WEEK 26, 23 - 29 June 2025 | AIT Campus Bulletin

WEEK 26, 23 - 29 June 2025

In this issue:

A. Announcements

B. Workshops/ Conferences

C. Visitors/ MoU/ Agreement Signing

D. Faculty & Staff Travel

E. Classified (Job)

A. Announcement

1) Appointment of Professor Siddharth K. Jabade as Vice President for Administration and Development (VPAD)

Email from AIT President on 30 May 2025

Dear Faculty, Staff, and Students,

I am pleased to announce that the AIT Board of Trustees has approved the appointment of Professor Siddharth K. Jabade as Vice President for Administration and Development (VPAD), effective 1 July 2025.

Professor Jabade holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Bombay and is currently the Founding Vice Chancellor of Vishwakarma University (VU), Pune. With over two decades of leadership in innovation, intellectual property, higher education policy, and institution building, he has transformed VU into a globally recognized university. Under his guidance, VU received the Times Higher Education (THE) Awards Asia 2023 for Leadership and Management and achieved top rankings in the WURI global innovation index. His success in resource mobilization includes attracting support from organizations such as the WILO Foundation (Germany), Tata Autocomp, and a Singapore-based fund to Nanyang Technological University (NTU). He has led strategic partnerships with leading global universities including Penn State, SUNY Binghamton, NTU Singapore, Stanford, KAIST, and Harvard. Notably, he spearheaded the establishment of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF)-supported Energy-Smart Electronic Systems Centre with SUNY, which led to successful technology spin-offs.

Professor Jabade also has a long-standing relationship with AIT, having served as Director of Innovation and IPR at AIT Consulting (now AIT Solutions), and as Affiliated Faculty and Visiting Faculty during 2009–2018, where he taught the flagship course “Intellectual Property Rights for Technology Development.”

A detailed CV of Professor Jabade is enclosed for your reference.

The search process for the VPAD position began with a call for applications on 28 October 2024, closing on 31 December 2024. A Selection Committee was formed in January 2025 to oversee the process. After a rigorous review and interviews with shortlisted candidates, who presented their vision, implementation strategies for the AIT Blueprint, KPIs, and financing plans, the Committee recommended Professor Jabade for the role. His appointment was subsequently approved by the Board of Trustees via postal ballot.

I look forward to working closely with Professor Jabade and am confident that he will bring energy, insight, and strategic direction to this important role. I trust that you will join me in extending your full support as he assumes his new responsibilities.

I would also like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank Mr. Russell B. Rein for his dedication and valuable contributions to the Institute during his tenure as Vice President for Administration.

2) AIT Roadshow Indonesia - 25 June 2025

Secure Your Spot Now: https://tinyurl.com/AITRSIndonesiaJune25

Join and learn about the opportunities to study Master’s and Ph.D. in Engineering, Environment, and Management programs at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT)! Meet and interact with our professors. Receive important information regarding academic programs, scholarships, admissions, and other important details at this informative session.

Admissions Open for 2025 August Intake.

Event Details below

Date: 25 June 2025, Wednesday

Time: 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Venue: Harris Hotel & Convention Ciumbuleuit, Bandung

Free AIT English Entry Test (AIT-EET worth 30 USD) will be available after the main session for all event participants. This test can be given online at any available date.

3) Registration Open: Thai Language Courses

Dear AIT Community,

We are pleased to announce the upcoming Thai Reading and Writing Course.

Registration Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdK7SX2So0WCgIoksUOj6iqPZMxeH_k...

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or interest in the program.

4) Upcoming Training on Purchase Requisition Module – Wednesday, 25 June @ 9:30 AM

Email from Finance Department on 20 June 2025

As you may know, AIT’s current Finance ERP system has been in place for nearly 20 years. We are now in the process of upgrading to a new version, with full implementation targeted for completion by Q3 2025.

One of the key modules in the upgraded ERP system — Purchase Requisition (PR) — includes significant changes from the existing version. To ensure a smooth transition and effective User Acceptance Testing (UAT), it is important that all relevant users receive training on this module in advance.

We are pleased to inform you that Consultants from A-Host Company and IT Serv will be conducting a training session focused on the PR module. The details are as follows:

Date: Wednesday, 25 June 2025
Time: 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM
Platform: Zoom
Join Zoom Meeting

https://ait-ac-th.zoom.us/j/99792517027?pwd=Cwd7VFuqasi9sCyhxbQcadzUN4tKaD.1

Your participation is highly appreciated to support the successful rollout of the new ERP upgrade version. Thank you for your cooperation.

5) Routine Pathum Thani immigration visit– Nothing to Worry About

Email from Office of Student Affairs on 17 June 2025

Dear Students,

We would like to inform you that the Pathumthani Immigration Office is conducting routine visits to AIT as part of their standard procedures to review student visa statuses and conduct brief, informal interviews. These visits are part of their regular duties, following the Royal Thai Government's guidelines.

Some of you have already met with the officers during their previous visits. For others, please rest assured that there is no cause for concern — these are standard local government administrative checks.

Our Government Relations Unit (GRU) will continue to coordinate directly with you if the immigration officers request to meet with you, and will also liaise with the relevant classes to ensure a smooth process.

Please also note that the Thai Government has recently been implementing stricter ED visa regulations, which have been covered in recent news reports.

Thank you for your attention and cooperation.

6) Introducing our New Employees

We are glad to welcome the newest members of the AIT family! Let's all wish them a successful journey with us. Welcome aboard!

7) Invitation for Scopus Workshop Series

We are pleased to invite you to the upcoming Scopus Workshop Series, presented by Lucia Shoombie, Senior Customer Success Consultant at Elsevier.

This series is designed to deepen your understanding and enhance your use of Scopus, covering a wide range of topics—from core functionalities to advanced research tools. These webinars are open to all users interested in maximizing the benefits of Scopus for their academic and research activities.

Each workshop is designed to be both informative and interactive, equipping you with practical knowledge and skills that you can immediately apply to your research work.

Please find the schedule and topics for the workshop series below:

Scopus Essentials: A Refresher on Core Features and Recent Enhancements

Date: April 16, 2025