AIT: A Regional Hub for Sustainable

1
AIT A Regional Hub for Sustainable
Development Capacity Building in the Asia
Pacific
S. Kumar and C. Visvanathan
UNEP-Tongji University Brain Storming
Meeting Beijing, 17-18 September 2003
2
ASIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

• Founded in 1959 as SEATO Graduate School of
  Engineering
• Transformed in 1967 into the Asian Institute of
  Technology

AITs mission To develop highly qualified and
committed professionals who will play a leading
role in the sustainable development of the region
and its integration into the global economy"
3

• PRESENTATION OBJECTIVES and OUTLINE
• To share
• experiences related to the implementation of
  education for sustainable development at AIT, and
• strengths of AIT, particularly covering
  inter-disciplinary and applied approaches
  regarding sustainable development

4
AIT Facts and Figures
Number of countries 71 Number of alumnus 12,508
Alumni (1961- August 2003)
Number of countries 28 Number of faculty 162
Faculty
Trustees
Number of countries 21 Number of trustees 30
5
AIT Facts and Figures
Recipient of the
1987 Science and Technology for Development
Award by USAID and NRC, USA
1989 Ramon Magsaysay Award for International
Understanding
1995 Asian Development Management Award by the
Asian Institute of Management and the Far Eastern
Economic Review
2000 3rd best Executive MBA in Asia (Asia Week,
May 2000) 2003 Member, Global Network on
Energy for Sustainable Development (GNESD)
6
Facts about AIT
Asias pioneer institution for advanced education
and research in engineering, technology, science,
planning and management
Students (September 2003)
1,850
7
SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT
A C T I V I T I E S
Masters program 4 semesters Doctoral program 6
semesters (min)
Academic
Sponsored Research Training, Demonstration and
Outreach
Others
SERD FOCI
Poverty Alleviation
Energy and Environment
Sustainable Development
8
(No Transcript)
9
(No Transcript)
10
Categories of services on Sustainable
Development at AIT
? Formal Training ? Professional Training
Programs ? Research and Consulting
11
Masters degree

• Students admitted according to fields of study
  (fos)
• Total credits required 48
• Minimum GPA 2.75
• Courses from other fos and schools encouraged
• Thesis option (26-32 credits of coursework)
• Research study option (38 credits of course
  work)

Doctoral degree

• Total credits required 84
• Minimum GPA 3.5
• Publication in an International Refereed Journal
• Dissertation

12
Offerings related to Sustainable Development
Technology

• Agriculture
• Aquaculture
• Energy
• Natural Resource Management
• Environmental Engineering and Management
• Urban Environment
• Rural Development and Planning

Management
Planning

• Others
• Remote Sensing
• GIS

• Cleaner Production
• Integrated Tropical Coastal
• Zone Management
• Climate Change (tbi)

13
Concepts related to Sustainable Development

• Resources
• Energy, water,
• Applications
• Industry, transport..
• Planning Tools
• Project evaluation,
• Efficient Resource Consumption
• Quality,.
• Technologies
• Renewable energy,
• Monitoring
• Air quality

14
Strength of AIT Unique Courses

• Relevant and diversified academic programs with
  outstanding research capability and experience
• Development of Interdisciplinary Concepts

IWC (Semester System) Sustainable Development
Issues and Options 2 (2-0)
Catalog Description Introduction, sustainable
energy issues and option, sustainable
agriculture/forestry issues and options,
sustainable water resources issues and options
policy options for sustainable development
15
Strength of AIT Willing to Innovate
Relevant and diverse academic programs with
outstanding research capability and experience in
the fields related to sustainable development

• Courses with faculty from different areas of
  specialisation
• Autonomy, openness and flexibility, allowing
  quick responses to emerging regional needs.
• External resource persons

Example Program on Cleaner Production
16
Strength of AIT International Environment for
Exchange of information

• International students, faculty and staff, often
  cited as probably the most diverse and
  heterogeneous grouping in Asia.
• Exceptional network of regional and global
  contacts through donors, partners and alumni

• Students from all over the world (89 countries,
  as of September 2003)
• Student exchange program with many European
  Universities
• An International faculty

17
Strength of AIT State of the art learning
environment and research

• Excellent infrastructure, with state-of-the-art
  research laboratories, a well-equipped library,
  international standard conference facilities and
  information systems.
• Information resources using in-house databases
  and other sources
• Research relevant to the region

18
PARTICIPATING INSTITUTIONS
Photovoltaics Bangladesh Grameen
Shakti Centre for Mass Education in
Science Cambodia Ministry of Industry, Mines
and Energy Lao PDR Science, Technology Envir.
Agency Nepal Centre for Renewable
Energy Vietnam Solar Laboratory, Institute of
Physics Solar Drying Cambodia Cambodia
Institute of Technology Nepal Res. Centre for
Applied Science Tech Philippines University
of the Philippines Biomass Briquetting Bangladesh
Bangladesh Institute of Technology VietNam Ins
titute of Energy Nepal RONAST Overall
Coordination   AIT, Thailand
Renewable Energy Technologies in Asia A
Regional Research and Dissemination Programme
(RETs in Asia)

• To promote the diffusion of selected mature/
  nearly mature Renewable Energy Technologies in
  six Asian countries through the adaptation of the
  technologies to local conditions.
• Phase I 1997-98 (2 yrs)
• Phase II 1999-2001 (3 yrs)
• Phase III 2002-2004 (2 yrs)

OBJECTIVE
Funded by Sida
19
(RETs in Asia Activities)

• Adaptive research of PV systems and accessories,
  renewable energy based drying and
• biomass
• briquetting.

• Demonstration and performance
  monitoring of PV, drying and
  briquetting systems/briquette stoves

PV in Bangladesh

• Dissemination of PV, solar drying and
  briquetting systems/ briquette stoves to
  policy-makers, entrepreneurs and others

Biomass stoves in VietNam
http//www.retsasia.ait.ac.th/
Renewable energy drying system at AIT
20
Selected ASIAN COLLABORATING INSTITIONS
(RESEARCH)
CHINA CRED, ERI, CESTT
NEPAL CRE, RECAST, RONAST
JAPAN FUJI, IGES
INDIA IISc, IIT, CEA, IGIDR, PSG
LAOS STEA
CAMBODIA ITC, MIME
VIETNAM IE, NEDCEN, DOSTE, SOLARLAB
SRI LANKA UM, SLEMA, CEB, ISB
PHILIPPINES UP, ITDI, SATMP
MALAYSIA FRI
BANGLADESH BIT, GS
INDONESIA CU, FIIEE, ITB
THAILAND NEPO, DEDP, SIIT
21
Strength of AIT Regional Networks
SMI in Asia Energy, Environment and Climate
Interrelations, ARRPEEC - Sida
22
Recent Activities on SD at AIT

• LEAD International Workshop on Sustainable
  Development, 15 September, 2003.
• Seminar Energy for Sustainable Development
  Access to information resources, 2 July and 9
  September 2003 (EPPO).
• International Energy Journal Special issue on CP
  in the Asia Pacific, June 2003 (AIT).
• Environmental Workshop on GMS Capapcity Building
  for sustainable development, April 3-4, 2003.
• Curriculum Building on CP Sri Lanka and Vietnam
  (UNIDO)

23
Recent Activities on SD at AIT

• Promoting E3ST in Small and medium scale
  industries in 5 Asian countries (Sida)
• Short term course (4 weeks) on Sustainable
  Development by AIT- UNU.
• Publications
• Thesis,
• Booklets,
• Technology fact sheets,
• Journal/conference articles.

24
AITs Pivotal Role in SD Promotion
25

• IN THE FUTURE.
• Curricula
• Formal structured courses on Sustainable
  Development
• Types
• Masters/Ph.D (Junior)
• Short term (Senior, executives)
• Target groups
• Government, University, NGOs

26
AVAILABLE DOCUMENTS

• Introducing AIT

• School Documents
• SERD Profile 2003 2004.
• SERD Research Report 2001-2002.
• SERD Faculty Profile, 2003.

• Field of study Brochures
• Energy
• Environmental Engineering and Management
• Natural Resources Management
• Regional and Rural Development Planning
• Gender and Development Studies
• Urban Environmental Mangement

• Projects
• RETs in Asia, ARRPEEC, ARRPET, GNESD

• Others
• CP special issue, SERD curriculum

27
For Further Information on SD at AIT,
Please visit
http//www.serd.ait.ac.th
Thank You