SIIT News, Vol. 6, No. 1, March 2001 - Sirindhorn International ...

A quarterly newsletter of SIRINDHORN INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Thammasat University, P.O. Box 22, Thammasat-Rangsit Post Office, Pathum Thani 12121, Thailand
Tel. +66 (0) 2986 9009, 2564 3221~9 Fax. +66 (0) 2986 9112~3, http://www.siit.tu.ac.th
Vol. 6 No. 1 March 2001
Toyota Thailand Foundation and Toyota Motor Thailand Co., Ltd.
Present Scholarships to Thammasat University
Mr. Yoshiaki Muramatsu, the President of Toyota Motor Thailand Co.,
Ltd., presented 32 scholarships worth 830,000 baht from Toyota
Thailand Foundation and Toyota Motor Thailand Co. Ltd. to Thammasat
University at a scholarship presentation ceremony held at Thammasat
University, Tha-Prachan Campus on December 26, 2000.
The scholarships presented include one scholarship of 130,000 baht
from the Toyota Thailand Foundation for Sirindhorn Technology
Scholarship Fund of SIIT. During 1997 – 2000, SIIT received a
scholarship of 130,000 baht per year from the Toyota Thailand
Foundation. The Sirindhorn Technology Scholarship Fund is used to
provide scholarships and loans without interest to needy SIIT students
with satisfactory academic performance.
SIIT Scholarship Programs - Academic Year 2000 [B.E. 2543]
Type
Source of Scholarship
Number of
Students
Total Amount of
Scholarships (Baht)
Academic Excellence Awards:
SIIT Continuing Scholarships 5% of Tuition Fees 49 4,179,500 00
Academic Excellence Awards Siam Cement Public Company Limited 8 200,0000 0
Lucent Global Science Scholars Program
Term-by-Term Scholarships
for financially needy students
Scholarship for financially needy student
Living Expenses for financially needy students
Scholarships for Students Who Have Contributed
to Society and/or SIIT Reputation
Remarks:
Lucent Technologies
(US$5,000/student: approx. 200,000 Baht)
Total number of SIIT students in the Academic Year 2000 = 1,349 students
Percentage of scholarship recipients is about 10% of the total number of SIIT students.
2 400,0000 0
Sirindhorn Technology Scholarship Fund 58 2,705,6000 0
The National Council on Social Welfare of
Thailand under Royal Patronage
1 6,0000 0
Sirindhorn Technology Scholarship Fund 10 165,0000 0
The Sanwa Bank Foundation 3 108,0000 0
Mrs. Kanjanee Wibulswas 1 36,0000 0
Sirindhorn Technology Scholarship Fund 7 105,0000 0
Total00 139 7,905,1000 0
Thammasat University Graduates, Academic Years 1997 - 1999
Employment, Further Study and Unemployment
TU Graduates (%)
Faculty
Employed Further Study Unemployed
1997 1998 1999 1997 1998 1999 1997 1998 1999
Sciences and Technology 32.3 58.8 46.1 29.1 20.4 23.4 38.6 20.8 30.5
Engineering 29.8 45.4 34.9 24.1 36.1 37.2 46.1 18.5 27.9
Medicine 100.0 100.0 100.0 - - - - - -
Sirindhorn International
Institute of Technology
Average (including all
faculties in TU)
42.4 46.1 48.4 36.7 41.1 38.7 20.9 12.8 12.9
37.5 56.3 48.0 29.8 27.9 29.0 32.7 15.8 23.0
Sources:
1) “Employment Status of 1997 TU
Graduates”, a survey conducted by
Institutional Research Planning,
Planning Division, Thammasat
University, 30-31 July 1998.
2) “Employment Status of 1998 TU
Graduates”, a survey conducted by
Institutional Research Planning,
Planning Division, Thammasat
University, 26 October 1999.
3) “Employment Status of 1999 TU
Graduates”, a survey conducted by
Institutional Research Planning,
Planning Division, Thammasat
University, 24 July 2000.

SIIT News, March 2001 2
Kochi University of Technology
Academic Cooperation with Universities in Japan
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Naris Chaiyasoot, the Rector of
Thammasat University (TU), accompanied by Asst. Prof. Dr.
Chirapan Boonyakiat, TU Vice Rector for International
Affairs, led an SIIT delegation to Kochi University of
Technology (KUT) on December 8, 2000. Prof. Yasuharu
Suematsu, the President of KUT, and two vice presidents of
KUT – Prof. Tomoo Suzuki and Prof. Hajime Okamura –
welcomed the SIIT delegation. This visit has strengthened
the academic cooperation between SIIT and KUT, which
was established in 1997.
The TU Rector, TU Vice Rector for International Affairs,
President of KUT, two vice presidents of KUT, faculty members
of SIIT and KUT posed for a group photograph together with five
former students of SIIT who received scholarships from KUT
and are now studying in the Master’s degree program at KUT.
Toyohashi University of Technology
An SIIT delegation led by Prof. Dr. Sawasd Tantaratana, the
Deputy Director of SIIT, visited Toyohashi University of
Technology (TUT) on December 6, 2000. SIIT and TUT signed
academic cooperation agreements in November 2000. This visit
was to follow up on the implementation of the student exchange
program and also to discuss other academic cooperation
activities including exchange of faculty members and staff,
scientific materials, publications and information, and joint
research.
After the meeting, the SIIT delegation, led by Prof. Dr. Sawasd
Tantaratana, posed for a photograph with Prof. Dr. Keishi Gotoh,
the President of TUT, vice-presidents of TUT, faculty members
and staff of TUT.
Academic Cooperation with Universities in Finland
From October 2 to 5, 2000, three faculty members from SIIT (Prof. Dr. Sawasd Tantaratna, Deputy Director of SIIT; Asst. Prof. Dr.
Suwan Runggeratigul, Deputy Chairperson of the Electrical Engineering Programs; and Asst. Prof. Dr. Ekawit Nantajeewarawat,
Chairperson of the Information Technology Programs) visited three Finnish institutes: Helsinki Polytechnic, Vaasa Polytechnic, and
Espoo-Vantaa Institute of Technology to discuss student exchange programs. These institutes offer international programs in some
areas at the undergraduate level. Of particular interest to SIIT
students are the programs in information technology,
telecommunications, mechanical and civil engineering.
Flanked by Prof. Dr. Sawasd T. and Ms. Sari Salojärvi,
the President of Vaasa Polytechnic, Mr. Pentti Ruotsala
signs the student exchange agreement between
Vaasa Polytechnic and SIIT.
A group photo was taken in the office of the President of
Helsinki Polytechnic. (From left) Asst. Prof. Dr. Suwan R., Prof.
Dr. Sawasd T., Mr. Timo Luopajärvi, President of Helsinki
Polytechnic, Mr. Heikki Saarelainen, Director of Institute of
Technology, Helsinki Polytechnic, Mr. Seppo Lehtimäki, Senior
Lecturer of Telecommunications, Helsinki Polytechnic, Mr.
Markku Jantunen, Head of Mechanical Engineering Department,
Helsinki Polytechnic, and Asst. Prof. Dr. Ekawit N.

SIIT News, March 2001 3
Agreement of Academic Cooperation Signing Ceremony
On January 11, 2001, a delegation from Faculty of
Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Japan, led
by the Dean, Prof. Dr. Yoshinobu Kubo, visited SIIT to sign
an agreement of academic cooperation between Faculty of
Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology and SIIT.
The agreement includes joint research, exchange of
academic materials and publications, exchange of faculty
members for research, discussion and lectures, and
exchange of undergraduate and graduate students for
study and research.
Visiting Faculty Member from University College London
Dr. Alistair Greig visited SIIT from 13 th December 2000 to 6 th February 2001 during which time he taught a
special topic on Basic Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering to 4 th year Mechanical Engineering
students. Topics covered encompassed hydrostatics, ship design, propellers, gearing and engine
matching. The lectures also included a description of various special ship types such as catamarans,
SWATH, submarines and Trimarans. The concept of an ocean going trimaran was developed at
University College London (UCL) during the last ten years.
Dr. Greig is a lecturer in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UCL. His current research
interests include: modelling the power systems for marine systems; the problems of integrating fuel cells
and their associated infrastructure into the marine environment; modelling the dynamics and control of
submarines in off-design scenarios; and applications of image processing to engineering problems.
His first degree was in Mechanical Engineering from UCL followed by an M.Sc. in Marine Engineering.
After working for the RCNC (the ship design corps of the UK MOD) he returned to UCL to study for a Ph.D. in Underwater Robotics.
New Faculty Member
Dr. Sandhya Babel joined the
Environmental Technology Program
of SIIT in December 2000 as a fulltime
assistant professor. Dr.
Sandhya received D. Tech. Sc.
Degree from Environmental
Technology and Management
Program of Asian Institute of
Technology (AIT), Thailand. Her
research areas include membrane
technology, solid waste
management, water and wastewater
treatment and environmental impact assessment.
SIIT Faculty Member Attends Basic
Professional Course on Nuclear Safety
Asst. Prof. Dr. Pichaya Rachdawong of the Environmental
Technology Program was invited by the Office of Atomic
Energy for Peace (OAEP) to attend the Basic Professional
Course on Nuclear Safety at Argonne National Laboratory,
Illinois, during March 5 – April 14, 2001. He currently serves
on the OAEP subcommittee on nuclear safety issues.
Argonne is a world-class nuclear research facility and is
operated by the University of Chicago for the U.S.
Department of Energy.
Thai Library Association
Visits SIIT Library
The Thai Library Association (TLA) under the Royal Patronage of
H.R.H. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn held an annual meeting and a
technical meeting during December 11 – 15, 2000. The technical
meeting focused on libraries’ roles in human resource development. As
part of a study visit organized by TLA, 50 participants of the TLA
meetings, led by Miss Supamas Na Thalang from the Supervisory Unit
of the Department of General Education, visited the SIIT Library and
Information Services Center on December 15, 2000. The visitors were
welcomed and informed of SIIT’s mission, activities, operation and
management of the Library & Information Services Center by Mrs.
On-Anong Suraniranat, Head of Library & Information Services Center.

SIIT News, March 2001 4
Welcome to New SIIT Trustee
The Thammasat University Council has recently appointed Prof. Dr. Yongyuth Yuthavong, who is a
member of the Thammasat University Council, to be an SIIT Trustee. Presently, Prof. Dr. Yongyuth is the
Acting Director of the Thailand Graduate Institute of Science and Technology (TGIST), National Science
and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA). He was the Director of NSTDA during 1992 – 1998.
SIIT would like to express our appreciation to Prof. Dr. Yongyuth who kindly serves as an SIIT Trustee. We
are looking forward to his kind advice and contributions for further developing SIIT to be a leading teaching
and research institute.
First Reunion Activity of SIIT Alumni
The Alumni Association of Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology
(ASIIT), Thammasat University, was officially registered on November 22, 2000.
The association was established to be a center for the SIIT alumni and current
SIIT students to exchange and share knowledge, experience, and views on
engineering and technology; to support and publicize activities of SIIT; to
cooperate and join with other organizations in contributing to the society; and to
communicate and to render help and assistance to each other when needed.
The first committee of ASIIT, which comprises 15 members, was elected and the
chairperson is Mr. Nirund Seangsuwanwow, who graduated from the Civil
Engineering Department in 1997.
About 200 alumni from the first five batches of SIIT graduates participated
in the first reunion activity organized by ASIIT at TU Rangsit campus on
Saturday November 19, 2000. In addition to visiting their rapidly developing
institute and meeting their classmates, they also had a great chance to
enjoy themselves in a soccer match and thereafter a dinner at the Aquatic
Center. Prof. Sawasd Tantaratana, the Deputy Director of SIIT, and a
number of SIIT faculty members also attended this event.
SIIT Doctoral Faculty Members' Publications, 2000
Program
3-Year Average
2000
(1998-2000)
IJ NJ IC DFM IJ/DFM EIJ/DFM IJ/DFM EIJ/DFM
Civil Engineering 4 5.5 10 6 0.7 1.7 0.4 1.5
Electrical Engineering 3 - 7.5 7 0.4 0.8 0.4 0.8
Environmental Technology* - 1.5 - 2 - 0.4 0.3 0.6
Industrial Engineering 7 2 21 6.5 1.1 2.3 0.9 1.7
Information Technology 3 - 15 7 0.4 1.1 0.3 0.7
Mechanical Engineering 2 3 20.5 6 0.3 1.7 0.4 1.2
Total/Average 19 12 74 34.5 0.6 1.4 0.4 1.1
Notes:
DFM = Doctoral Faculty Member NJ = National Journal Paper = 0.5 IJ
EIJ = Equivalent International Journal IC = International Conference Paper = 0.33 IJ
IJ = International Journal Paper
* The Environmental Technology Program was established in June 1999.
The SIIT News is published quarterly by SIIT.
Executive Editor:
Editors:
Editorial Assistants:
Prof. Dr. Prida Wibulswas
Ms. On-Anong Suraniranat
Mr. Paul Hinshaw
Mr. Terry Avon
Ms. Mo Mo Tin
Ms. Ornanong Choosuwan
For additional information about SIIT please contact:
Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology
Thammasat University
P.O. Box 22, Thammasat-Rangsit Post Office
Pathum Thani 12121, Thailand
Tel: (66 2) 986 9101, 564 3221-9; Fax: (66 2) 986 9112~3
http://www.siit.tu.ac.th/