By AIT Public Affairs
27 June 2023 – A delegation from Asian Development Bank (ADB) paid a courtesy visit to Prof. Kazuo Yamamoto, President of the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), on 27 June 2023. The purpose of the visit was to explore potential collaboration between ADB and AIT in the areas of water and climate-related issues.
The ADB delegation comprised Mr. Sameer K Khare, Executive Director; Mr. Anouj Mehta, Country Director for Thailand; and Dr. Srinivasan Ancha, Principal Climate Change Specialist and Climate Change Focal Point for Southeast Asia.
The discussions focused on how AIT and ADB can join forces to enhance the region’s capabilities in addressing climate change and water-related challenges. The main objective was to identify opportunities for AIT’s complementary role and collaboration across various sectors. The meeting underscored the potential for AIT and ADB to work together in fostering regional capacity development and addressing pressing issues faced by Asian nations.
Prof. Yamamoto emphasized that AIT is progressing with a range of strong initiatives and expressed, “As we continue implementing changes to ensure high-quality education, it is an excellent opportunity to strengthen our collaboration further.” He added, “While we pursue our current endeavors, it is crucial to shift our focus towards long-term partnerships. This is an ideal moment for productive discussions that will have a lasting impact on the collective development of the region.”
Mr. Sameer K Khare, Executive Director, acknowledged the favorable timing of the AIT delegation’s visit to ADB in May and highlighted the significance of the discussions held then and now. He stated, “By leveraging the expertise of both institutions, we can move this collaboration forward. ADB and AIT have the potential to actively engage in capacity building, knowledge sharing, and implementation initiatives. It is important to make progress and establish effective ways to collaborate.”
From AIT, the meeting was also attended by Prof. Shobhakar Dhakal, Vice President for Academic Affairs; Dr. Roger Levermore, Vice President for Development and Dean of School of Management; Prof. Dieter Trau, Dean of the School of Engineering and Technology and Director of Entrepreneurship Centre; Prof. Abdul P. Salam, Dean of the School of Environment, Resources and Development; Prof. Thammarat Koottatep, Professor, Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Change/SERD and Co-Director, Global Water & Sanitation Center (GWSC); Prof. Sangam Shrestha, Professor Water Engineering and Management/ SET and Co-Director, GWSC; Mr. Voravate Chonlasin, Executive Director, AIT Extension; Dr. Sumana Shrestha, Director, International Affairs, Office of International and Public Affairs (OIPA) and Mr. Sanjeet Amatya, Director, Public Affairs, OIPA.
