Exchange of expertise in education

Schools with credentials

AIT is an institute that offers postgraduate degree programs and certificates. It currently educates approximately 2,000 international students and also provides consultations for various national and international development projects. Its research capacity is valuable to many Thai universities and industries, which seek their expertise in science and technology fields.

Ruamrudee International School, established 50 years ago, provides an American-based curriculum to students from preschool to Grade 12 levels. This school has been a top choice for many AIT professors and staff for enrolling their children after they have finished studies at the AIT Community School, which educates Grades 1 to 6 students.

Both institutions want to formalize their existing partnership and expand, explains Professor Dr Said Irandoust, AIT President.

Mutual gains

The MOU opens opportunities for both institutes to exchange professional training and share resources and information.

President Said adds that RIS staff are invited to join AIT's various workshops and seminars, including topics such as climate change, renewable energy alternatives, water resource management, and gender issues. These are topics discussed in schools internationally, but it still needs to be determined how they could be included in the school's curriculum. Schools need to support education training in this area, though it cannot be done overnight, president Said explained.

As a strong research based institute, we can provide the latest knowledge development to the RIS faculty, says President Said.

At the same time, Rev Wirach Amonpattana, RIS head of school, says that they can support the AIT Community School in terms of curriculum development and professional training, where they will also invite AIT Community School teachers to workshops and give consultations on enhancing curriculum development. Teachers are also invited to observe RIS classrooms.

The two institutions will be able to share resources and facilities. RIS teachers, for example, will now be able to access AIT's database, which has many journals in the fields of science, engineering, technology and management.

Cultural exchanges, which include drama, dance, sports and English, are also on the agenda for collaboration between the two institutes.

The memorandum will also lead to scholarship opportunities for AIT Professors who send their children to RIS. Likewise, RIS alumni, who plan to further postgraduate programs at AIT will also receive scholarship benefits.

Going deeper into science

AIT's expertise in science and technology will benefit students at RIS. Elementary school principal, Steve Massiah, says that the memorandum would benefit Grade 4 and 5 students by allowing educational visits to AIT's environmental projects, and particularly ecological studies. Students will learn what the country is doing ecologically.

He also sees this exchange as an opportunity for science teachers, who are currently preparing basic foundations for these young students. They can visit AIT to see what is possible to achieve.

High school students, particularly in Grade 12, will also gain from the MOU, as this opens opportunities for them to receive internships at AIT, particularly in Science and Technology, says David Miller, RIS high school principal. Although the school has a robotic club and classroom, our robotic program can be further developed with the technological expertise of AIT, he says.