By Office of Public Affairs
1 September 2022 – Prof. Kazuo Yamamoto is the new interim president of AIT. He assumed the office on 1 September 2022.
Prof. Yamamoto thanked the Board of Trustees for their trust and confidence in him during this transition period.
Prof. Yamamoto has a long association with AIT. He has served the institute in various capacities starting as a former Japanese seconded faculty, Vice President for Resource Development and Vice President for Administration, and member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees. He is well aware of the Institute’s overall situation and the challenges faced by the Institute. He outlined his key efforts will be working toward making AIT financially sustainable and on the transformation process.
He underscored, “As we gradually transition into the post-Covid era, and with the many disruptions taking place, universities worldwide are facing numerous challenges. Like others, we need to innovate and adapt to new realities. This is a challenging time, but there are also extraordinary opportunities. I am confident that, collectively, we can move the Institute forward as a team.”
He is an Emeritus Professor at the University of Tokyo, a Professor for the Research and Development Initiative at Chuo University, visiting Professor at Kindai University, and currently serving as the President of the Zosui (Water Reuse) Promotion Center in Japan and Audit & Supervisory Board Member of IDEA Consultants Inc.
Professor Yamamoto was awarded the prestigious Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize 2020 for his pioneering work developing the submerged membrane bioreactor (MBR). He has authored and co-authored 20 books and more than 130 scientific publications and was conferred 12 awards from international institutions, including the European Desalination Society, the Japan Society on Water Environment, and the International Water Association, primarily for his notable invention of the world’s first operationally viable submerged membrane bioreactor (MBR).
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