100 scholarships for Aceh students

A five-year program involving 100 scholarships for staff and faculty members of Government of Aceh, Indonesia will be launched at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT). The Government of Aceh will provide 75 per cent of tuition fellowships and transportation, living and other associated cost, while AIT will offer 25 per cent tuition fellowship.

This was finalized under a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signed by AIT President Prof Said Irandoust on 19 April 2011. Prof. Irandoust said he was delighted that AIT is engaged in a capacity development program in the province of Aceh. “It is indeed a privilege that AIT has been chosen by the Government of Aceh as a key partner in its capacity building efforts,” Prof. Irandoust remarked.

Students under this scholarship program will be spread over five years and scholars will pursue Master’s or doctoral degrees at AIT, mainly in the fields of agriculture, horticulture, aquaculture and fisheries, and food processing. The program will be open for staff and faculty members of the Government of Aceh and higher learning institutions in Aceh. In addition to the MoA, the Government of Aceh also plans to send more students to pursue community development study programs at AIT.

The delegation from Aceh was headed by Dr. Qismullah Yusuf, Chairman of Human Resources Development Commission; and included Mr. Syarifuddin Zainal Hasan, Chief Inspector of Aceh; Mr. Fachruddin Polem, Head of Department of Forestry and Estates; Mr. Salman Ishak, Head of Department of Agricultural Reform; Mr. Asrin, Head of Department of Agriculture; Mr. Razali, Head of Department of Fishery; Mr. Muhammad Ali Basyah, Head of Department Community Development Services; Mr. Idris Ibrahim, Education Advisor to the Governor; and Prof. Dr. Afrizal, Rector, Malikussaleh University.

During their visit to AIT on 18-19 April 2011, the delegation from Aceh delegation held a series of meetings with Prof. Joydeep Dutta, Vice President for Academic Affairs; Dr. Weerakorn Ongsakul, Dean School of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD); Dr. Mokbul Morshed Ahmad, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, SERD; Prof. Athapol Noomhorm, Coordinator Food Engineering and Bioprocess Technology (FEBT) field of study, SERD; Dr. S L Ranamukhaarachchi, Visiting Associate Professor, Agricultural Systems and Engineering (ASE), SERD; Dr. Prabhat Kumar, Affiliated Faculty, SERD; Dr. Wenresti Glino Gallardo, Coordinator Aquaculture and Aquatic Resources Management (AARM), field of study, SERD; Dr. Amararatne Yakupitiyage and Dr. Lionel Dabbadie, CIRAD of AARM,SERD; Dr. Theo Wilhelm Ebbers, Coordinator, Office of President; and Mr. Kyaw Soe Hlaing, Program Coordinator, External Relations and Communications Office (ERCO).

AIT will dispatch expert teams to Aceh for data collection and fact findings, brainstorming sessions, which will be followed by the presentation of an action plan to the Government of Aceh and its parliament. A team of agricultural and fishery experts will visit Aceh in May 2011. The Government of Aceh will also arrange for AIT expert teams to visit institutions of higher learning in Aceh to discuss the possibility of development of a two stage Master’s degree program.



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