We are delighted to announce that H.E. Dr. Suwit Khunkitti, Vice Chairperson, Board of Trustees, Asian Institute of Technology and former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education of Thailand, will be the first keynote speaker for the NERPS Conference 2023 that will be held in AIT, Thailand from 28 February to 3 March, 2023.
H.E. Suwit Khunkitti has an extensive base of experience and achievement spanning government, business, and social enterprises. Presently, he is working with several Asian investment groups to identify and manage investments in growth industries, including life sciences, management of water resources, sustainability and information technology. He is also involved with various social ventures and serves as an advisor to several government bodies and major business corporations.
Between 1983 and 2011 he served as a Member of Parliament and of The Government of Thailand. Over this period, his portfolios included: Deputy Prime Minister (6 times); Minister for Justice; Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives; Minister for Science, Technology and Environment; Minister for Natural Resources and Environment; Minister for Information and Communication Technology; Minister for Education; Ministry for Industry; Deputy Secretary General to the Prime Minister; Parliamentary Secretary of Ministry of Commerce, University Affairs & Foreign Affairs; Chair of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Women & Youth Affairs.
He has also served as Chairman of various National Committees including the National Committee on Environment, the National Water Resources Committee, the National Research Council, the National Science and Technology Development Council, the National Education Council, the National Information Communication Technology Committee, and the Thailand Board of Investment. Between 1999 and 2000, Dr Khunkitti was the Chairman of Thailand’s Social Action Party.
He served as the Founding Chair of the APEC Life Sciences Innovation Forum Executive Board from 2003-2013. Amongst his achievements in this role, he led the establishment of the Thailand Centre of Excellence for Life Sciences.
Dr. Khunkitti holds a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Technology Sydney, and honorary doctorates in Community Development, Public Administration, and Developmental Science.
In 1987, he was the first Thai and the youngest Member of Parliament ever elected as the Executive Member of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the Global Organization of 179 National Parliaments.
In 2001, has initiated the world’s largest microcredit system, founding Thailand’s Village and Urban Community Fund. The fund’s assets have reached US$7.4 billion, with 12.8 million members from 79,255 villages and urban communities.
In 2009, Dr. Khunkitti was awarded the J. Paul Getty Award for Conservation Leadership by the World Wildlife Fund in recognition for his work on natural resources and environmental conservation efforts in Thailand and globally.
You must be logged in to post a comment.