Payment Summary with attached supplier invoices/receipts (dated within 2022) should be received by Finance Office by 22nd December 2022

●        Please avoid any delay in submission of the above documents since Finance has a deadline to close the annual account. Delay in submission means your request for payment will not be able to charge to the 2022 budget.

2)      Payroll

●        Overtime cut off is 13th December.

●        Actual overtime up to the cut-off date plus estimation of overtime for the remaining weeks up to 31st December 2022 must reach the Finance Office by 13th of December 2022 for accrual in 2022 account.

●        Failure to submit estimated overtime within the deadline means there will be no budget to pay the overtime.

●        All completed documents for reimbursement/refund through salary should reach Finance before 13 December; if not, it will be paid together with January’s salary.

3)      Purchase Requisition (PR) and Purchase Orders (PO)

Before issuing Purchase Requisition and Purchase Order in December 2022, please check whether works/services can be delivered/completed within the year 2022 or not.  If yes, Purchase Requisition must be approved before 13th December 2022 and all Purchase Orders must be approved before 16th December 2022.

Work/service/Goods which cannot be completed/delivered by Suppliers/Contractors within 2022 will be charged to 2023 budget, even if Purchase Requisitions/Purchase Orders are issued in 2022. The external Auditor will not accept to record goods /services delivered in 2023 as transactions of 2022.

For materials/ services to be delivered in 2022, please request suppliers to submit their Suppliers’ invoices to the Finance Office by December 31 for recording in the 2022 account.

Note: There is a common misunderstanding that by simply placing Purchase Requisition (PR) or Purchase Order (PO) in 2022, it is sufficient to utilize the 2022 budget.

4)      Settlement of outstanding Promissory Note and RTA

     Please settle your Promissory note and RTA within 22nd December 2022.                                                                                       

5)      Invoicing Income

●        Schools/Units are requested to submit Requests pertaining to work/services performed for third parties in 2022 (e.g. fees recoverable from donors, income due from project sponsors) to the Finance Office by 22nd December 2022.

6)      Internal Charges

●        All Units which have authority to update Internal Charges through ERP must ensure that the charges of 2022 have been completely updated by 22nd December 2022. Units which do not have the authority must submit the Internal Charge Form to the Finance Office by 22nd December 2022.

Other issues

7)      Sponsored Projects under Fund 30

Schools/Cost centers must ensure that Form E has been completely issued for all closing projects in 2022. Please also provide the list of the completed projects (both Academic and non-Academic projects) to the Finance office. Khun Vandee, Administrative Staff, will contact schools/units for the list.

For further enquiries, please contact:

●        Ms. Orawan Kosaipolkul, Senior Accounting Manager Ext # 6346

●        Ms. Duangdao, Finance Manager Ext # 6342 (for Payment)

●        Ms Sureeporn, Deputy Director, Procurement, Inventory and Assets Ext # 5029 (for Purchase Requisition and Purchase Order)

 

4.) Appointment of Library Committee member for 1 September 2022 – 31 August 2023

Email from Professor Shobhakar Dhakal, Vice President for Academic Affairs on 16 November 2022.

Dear AIT members,

AIT Library Committee is a standing committee of the Institute that consists of representatives from schools, students, the Office of Academic Administration, and the Library. The duties and functions of the Library Committee are:

• To provide advice to the Library on all aspects of the operation of the Library.

• To provide advice to the Library on preparing the annual budget estimates of the Library for Library resources.

• To review and decide on subscription renewal of the Online Subscription Databases.

• To look into students' complaints, if any.

• To advise the Library regarding general library development.

• To exchange information about the Library and information requirements of the academic community of departments, centers, and students.

• To contribute to the development of Library and information strategy, policies, services, and resources.

In this regard, I am pleased to appoint Assist. Prof. Dr. Gadagamma Chaitanya Krishna as a chairman and the representatives below to serve as the Library Committee member for 1 September 2022 – 31 August 2023.

• Assist. Prof. Dr. Gadagamma Chaitanya Krishna (Chairman and SET representative)

• Assist. Prof. Dr. Sushil Kumar Himanshu (SERD representative)

• Assist. Prof. Dr. Tobias Endress (SOM representative)

• Mr. Fahim Shahriar (Student Union President)

• Mrs. Izel Ann Mojado Dante (Director, OAA)

• Ms. Watcharin Intha (Director, Library)

If you have any issues with the Library resources, facilities, or services, you can propose them to the Library Committee through these Committee Members.

Your comments and suggestions are welcome to improve our Library.

Thank you.

 

5. Join Video/poster contest with prize up to 5000B / Topic : Reduce Food Waste and/or Conserve Energy in your daily life / last date: 30 Nov 2022

Sent on behalf of the Office of Sustainable Campus on 14 November 2022

Dear AIT Community,

With reference to our earlier email, we are extending the contest submission date to 30 November 2022. Most importantly we are not limiting the contest topic to reducing food waste only, but we included the topic of energy conservation as well now, to give more flexibility and more participation. You can submit both the video and poster or just a video or a poster on either of the topics. The Office of Sustainable Campus organizes this contest as part of the awareness program to reduce food waste and conserve energy. 

Hurry up and submit before the exams start to win the prize!

•Grand Prize: 5000 baht 

Video Contest (Reducing Food or Energy Waste)

•First Prize: 2000 baht

•Second Prize: 1000 baht 

•General Prizes

Poster Contest (Reducing Food or Energy Waste)

•First Prize: 2000 baht

•Second Prize: 1000 baht 

•General Prizes 

Who are eligible to participate:

Students, Staff, Faculty, Residents, any AIT associates, and Children

Looking for Ideas on what to create:

Click on the link here for sample Videos and Posters

Last date of submission: 30 November 2022

Topic: Reduce food waste / Conserve Energy

 

6) AIT Official Public Holidays and Year-End Break for the Year 2023

In line with Institute policies, the following are the 14 designated official public holidays, and 6-day year-end break, for the year 2023. 

Date	Month	Day	Holiday
2	January	Monday	New Year’s Day (substitute)
6	April	Thursday	Chakri Memorial Day
13	April	Thursday	Songkran Festival
14	April	Friday	Songkran Festival
17	April	Monday	Songkran Festival (substitute)
1	May	Monday	Labor Day
4	May	Thursday	Coronation Day
5	June	Monday	H.M. Queen Suthida's Birthday (substitute)
28	July	Friday	H.M. The King’s Birthday
1	August	Tuesday	Asarnha Bucha Day
14	August	Monday	H.M. The Queen Mother’s Birthday (substitute)
13	October	Friday	H.M. Late King Bhumibol Memorial Day
23	October	Monday	Chulalongkorn Memorial Day
5	December	Tuesday	Birthday Anniversary of H.M. the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej/Father’s Day
22	December	Friday	Year-End-Break
25	December	Monday	Year-End-Break
26	December	Tuesday	Year-End-Break
27	December	Wednesday	Year-End-Break
28	December	Thursday	Year-End-Break
29	December	Friday	Year-End-Break

 

Please be guided accordingly.

Office of Human Resources Services 

 

7) Performance Evaluation Phase 3 is Now Open

To all Immediate Supervisors, Unit Directors of Centrally-Funded Staff Members and Centrally-Funded Staff Members,

The third phase of our Performance Management System 2022 is now open.  The online system can be accessed through HRIS (https://hris.ait.ac.th) until 30 November 2022.

Phase 3 is an “Employee Self-Assessment and Immediate Supervisor Feedback”.  This is the time where the immediate supervisor and the employee meet at the end of the performance cycle to discuss the employees’ overall performance and the competencies demonstrated in achieving the work plan and goals. These are discussed, along with any changes or comments from the informal progress review, to assess achievements throughout the year.

Please follow these steps below to successfully complete the Performance Evaluation process online for PHASE 3

A. For Employees   

To help you prepare for your self-assessment, please refer to the  “Employee Preparation” and “Preparing for a Performance Review – Checklist for Employee Self-Assessment” on pages 14-16 of our Guide to AIT Performance Management for Staff.

1.  Click "Employee Evaluation" then follow the following steps.

1.1  Click the “PE Cover Form”

1.2.  Set the date of your meeting with your immediate supervisor.

1.3.  Write your additional comments if you wish at the box provided.  

1.4.  And click "SUBMIT". 

2.  Click the “Employee Reflection”. In this section, you can reflect on your own performance, review what was accomplished in the work plan.  Your self-assessment should be brief and highlight the major accomplishments of the reporting cycle. After completing the Self-Reflection form, click "SUBMIT”.

3.  However, if you are not confident to submit your self-assessment yet and you need more time to finalize it, you can click “SAVE” first and return to this page later to complete it. Make sure you complete this task before your meeting.

4.  A notice on top of the page will inform you if you have successfully submitted your form. Watch out for this notice!

5. Click “Comments and Sign Off”. This will ONLY be done after your immediate supervisor had completed the competency assessment and performance evaluation rating and had a discussion with you.

6.  Write your general comments on the box provided and click “SUBMIT”. This is the end of your performance cycle process.

B. For Immediate Supervisors (Evaluators)

The immediate supervisor rates the employee based on the performance factors that best describe the employee’s performance during the period under review. The immediate supervisor provides an overall recommendation based on the performance factors.

To help you prepare for your meeting with your subordinates, please read  “Immediate Supervisor Preparation” on page 15  and the rating guidelines on pages 17-19 of our Guide to AIT Performance Management for Staff. 

1.  You will be notified once your subordinates have set the date of your meeting. Please make yourself available on that date and be prepared to discuss the self-assessment of your subordinates

2.  Employee Self-Assessment should be discussed with your subordinates on the scheduled date. However, if for some reason the scheduled date is not followed, the date of the meeting should be changed to the actual date that the meeting takes place. To set a new meeting date, please follow the instructions described in points 6 and 7 below.

3.  To view your subordinates' self-reflection, click "Supervisor Evaluation” and follow the following steps.

3.1 Click “Employee Self Assessment”  

3.2 Click “APR” to view your subordinates' "Employee Reflection".

3.3 Write your comments in the designated space and click “SUBMIT”.  Remember you can only "submit" after you have written your comments.

3.4 A notice on top of the page will inform you if you have successfully submitted your form. Watch out for this notice!

4. Click “Immediate Supervisor Assessment”

4.1. Click “APR” to complete your performance rating. Review the rating guidelines if needed.

4.2. Click “SUBMIT”. At this point, you have already completed the assessment in your capacity as the immediate supervisor. If you are also the Unit Director or Department Head, you may want to immediately complete your feedback on the “Recommendation from the Department Head/Dean” and click “SUBMIT.”

5. Click “Comments and Sign Off”. This will follow after the employee has signed off.  This section should be completed by the Unit Director or Department Head.  Click “SUBMIT” to complete the performance evaluation cycle.

6. To reset the meeting date or employee reflection or supervisor feedback, click "Click to Reset".

7. A new page will open and click the “Reset” which corresponds to the activity you would like to reset.

Important Reminders:

1.  A rating of “Exceeds Expectations” or “Does not Meet Expectations” should be supported by evidence (anecdotal or documented).

2.  Any rating of “Does Not Meet Expectations” requires an agreed-upon and monitored improvement plan or PIP.  To access the PIP Form, click on “Performance Improvement Plan”. Complete the form and click “SUBMIT”.

PIP is implemented, at the discretion of the supervisor, when it becomes necessary to help an employee improve their performance. The supervisor, with input from the affected employee, develops an improvement plan; the purpose of the activities outlined is to help the individual to attain the desired level of performance. Please refer to page 11 of our guide for more details.

Please complete Phase 3 by November 30, 2022. 

Should you encounter technical problems, please report them to Helpdesk (helpdesk@ait.asia).  Please convey other feedback to OHRS (director-ohrs@ait.asia). 

 

B. Workshops/ Conferences  

1) The Water Security and Climate Change Conferences

Date: 1-3 December 2022

Venue: Hybrid (with physical sessions at the Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand)

Organizers: CNRD (TH Köln), SWINDON (TU Braunschweig), FSC (Univ. Hohenheim),

SDG Network (Univ. Gießen), ABCD Centre (TU Dresden), & the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT).

The Water Security and Climate Change (WSCC) series of conferences have been held on an annual basis since 2016. The first edition of the conference was organized in Bangkok (2016), and subsequently in Cologne (2017), Nairobi (2018), San Luis Potosí (2019), and Hanoi (2021). The overarching objective of these conferences is to proliferate the exchange of knowledge and practical know-how on the intrinsic relationship between water security and climate change, with a view to advance fundamental and action research in this domain that will help humankind address one of the greatest challenges of our times.

The WSCC conferences have become a notable academic platform for scientific, technical discourses, and policy-oriented discourses and discussions, evidenced by the increased number of participants each year. Furthermore, the conference has also contributed to the strengthening of the EXCEED by connecting member networks as well as raising awareness on the topic of water security and climate change. The conference additionally broadens its organization committee in 2022 by including the DAAD-funded organizations SDG nexus Network and ABCD-Center.

This year, the WSCC will be held from 01–03 December 2022 in Bangkok. The conference will be organized in a hybrid format, with a selected number of participants invited to Bangkok to present their work in person, while some sessions organized online for a wider audience.

Conference website: https://watersecurity.info

Call for abstract submission:  https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=wscc2022

 

2) International Symposium in Pattaya, 8-10 Dec 2022

Email was sent on behalf of the School of Engineering and Technolog on 24 August 2022.

I would like to invite you to participate in the 1st International Symposium on ONE HEALTH, ONE WORLD (OHOW). This is the first one in its series. The Symposium is initiated and organized by AIT and the University of Tokyo. 

The scope of the Symposium covers many subjects, which include, for example,

• Urban Safety & Disaster Mitigation,
• Pollution and environmental risk management,
• Climate change and water resources,
• Pandemic and public health issues,
• Biodiversity, wildlife and terrestrial ecosystems,
• Carbon emissions

You might be interested to share your work on these subjects in this Symposium. There will be many researchers from the University of Tokyo joining this Symposium.

Only an extended abstract is required (a full paper is not required), and the deadline is September 16th, 2022 (about 4- 5 weeks from now). The deadline is not rigid. All these abstracts will be open to the public after the symposium.

The venue is Pattaya. Most likely it will be a good hotel in Jomtien Beach. All participants and their family can enjoy it.

The registration fee is quite low: 150 US$ for domestic participants (Thai & non-Thai) and 50 US$ for domestic students (Thai & non-Thai).

It is a 2-day symposium followed by a one-day technical/cultural tour.

Please also help promote this symposium by distributing the attached symposium brochure to your colleagues and those who might be interested.

Thank you very much & looking forward to seeing you in the Symposium.

 

3) The 17th Asian Internet Engineering Conference

The 17th Asian Internet Engineering Conference (AINTEC), in cooperation with ACM SIGCOMM, provides an international technical forum for experts from industry and academia. AINTEC especially aims at addressing issues pertinent to the Asia and Pacific region, with vast diversities of socio-economic and networking conditions, while inviting high quality and recent research results from the Internet research community at large. AINTEC 2022 follows the previous sixteen successful editions. The conference is single-track and features a technical program with significant opportunities for individual and small-group discussions among a diverse set of participants. The technical sessions will include invited talks by leading experts, presentations of papers, demos, and posters.

For more details: https://interlab.ait.ac.th/aintec2022/

 

 

 

C. Visitors/ MoU/ Agreement Signing 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

D. Faculty & Staff Travel

 

Prof. Kazuo Yamamoto, President / Kathmandu, Nepal/ 25-28 November 2022

Dr. Naveed Anwar, VPKT/ Kathmandu, Nepal/ 25 - 27 November 2022

Mr. Karma Rana / Kathmandu, Nepal/ 24-28 November 2022

Dr. Christopher J. Garnier/ Kathmandu, Nepal/ 25 - 28 November 2022

Mr. Jonathan Brenes Salazar, RRCC.AP/ San Jose, Costa Rica/ 11 Dec 2022 - 17 January 2023

Ms. Araya Wicheansan / Kathmandu, Nepal/ 20 - 25 November 2022

Dr. Atitaya Panuvatvanich/ Kathmandu, Nepal/ 20 - 23 November 2022

Dr. Sarawut Ninsawat, SET/ Khonkaen, Thailand/ 24 - 27 November 2022

Prof. Weerakorn Ongsakul/ Nakhonnayok, Thailand/ 29- 30 November 2022

Dr. Indrajit Pal/ HCMC, Vietnam/ 22 - 26 November 2022

Prof. Kyoko Kusakabe/Kochi, India/ 20 - 23 November 2022

Prof. Sangam Shrestha, SET / Chicago, USA/ 9 - 18 December 2022

Prof. Weerakorn Ongsakul, SERD/ Cha Am, Thailand/ 7 - 10 December 2022

Prof. C. Visvanathan / HCMC, Vietnam/ 22 - 27 November 2022

Dr. Sanit Arunplod / Khongkaen, Thailand/ 24 - 27 November 2022

Ms. Charina May Lepiten / Manila, Phlippines/ 21 - 27 November 2022

Ms. Watcharathorn Chantinathorn/ Cha Am, Thailand/ 6 - 11 December 2022

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 E. Classifieds (jobs) 

 

Position: Assistant/ Associate Professor (SERD-EECC-ETM) 
Ref: 4/ 22
Deadline: 30 November 2022
http://www.hro.ait.ac.th/job/show/798

Position: Assistant/ Associate Professor (SERD/ DDS/ UIS)
Ref: 2/ 22
Deadline: 15 December 2022
http://www.hro.ait.ac.th/job/show/770