goal, that is, only a top runner of research can lead highest 
quality education in a graduate school. 
(4) STAR Program should strengthen the ability of software 
development rather than the skill how to use the existing 
software or models. As a graduate school, we dont need to 
produce just computer operators. We need software developers 
who develop their own software or models to solve 
environmental problems that cannot be solved with existing 
software alone. 
(5) STAR Program should grow professional researchers by 
continuing to support the finance for outstanding graduates. In 
the same way, STAR Program should accept outstanding young 
researchers from outside, for promotion of research. 
2. Education Program in Master Course 
According to the goals, STAR Program has set up the following 
curriculum guideline for Master course in five terms or twenty 
months. 
(1) Basic configuration of terms (see Appendix 1) 
First Term: Lecturers of fundamental theory and principle. This 
is to standardize the level of master students. 
Second Term: Lectures with computer laboratory sessions. This 
is to develop the software capability by hands-on-training. 
Third Term: Lectures with advanced technologies. This is to 
strengthen the students knowledges with a target on the 
subsequent master thesis. Special study with literature review 
will be also suggested to students. Proposal defense of master 
thesis should be passed. 
Fourth Term: Master thesis research including preprocessing 
remote sensing and GIS data and field study. Progress report 
should be passed. 
Fifth Term: Master thesis research including editing master 
thesis and final defense with oral presentation in an open door 
seminar style. 
(2) Computer Facilities 
In order to provide students with well installed computer 
systems, STAR Program has following laboratories and 
facilities for supporting Master and Doctor courses. 
a. Remote Sensing Laboratory 
a-1 Digital Lab. 
10 pentium PCs with 10 set of ARC/INFO, IDRISI, ERDAS 
and ENVI with NT server. Color plotters, digitizers and image 
scanner are also installed. Students are given 200 M bytes disk 
space at minimum, another 200 M bytes on request and more on 
special request. 
a-2 Visual Lab. 
Maps and satellite images/tapes are open to students. 
a-3 Photo Lab. 
Photographic processing facility is installed to convert from 
digital data to photo and enlarge photos for image 
interpretation. 
a-4 Project Room 
UNIX Workstations and PCs are installed to support doctoral. 
students. 
b. Documentation Room 
Word processors and printers are installed for documentation of 
papers. PCs in Digital Lab. are prohibited to use as a word 
processor. 
(3) Educational problems 
STAR Program has following problems, though it has improved 
remarkably as compared with five years ago. 
a. Limited number of scholarship 
Financial support in a form of scholarship is most essential. 
Tuition fee, 
academic service fee and living expense (accommodation and 
food) per term is 3,400 US dollars, 240 US dollars and about 
1,000 US dollars respectively that make the total cost of Master 
Course (5 terms) 23,200 US Dollars, while Doctor Course (9 
terms) 41,760 US dollars. 
b. Different Level of Quality 
Because AIT students come from various countries in Asia and 
Pacific (almost 30 countries), the level of quality at the 
enrollment is so different that the targets of courses should be 
carefully chosen. STAR Program will target top 30 percent as a 
strategy rather than bottom class in order to keep the high 
quality. 
c. Limited research budget 
Budget for supporting master thesis is limited only about 300 
-400 US dollars. It makes students difficult to purchase satellite 
data and to go to field study. Individual faculty will have to 
find extra fund to support advisees. In this sense, STAR 
Program most welcomes to receive complementary satellite data 
for educational purpose from space agencies. 
3. Training Program 
The GIS Application Center (GAC), AIT provides end users of 
remote sensing and GIS with two types of short-term training 
course. 
- Regular courses : in 1998 three courses were planned ; Basic 
GIS Course (13-24 July 1998), Advanced GIS for Watershed 
Management (27 August - 7 September 1998) and Advanced 
GIS for Flood Mitigation (7-18 December, 1998). Each course 
costs 2,000 US dollars including accommodation, with the 
maximum 20 trainees.