AIT has a non-binding MoU with Specialized Private Education Group, will return to mother campus during next semester

ASIAN Institute of Technology (AIT) has signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Laureate International Universities to explore a possible partnership. It was signed on 30 September 2011, and it is an exploratory MoU with no commitments, but merely an expression of interest to explore a partnership. Further, AIT plans to return to its mother campus sometime during the next semester, though the exact date is not finalized.

This was stated by the AIT President Prof. Said Irandoust during the faculty forum organized at AIT's temporary location at the Silpakorn University in Cha-am on 15 December 2011. The President was responding to queries of AIT faculty members during the forum.

The President added that the reconstruction, renovation and upgrading of AIT's facilities would be conducted in phases. The first phase would involve creating a showcase eco-friendly building with nearly two dozen classrooms at the AIT Extension building. This would allow students to return to classrooms, but who would continue to live outside the campus.

The second phase would involve academic buildings and the administrative building. The third and final phase would target the residential buildings which would be done by the private sector that would operate it on a Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis.

During the forum, Dr. Peter Theisen, AIT's external consultant for strategic planning, outlined AIT Online, undergraduate, satellite campus and professional programs as four potential income streams for AIT. He suggested strengthening marketing and sales, program and capacity optimization and campus upgrade to improve AIT's bottom-line. Since AIT has already taken recourse to significant cost-cutting, it is not advisable to proceed on this path again, he suggested. He stated that within two months, the draft "roadmaps" for AIT, will be presented.

On the queries to the links with Laureate International Universities, the President explained that they are among the several education groups AIT has been in discussions with in an effort to take AIT to its next level of growth. Among the areas AIT is seeking expertise on includes faculty and student exchange programmes, as well as access to graduate and post-graduate programmes in new and emerging fields of study. He mentioned that AIT has signed a non-binding MoU on 30 September 2011 with Laureate which outlines the intention of both sides to explore to which extent and in which areas a partnership might create mutual benefits. The President invited interested members of the AIT community to contact or visit his office if they would like to learn more, and also clarified that since both sides are still in the exploration state, neither AIT nor Laureate have made any commitment regarding a potential partnership. He added that Laureate has seconded a person to AIT to explore different options. The President stated that the work is led by an Executive Committee Working Group of the AIT Board of Trustees.

Elaborating on AIT's exploratory MoU with Laureate Inc., Dr. Theisen stated that Laureate would help in benchmarking and cost information. They will undertake brand and student research and conduct a detailed market research analysis. "In February-March we will come back to the AIT community with the suggested proposal for further consideration," he said.

Reservations were voiced by some faculty members that the private partnership option is being positioned as the "best and only option" rather than being "one of the available options." The President invited AIT community members to suggest other concrete proposals.

In an impassioned plea, faculty members called for an "early return" and "time-frame" of returning to AIT's mother campus, particularly in light of the report by internal experts stating that AIT is structurally safe to return. The President stated that AIT would move into its own campus "sometime during the next semester." He added that he could not give a definite date, because there are health issues, and opinion by external experts who possess considerable expertise in rehabilitation work. "If we rush, it will be more costly for us and if we return too early, we may have to evacuate again, he added.

AIT alumnus Dr. Waheed Uddin, Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering, University of Mississipi, who also attended the forum, described the sentiment expressed by the AIT faculty to return to the campus early as "inspiring", stating that this shows the commitment of the AIT faculty.

The issue of accident of two AIT students at Hua Hin was raised, where the President stated that AIT is seized of the matter. Later in the day, the AIT President held personal meetings with the two injured students and assured them of all legal help from AIT to pursue their case.

The AIT President dismissed comments originating from different non-AIT platforms stating that he would never react to anonymous e-mails which was also the position of the Board on this matter. He reiterated that Government support to AIT has been declining and it is within AIT's right to explore all possible options.

Later in the day, the AIT President also held a meeting with representatives of the AIT Student Union (AITSU) including its President Mr. Avishek Kumar Karky and AITSU spokesperson Angel Huang.