SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2025
ABSTRACT: AIT’s contributions under Goal 1 span policy-oriented research, livelihood development, and inclusive access to education. A project funded by the Friedrich-EbertStiftung examines over 50 social welfare schemes targeting Bangkok’s urban poor to determine whether government spending is actually reaching the most vulnerable groups. In Cambodia’s Takeo Province, AIT delivers aquaculture training to prawn farmers under an ADB-supported COVID-19 recovery project, while a separate British Academy project investigates how
women-led organizations in Myanmar and Nepal cope with overlapping climate, conflict, and poverty pressures. Research with IDE-JETRO and Kobe University applies econometric methods to test whether organic rice certification makes a real difference to smallholders’ net benefits in northeast Thailand. On the operations side, AIT provided partial or full scholarships to 2,146 of its 2,668 students in 2025, representing 80 percent of the student body, with the largest share going to those from lowermiddle-income countries.
PROJECTS: Effectiveness of Social Welfare Programs and Policies for Urban Poor in Bangkok Metropolitan Area
AIT Research Theme: Smart communities, Technology, Policy and Society
children, through more equitable and inclusive access to national social safety nets.
Contributed by Faculty/School/Center: School of Environment, Resources and Development
Description: This research examines the effectiveness of social welfare programs and policies for the urban poor in Bangkok, analyzing over 50 national welfare schemes and their coverage. It investigates whether government spending is bridging inequality and who is being left out of existing programs.
Partners / Funded by: Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Expected Social Impact: Improved financial security and resilience against economic shocks for vulnerable urban populations in Bangkok, particularly women and
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SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2025
Community-Based Tourism COVID-19 Recovery Project: Freshwater prawn aquaculture in Cambodia
AIT Research Theme: Food-Energy-Water Contributed by Faculty/School/Center: School of Environment, Resources and Development Partners / Funded by: Asian Development Bank through Civil Society Alliance Forum, The Office of the Council of Ministers, Cambodia Expected Social Impact: 1. About 100 people are made aware of the benefit of the prawn farming 2. Provided prawn farming training
3. At least 22 farmers are trained in prawn farming in Angkor Borey, Cambodia 4. At least 22 farmers earn reasonable income from prawn farming Description: AIT provides technical assistance for freshwater prawn aquaculture development in Takeo Province, Cambodia, as part of a Community-Based Tourism COVID-19 Recovery Project. Activities include stakeholder meetings and training programs for staff trainers, farmers, and value chain actors.
Women-led Responses to the intersectional impact of climate crises that generated inequality, poverty, and conflict in Myanmar and Nepal
AIT Research Theme: Climate change Contributed by Faculty/School/Center: School of Environment, Resources and Development Partners / Funded by: The British Academy; University of Portsmouth Higher Education Corporation; Gyanbodh Expected Social Impact: Empowered women-led organizations in Myanmar and Nepal to effectively address climate crises and gender-based violence, enhanced
their capacity to advocate for gender-responsive climate action and social justice in marginalized communities. Description: This project investigates how women-led organizations in Myanmar and Nepal respond to the intersections of climate crises, gendered inequalities, conflict, and poverty. Through a longitudinal approach, it examines changes over time in climate activism and responses to gender-based violence.
The livelihood impact assessment through surveys with leaders, members, and non-members of organic paddy producer groups in northeast Thailand.
AIT Research Theme: Food-Energy-Water, Technology, Policy and Society
farming practices for smallholder farmers in Northeast Thailand.
Contributed by Faculty/School/Center: School of Environment, Resources and Development
Description: This study assesses the livelihood impact of organic and GAP farming practices on jasmine and sticky rice farmers in northeast Thailand through surveys with producer group leaders, members, and non-members. It uses econometric analysis to evaluate whether exportstandard organic farming significantly improves farmer livelihoods.
Partners / Funded by: Institute of Developing Economies of Japan External Trade Organization; Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Thailand; Kobe University. Expected Social Impact: Better understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of organic and low-input
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SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2025
DIWAM project: From Drought Impact to Water Adaptations in the Upper Mun River Basin
AIT Research Theme: Climate change, Food-EnergyWater, Infrastructure, Technology, Policy and Society Contributed by Faculty/School/Center: School of Engineering and Technology Partners / Funded by: Agence Française de Développement (AFD) | France | CIRAD (Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement) and SEI (Stockholm Environment Institute) Expected Social Impact: The project will improve water security and agricultural productivity in drought-prone
areas, benefiting local communities, farmers, and national stakeholders. It will also support better integration of adaptation strategies in policy and planning processes, contributing to long-term resilience. Description: The DIWAM project enhances drought resilience in northeastern Thailand’s Upper Mun River Basin through improved water management practices and adaptive strategies. It generates new knowledge on drought impacts, water resource management, and food sovereignty using a transdisciplinary approach with a focus on gender-sensitive solutions.
OPERATIONS: AIT’s Contributions to Alleviating Poverty through Financially Inclusive Education AIT continues to demonstrate a strong and sustained commitment to reducing economic barriers to higher education by providing scholarships to students from diverse economic backgrounds. In 2025, out of a total of 2,668 students, 2,146 students (80%) received financial support, including 1,203 partial and 943 full scholarships, while 522 students were self-supported. The majority of support was directed towards students from developing economies, with lower-middle-income countries accounting for 66.9% of the student population, where 1,331 students received scholarships, followed by upper-middle-income countries with 702 supported students. Additionally, targeted support was extended to students from low-income countries (17 students were supported). Scholarship Distribution by Income Level (2025)
Over the years, AIT has consistently prioritized financial support, with total scholarships increasing from 1,918 students in 2023 to 2,056 in 2024 and further to 2,146 in 2025, demonstrating a sustained institutional commitment to enhancing access and inclusivity. Notably, support for students from lower-middle-income countries remains the largest share, while continued efforts are made to support those from low-income backgrounds. These efforts reinforce AIT’s role in advancing equitable access to education and contributing to poverty reduction through capacity building and human capital development.
Share of Total Scholarships by Income Level High Income
Total 1331
1400
Low Income 1200
Partial Scholarships Full Scholarships 697
Number of Students
1000
800
Total 702
600
245
400
634 457
200
Total 96 Total 17
0
Low Income
96 Lower Middle Income
Upper Middle Income
Income Group
10
4.5% 0.8%
High Income
62.0% Lower Middle Income
32.7%
Upper Middle Income