AIT President Prof. Said Irandoust has been honored at the First World Education Congress 2012 being held at Mumbai, India. Prof. Irandoust was conferred the "Award for Outstanding Contribution to Education" by the Congress at Mumbai on 29 June 2012.
The citation states that the leadership and contribution of Prof. Irandoust in the field of education is well known. "The position that you occupy in the fraternity is strategic and iconic. As a thinker and doer you are a role model and a believer in change," the citation says. The Award consists of a trophy and a citation. The World Education Congress aims to benchmark educational practices. He was presented with the award and citation by Mr. Sandip Ghose, Chief General Manager, Human Resource Development, Reserve Bank of India.
The theme of the World Education Congress 2012 is "Learning in the 21st Century: Right and Access to Education," and the AIT President was invited to address the delegates. Thanking the organizers for honoring him with the award, Prof. Irandoust delivered an address on "The University in a Globalized World," under the theme "New paradigms and models for Education. The list of speakers at the Congress can be found at this link: http://www.worldeducationcongress.com/speakers/Said_Irandoust.html
The AIT President stated that with increase in tacit knowledge, questions becoming more important than answers. "Learning is a continuous phenomenon and institutions of higher learning are becoming facilitators of dialogue and technology transfer," he said. Surveys have revealed that the need for skills such as communication, negotiation and persuasion, problem solving including analysis and logical thinking, leadership, management and organization, and an ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines is assuming greater importance in an interconnected and globalized world, the AIT President added.
A copy of the presentation delivered by the AIT President can be downloaded from this link.
Other prominent speakers on the occasion included Dr. David Richard Namwandi, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Education, Republic of Namibia; Mr. Lyonpo Thakur Singh Powdyel, Minister for Ministry of Education, Bhutan; and Mr. Nurul Islam Nahid, Minister of Education, Bangladesh.
Mr. Bratya Basu, Minister for Higher Education, and Mr. Madan Mitra, Minister of State for Sports, Government of West Bengal, India were present at the award ceremony.
Other prominent university presidents and Vice-Chancellors who participated include Professor Jan Thomas, Vice Chancellor and President, University of Southern Queensland, Australia; Dr. Osei Darkwa, President, Ghana Telecom University College, Ghana; Dr. Rajan Saxena, Vice Chancellor, Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, India; Prof. V. N. Rajasekharan Pillai, Vice Chancellor, Indira Gandhi National Open University, India; Dr. Shen – Li Fu, Honorary President and Chair Professor, I‐Shou University, Chinese Taipei; Dr. Muhammad Masoom Yasinzai, Vice Chancellor, Quaid–i–Azam University, Pakistan; Professor Sarath Abayakoon, Vice Chancellor, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka; Mr. Pornchai Mongkhonvanit, President, SIAM University, Thailand; Prof. Malik Hussain Mubbashar, Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive, University of Health Sciences, Pakistan;; Dr. Upinder Dhar, Vice Chancellor, JK Lakshmipat University, India; and Prof. Dr. M. Imtiaz Hossain, Vice Chancellor, Islamic University of Technology (IUT), Bangladesh.