SNAPSHOTS OF AIT RESEARCH IN 2010

210 Pages·2011·6.35 MB·English

PREFACE

The Asian Institute of Technology will need to face up
rapid dynamic changes as it moves into the future. It will
have to adapt to rapidly changing needs in the region,
funding mechanisms, student demands and
employability, creation of public and privately supported
graduate schools, provide better compensation to faculty
and staff, enhance campus and laboratory infrastructure,
develop professionally run professional programs, initiate
new knowledge areas, etc. While the present
administration has taken some steps and have plans to
meet up with others, a few overriding factors will have to
be kept in mind. This will most certainly centre around the
quality of our academic and research programs and the
investment needed to further strengthen the same. While
accreditation by professional bodies, planning for distant
learning modules, etc. will be the needed in the future for While the number of research projects and related
our academic programs, in the area of research and funding has nearly doubled, based on year 2005, in the
development we will need to develop some niche areas in last two years this has leveled off. The reasons for this
which we will be recognized and accepted to be amongst include smaller number of research faculty and staff,
the front runners in the world. closing down of some major long term projects, needs to
win projects in competition, changing demands and mode
It is with background that we have been working on the of operation of funding agencies, etc. This strengthens
AIT Research Strategy for the next five years. This will be our belief to form larger interdisciplinary teams and need
based on four principles, namely, Research Focus, for partnerships. This is a challenge which all sectors of
Research Quality, Research Collaboration and Research AIT are facing up to and will most certainly overcome.
Resource Mobilization. The work plans required to
achieve the stated overall outcomes, measurable outputs, We take this opportunity to thank all faculties, staff,
key performance indicators, etc are being developed students and indeed all stake holders who made it
using a Results Based Management (RBM) approach. The possible for us to bring financial stability to the institute.
focus of research has been identified to be the umbrella With the institute on the verge of becoming formally and
area of “Sustainable Development in the context of international-intergovernmental organization and a
Climate Change (SDCC)” with five identified thematic number of initiatives being planned, it is hoped the
areas under its purview. It is hoped that will help create institute will be able to sustain itself into the next 50
stronger inter-disciplinary teams that can form better years. We look forward to increased collaboration and
networks both internally and with external partners. This partnership to expand the knowledge base we have
will allow the institute to focus on some areas of research created and improve the quality of life of those who those
and competitively bid and win larger projects, which in most need it.
turn will make possible better research outputs and
infrastructure. It is hoped that this will be used in the
future to hold discussions with various stake holders Professor Sudip K Rakshit
which will include donors, government agencies and the Vice President for Research
private sector so that AIT can serve as a platform for 21st June, 2011
innovative research and development.

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Preface

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE ...................................................................................................................................................................................... i
TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................................................. iii
Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................................... 7
Chapter 2: RESEARCH STATISTICS AND TRENDS, 2005-2010 ...................................................................................................... 9
Chapter 3: SNAPSHOTS OF AIT RESEARCH IN 2010 ................................................................................................................... 11
Chapter 4: SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY ........................................................................................................ 23
4.2: SET – COMPUTER SCIENCE and INFORMATION MANAGEMENT FIELDS OF STUDY ................................................................................................ 27
4.3: SET – CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING AND INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT FIELD OF STUDY .......................................................................... 33
4.4: SET – GEOTECHNICAL & EARTH RESOURCES ENGINEERING FIELD OF STUDY ......................................................................................................... 37
4.5: SET – INDUSTRIAL AND MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING FIELD OF STUDY ........................................................................................................... 43
4.6: SET – MECHATRONICS and MICROELECTRONICS & EMBEDDED SYSTEMS FIELDS OF STUDY ................................................................................ 49
4.7: SET – NANOTECHNOLOGY FIELD OF STUDY ............................................................................................................................................................... 53
4.8: SET – REMOTE SENSING AND GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS FIELD OF STUDY ........................................................................................ 59
4.9: SET – STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING FIELD OF STUDY .................................................................................................................................................. 63
4.10: SET – TELECOMMUNICATIONS FIELD OF STUDY ...................................................................................................................................................... 69
4.11: SET – TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING FIELD OF STUDY ....................................................................................................................................... 75
4.12: SET – WATER ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT FIELD OF STUDY....................................................................................................................... 79
4.13: SET – INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES AREA OF STUDY ................................................................................................ 87
4.14: SET – OFFSHORE TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT PROGRAM .......................................................................................................................... 89
Chapter 5: SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT, RESOURCE AND DEVELOPMENT ................................................................................. 91
5.2 SERD – AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS AND ENGINEERING FIELD OF STUDY ................................................................................................................... 93
5.3: SERD – AQUACULTURE AND AQUATIC RESOURCES MANAGEMENT FIELD OF STUDY ........................................................................................... 97
5.4: SERD – ENERGY FIELD OF STUDY ............................................................................................................................................................................... 101
5.5: SERD – ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT FIELD OF STUDY .................................................................................................. 109
5.6: SERD – FOOD ENGINEERING AND BIOPROCESS TECHNOLOGY FIELD OF STUDY................................................................................................... 123
5.7: SERD – GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT STUDIES FIELD OF STUDY ............................................................................................................................ 129
5.8: SERD – NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT FIELD OF STUDY ............................................................................................................................ 133
5.9: SERD – PULP AND PAPER TECHNOLOGY FIELD OF STUDY ....................................................................................................................................... 137
5.10: SERD – REGIONAL AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING FIELD OF STUDY ...................................................................................................... 141
5.11: SERD – URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT FIELD OF STUDY .................................................................................................................... 145
5.12: SERD – AGRIBUSINESS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM ................................................................................................................................................ 151
5.13: DISASTER PREPAREDNESS, MITIGATION AND MANAGEMENT AREA OF STUDY .......................................................................................................... 153
5.14: GENDER, TRANSPORTATION AND DEVELOPMENT AREA OF STUDY .............................................................................................................................. 157
Chapter 6: SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT ................................................................................................................................... 159
Chapter 7: AIT EXTENSION ...................................................................................................................................................... 171
Chapter 8: INTERNET EDUCATION AND RESEARCH LABORATORY (intERLab) .......................................................................... 177
Chapter 9: AIT – VIETNAM ...................................................................................................................................................... 181
Chapter 10: CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE AND OUTREACH .......................................................................................................... 187
10.1: CENTER OF EXCELLENCE ON SUSTAINBALE DEVELOPMENT IN THE CONTEXT OF CLIMATE CHANGE (Coe SDCC) .......................................... 187
10.2: ASEAN REGIONAL CENTER OF EXCELLENCE ON MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS (ARCMDG) .................................................................. 190
10.3: CSR ASIA CENTER AT AIT (CSRACA) ........................................................................................................................................................................ 195
10.4: YUNUS CENTER ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 200
Chapter 11: INSTITUTE-WIDE SPONSORED AND CONTRACTED PROJECTS ............................................................................... 203
11.1 Grants and Sponsored Research Completed in 2010 ............................................................................................................................................. 203
11.2 On-going Grants and Sponsored Research .............................................................................................................................................................. 203
Chapter 12: OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH ACTIVITIES FOR 2010 AND STUDENT COMPETITIONS .................................................. 205
12.1 OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH ACTIVITIES FOR 2010 .................................................................................................................................................... 205
12.2 STUDENT COMPETITIONS ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 207
12.2.1 MASTERS THESIS COMPETITION 2010 .............................................................................................................................................. 207
12.2.2 AIT V.RESEARCH COMPETITION 2010 ............................................................................................................................................... 208
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Table of Contents

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Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 AIT Mission  A hub for the implementation of regional/transnational
research projects, and a research facility for academic
professionals. The hub will network with other
The Asian Institute of Technology promotes technological
academic and research institutions in the region and the
change and sustainable development in the Asian-Pacific
world.
region through higher education, research and outreach.

Established in Bangkok in 1959, AIT has become a leading
 A model international citizen.
regional postgraduate institution and is actively working with

public and private sector partners throughout the region and
 A collaborator and partner of national postgraduate
with some of the top universities in the world.
institutions.

Recognized for its multinational, multi- cultural ethos, the
Institute operates as a self-contained international community  A financially viable, self-sustaining institution, able to
draw support from donors, the private sector and
at its campus located 40 km (25 miles) north of Bangkok,
individuals, with good governance and strong
Thailand.
leadership.

Besides the usual laboratories and academic buildings, the
main campus includes housing, sports, and medical facilities, a  A strong partner to its alumni, who are principal
conference center, and a library with over 230,000 volumes stakeholders through the AIT Alumni Association (AITAA)
and 830 print and on-line periodicals. All serve to fulfill the AIT
mission -

to develop highly qualified and committed
professionals who play leading roles in the
region’s sustainable development and its
integration into the global economy.
1.2 AIT Vision
To become a leading and unique regional multicultural
institution of higher learning, offering state-of-the-art
education, research and training in technology, management
and societal development.

With this clear, timeless vision, the multi-skilled team of

students, faculty and staff at AIT are set to continuously
strengthen the institution by becoming

 A trailblazer in advanced education in the region, with
leadership in IT and new types of multidisciplinary
programs.

 An exemplary institution, with an emphasis on academic
quality in terms of courses and other aspects of the
operation.

 A leader in professional development programs.

Annual Report on Research 2010 | 7
Introduction

8 | Annual Report on Research 2010