By School of Engineering and Technology (SET)
AIT President Prof. Kazuo Yamamoto has announced the appointment of Prof. Sangam Shrestha as the new Dean of the AIT School of Engineering and Technology (SET) starting from 1 July 2023.
Prof. Shrestha has been a faculty member of SET since 2009. He is currently a Professor of Water Engineering and Management and was formerly the Head of the Department of Civil and Infrastructure Engineering (CIE). He completed his PhD. from the University of Yamanashi, Japan, and his Master’s degree in Integrated Water Resources Management from AIT.
Prof. Shrestha is widely recognized for his research on understanding the climate change impact, vulnerability and adaptation in water and water use sectors. A faculty member in the Department of Civil and Infrastructure Engineering since 2009, he has served in multiple academic leadership roles at all levels of the institution and fostering international collaborations especially in developing dual degree programs, exchange, and internships programs.
Prof. Shrestha is also serving in advisory boards of several international organizations, universities, and editorial board members of several international journals. Among many collaborations with industry, academic, and government partners, he is also serving as a founding co-director of Global Water & Sanitation Center at AIT. The center was established with the support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to expedite and support Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) strategy in Asia and beyond by working with the governments, international financing institutions & other development partners.
Prof. Shrestha has published more than 200 papers in peer-reviewed international journals and presented more than 100 conference papers ranging from hydrological modelling to climate change impacts and adaptation in the water sector. He has been awarded ‘Distinguished Research Leader Award’ in 2015 and 2019 at AIT. Recently, he has been named as one of the world’s top climate scientists in the ‘Reuters Hot List’ that identifies and ranks 1,000 climate academics according to how influential they are. Similarly, in 2020, 2021 & 2022, his name appeared in the top 2% list of scientists for research impact based on the most recent single year (2019, 2020 & 2021) achievement in a paper published by Stanford University researchers in PLOS Biology.
In an email to AIT faculty, staff, and students, President Yamamoto wished Prof. Shrestha every success in this new role and invited the AIT community to give its full support and cooperation to the new dean. He expressed his confidence that Prof. Shrestha will be able to lead the school in gaining a higher academic reputation, as well as finding a way for the school to embark on a re-positioning by leveraging innovation in education and rebuilding faculty strength, paying specific attention to quality and diversity.
