By AIT Public Affairs
3 June 2024: Three recent AIT graduates, Anthony O. Maputi, Tilasmi Aryal, and Md. Julhaz Hossain won the prestigious ADB-JSP Thesis of the Year Award 2024. They secured second and third place under the Cluster of Rural Development and Environment and second place under the Cluster for Infrastructure.
The ADB-Japan Scholarship Program Secretariat announced the winners on 29 May 2024 after a thorough evaluation process conducted by a screening committee led by Dr. Peter Morgan, Advisor to the Dean of the ADB Institute. The committee included esteemed ADBI research fellows and ADB specialists. The winners will be recognized during the ADB-JSP Conference on July 31-August 1.
Anthony O. Maputi from the Bio-Nano Material Science and Engineering (BNMSE) Program, School of Engineering and Technology (SET), secured second place in the Cluster for Infrastructure Thesis of the Year Award 2024. His thesis is titled “UV-Irradiated Photocatalytic Degradation of Flexible Polyurethane Foam Using Metal-Decorated Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles as Plasmonic Photocatalyst in a Batch Reactor”. Global demand for flexible polyurethane foam (PUF), widely used in packaging and cushioning purposes, is expected to reach $84.10 billion by 2030.
However, ineffective disposal procedures lead to PUF landfill accumulation and aquatic pollution. Anthony’s research, which contributes to SDG 6, 9 & 13, focuses on using plasmonic nanomaterials to degrade PUF wastes leaking into water. The structural alterations and molecular breakdown of PUF into basic amines and carboxylic acids show that plasmonic nanomaterials can alleviate environmental challenges posed by PUF waste.
Anthony shares, “This recognition is a testament to the unwavering support and scholarship provided by ADB-JSP during my master’s journey at AIT. My heartfelt gratitude goes to AIT BNMSE program, Industrial Systems Engineering (ISE) Department and SET for their invaluable guidance. With this award, I am motivated to continue addressing societal problems through impactful research for sustainable development. I am inspired by the achievements of my fellow nominees, whose work sets the standard for excellence.”
Tilasmi Aryal from the Water Engineering and Management Program, SET, secured second place in the Rural Development and Environment Cluster. Her thesis, titled “A Novel Approach for River Discharge Prediction in the Lancang Mekong River Basin: Incorporation of Multisource Remote Sensing LSTM Model,” emphasizes the importance of spatiotemporal variation of river discharge for effective water resources management. This includes irrigation, hydropower, flood forecasting, and environmental conservation. Traditional ground-based gauging stations, while accurate, have limited spatial coverage and are prone to data gaps. Her study addresses these limitations by integrating data from multiple satellite missions. Employing the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) machine learning algorithm, the research combines altimetry-derived water levels and optical sensor data to demonstrate effective river discharge predictions.
The framework developed in this study shows improved performance for ungauged locations, indicating the potential for reliable daily discharge measurements within specific reaches.
Tilasmi states, “Receiving this award is a significant honor; I am deeply grateful to the AIT, WEM program and SET for their exceptional support and opportunities. AIT’s collaborative environment and abundant resources have been crucial in my educational and career development. The guidance and exposure provided by the exceptional faculty at AIT have significantly shaped my research and contributed to this recognition. I am thankful for the invaluable experiences and mentorship I received throughout my journey.”
Md. Julhaz Hossain from the AgriBusiness Management Program, AIT School of Environment, Resources and Development, secured third place in the Rural Development and Environment Cluster. His thesis, titled “Omnichannel Interactions and Customers’ Value Co-creation Behavior: Evidence from City Corporation Areas of Bangladesh,” explores the increasing popularity and challenges of organic food in Bangladesh. The study focuses on how consumer engagement in value co-creation (VCB) can help organic food companies overcome obstacles and seize opportunities. It investigates the impact of customer trust, product quality, customer value, engagement, and online and offline channel interactivity on VCB.
Findings indicate that product quality, customer trust, and value enhance customer engagement, which significantly influences VCB. While online and offline interactivity positively affects VCB, they do not moderate the relationship between customer engagement and VCB. The study provides insights for stakeholders to boost the organic food sector in Bangladesh.
Hossain expresses, “Receiving this award is a significant addition to my personal and professional life. It’s an honor to have my master’s thesis recognized, and I am thrilled to represent Bangladesh and AIT on this prestigious platform. This award reinforces my dedication and passion for research. I am grateful to the ABM Program, SERD, AIT, and ADB-JSP for their continuous support and mentorship.”
ADB has provided instrumental support to the Thailand-based international postgraduate institute through scholarships, research projects, and training programs. Since 1989, the ADB-Japan Scholarship Program (ADB-JSP) has enrolled 401 postgraduate students at AIT to contribute to the economic and social development of their home countries in the Asia and Pacific region.
