By Office of Advancement and Alumni Affairs (OAAA)
On June 21, 2025, the AIT Alumni Association USA Chapter held its Alumni Gathering Event in New Jersey, bringing together 24 alumni and their spouses from eight different states. The chief guest speaker was AIT President Prof. Pai-Chi Li, accompanied by Prof. Sangam Shrestha, Dean of the School of Engineering and Technology; Mr. Sanjeev Jayasinghe, Executive Director of the Office of Advancement and Alumni Affairs; and Prof. Thammarat Koottatep, Department of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering.
The AIT President, Prof. Pai-Chi Li, extended his gratitude to Dr. Sharif Uddin, AITAA USA Chapter President, for coordinating the gathering in New Jersey, along with the support of Dr. Vijay Rajput, AITAA USA Chapter Vice President, and Dr. Sahadat Hossain and other AITAA USA Chapter Senior Members. He delivered a warm address, highlighting AIT’s recent developments, new and ongoing initiatives, such as the restructuring of academic programs into 7 themes in order to consolidate faculty expertise and enhance the quality of curriculum relevance to students. He explained that these changes are being implemented to address the challenges AIT faces, such as technological disruptions (e.g., AI, climate change), geopolitical issues, and the world that is becoming more isolated, but these challenges can be turned into opportunities for AIT. He also emphasized the need for closer collaboration with the government, foundations, private sectors, and not-for-profit organizations, citing AIT’s work with globally renowned companies in Taiwan and Thailand as examples. He stated that alumni support is critical to building bridges between academia and the private sector across different countries.
Mr. Sanjeev Jayasinghe, Executive Director of the Office of Advancement and Alumni Affairs, expressed his appreciation towards the AITAA USA Chapter and the members for their continued support towards AIT’s initiatives. He also delivered a presentation on the ongoing fundraising campaign towards the renovation of a single-unit student dormitory, highlighting the need for modern facilities to attract academically inclined, bright students in today’s competitive landscape.
The event featured a keynote presentation by Dr. Sahadat Hossain titled “Bridging the Gap: A Collaborative Approach between AITAA-USA and AIT,” which highlighted the importance of continued collaboration between the alumni association and the institute.
The roundtable discussion was moderated by Dr. Vijay Rajput, AITAA USA Chapter Vice President. This session provided attendees with an opportunity to ask questions following the AIT President’s speech and Dr. Sahadat’s presentation, and explored opportunities for US alumni to support AIT’s strategic mission.
Prof. Sangam Shrestha, Dean, School of Engineering and Technology & Co-Director of Global Water & Sanitation Center (GWSC), shared insights into GWSC’s successful collaboration with the Gates Foundation. He added that US university-based alumni could contribute by coming to AIT for one- to two-week teaching assignments, delivering specialized lectures, facilitating joint research projects, or serve on thesis/dissertation committees of the master’s/PhD students.
Prof. Thammarat Koottatep, Department of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering and Co-Director of GWSC, emphasized the importance of alumni connectivity and the need for AIT to strengthen its engagement with graduates worldwide. He suggested using AI technology to strategically identify non-alumni high-net-worth individuals in the USA based on their profiles, whom AIT and alumni together can approach for potential major and mutually beneficial partnerships. He noted that AIT can leverage US alumni networks to connect/facilitate introductions to possibly develop mutually beneficial long-term collaborations.
One of the highlights of the evening was the signing of a donation agreement between AIT President Prof. Pai-Chi Li and Dr. Rafiul Ahad, alongside his wife, Mrs. Frances Kasala Ahad, for their contribution towards the refurbishment of a single-unit student dormitory, enhancing living conditions for current and future students.
The alumni gathering provided an excellent opportunity for alumni to reconnect, share experiences, and discuss ways to support AIT’s mission of advancing technology and sustainable development in Asia and beyond.
