Bhubaneswar: Eminent geographer-regional planner Jayant Kumar Routray, who has retired from the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Bangkok, as Professor of Regional and Rural Development Planning, and Disaster Preparedness, Mitigation and Management in the Department of Development and Sustainability School of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD), AIT has been given the rare honour to become Professor Emeritus till the rest of his life.
Prof. Routray, would be the first Odia and among few Indians to don the prestigious status in the premier international institute of Asia, which is well-known for technology, planning and management in the world over.
Prof. Ray, who is a resident of the Temple City and has been staying here after retiring from AIT recently, will receive the formal title of Emeritus Professor at the 130th AIT Graduation Ceremony to be held at Bangkok on December 14.
The communiqué sent by AIT to Prof Routray says “the award was approved in the recognition of his continuous distinguished service as professor of AIT, outstanding international professional status, as well as significant academic contributions to the institute through teaching, research, professional work and community service.’’
A registered planner and Fellow of the Institute of Town Planners (India), Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (Institute of British Geographers), London; Life Member of many academic and professional societies including the Society of International Development (SID), the eminent geographer is also member to many world-renowned institutions and organisations.
Prof. Routray has gathered about 38 years of teaching, research and professional experience. He has served as external examiner of many doctoral theses of Indian universities. During his career, he has graduated 150 Master’s, M.Phil. and 27 Doctoral students under his guidance and supervision, and has accomplished about 150 publications (books, book chapters, and research papers in national, regional and international journals).
Born on 11 November 1956, Prof Routray had a distinguished career as a bright scholar from his graduation time. In 1974 he completed his B.Sc with Geography Honours from Utkal University having specialisation in Climatology. Later he did his M. Sc. Geography with first class first rank from Utkal University in 1976 with specialization in Town and Country Planning.
Later he did his MRP (Master of Regional Planning) from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur in 1979 and Ph.D. from Utkal University in 1987. He also holds a Post-Graduate Certificate in Town and Regional Planning from Technical University of SZCZECIN, Poland (UNESCO Center for Developing Countries) in 1983.
Prof Routray’s subject areas revolve around spatial inequality and rural poverty, decentralized and sustainable rural-regional development, regional planning methods and techniques, rural-urban relations, development impact assessment, disaster risk assessment, reduction and management, and resilience and adaptive capacity to climate related hazards.
Prof Routray started his academic journey as a lecturer in Geography, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, from 1980. Later he became a Reader in Geography. He started his innings as an Assistant Professor (Regional and Rural Development Planning), Human Settlements Division, AIT in June 1988, became Associate Professor in 1993 and full Professor since January 2005.
In a nutshell Prof Routray acquired more than 38 years of teaching and research experience out of which more than 29 years was with AIT, Bangkok and about 9 years in the Department of Geography of the Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, India. He was associated with many UN organisations as consultant and in different project activities and served them with great appreciation.
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