The AIT Board of Trustees at its meeting held on 31 January 2023 appointed its new Chairman, two new Vice Chairmen and Co-Chairpersons of Board Relations Committees.
Dr. Anat Arbabhirama, Vice Chairman of the Board has been appointed as the next Chairman of the Board Trustees. Dr. Anat becomes the ninth chairman. Preceding him were Professor Puey Ungpakorn, Professor Oscar Mapua, Dr. Thanat Khoman (Chairman Emeritus), M. L. Birabhongse Kasemsri, H.E. Mr. Anand Panyarachun, Dr. Tej Bunnag, Dr. Subin Pinkayan and Dr. Tongchat Hongladaromp. Dr. Anat completed his M. Eng. In hydraulic engineering at AIT, and his Ph.D. at Colorado State University. He is an inductee of the AIT Hall of Fame 2010 and has been associated with AIT for the past many years and is fully aware and involved in various ongoing AIT developments, including the AIT Presidential Search Committee which he is chairing. He has had an outstanding academic career at AIT as a former professor, former Division Chairman of Water Resources Engineering, and former Vice President for Academic Affairs. He is former Minister of Water Resources of Thailand and Former Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives and currently the Chairman of the Management Committee Bangkok Mass Transit System Public Company Limited. He has served in both the public and private sectors in high-level positions including as the Governor of PTT Public Co. Ltd., and President of Bangkok Mass Transit System Public Co. Ltd.
Mr. Somprasong Boonyachai and Dr. David I. McLean are appointed as the new Vice Chairmen of the Board. The other current Vice Chairman is Dr. Suwit Khunkitti. Mr. Somprasong Boonyachai is currently Chairman, Osotspa Public Company Limited and Chairman, Thaicom. He has had a long and distinguished career at AIS, rising up to the rank of CEO. He serves as a member of the National Strategy Drafting Committee and continues to contribute in the national development of Thailand. Mr. Somprasong earlier served as the President of the AITAA Mother Chapter and is an Inductee of the AIT Hall of Fame 2019. Dr. David I. McLean is a Professor and Dean, Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering, Colorado State University (CSU), USA. He is a well-established academician and university administrator. The CSU had played an instrumental role in AIT’s founding in the late 1950s and success in the ‘60s and later decades, providing key faculty and vital early leadership for the institute’s development.
The Co-Chairpersons of the Faculty Relations Committee will be Dr. David McLean, Professor and Dean, Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering, Colorado State University (CSU), USA and Dr. Bindu Lohani, former ADB Vice President, AIT Hall of Fame Inductee and member of the AIT Presidential Search Committee. The Co-Chairpersons of the Staff Relations Committee will be Mr. Somprasong Boonyachai, Chairman of the Board, Osotspa Public Company Limited and Chairman of Thaicom and Prof. Bundhit Eua-arporn, President, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. The Co-Chairpersons of the Student Relations Committee will be H.E. Mr. Nagesh Singh, Ambassador of India to Thailand and H.E. Mrs. C. A. Chaminda I. Colonne, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Thailand.
A special certificate presentation ceremony was held immediately following the report of the Nomination Committee to express appreciation to the outgoing Chairman Dr. Tongchat Hongladaromp, Vice Chairman Dr. Za-Chieh Moh, and trustees – Dr. Yanyong and Prof. Bundhit.
