A Delegation from the Thai Vocational Education Executive Development Program Pays a Visit to BPC

(Scene of the meeting)

On the afternoon of July 3, a 28-member delegation from the Thai Vocational Education Executive Development Program, led by Mr. Thanu Kwandej[01], Deputy Permanent Secretary-General of Thailand's Ministry of Education, paid a friendly visit to Beijing Polytechnic College (BPC). The delegation was accompanied by Shan Congkai, Deputy Secretary-General of the China Association for Educational Technology. Zhou Yan, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Committee and Vice President of BPC, met with the guests in Conference Room 4, Jiangxin Building. Other BPC leaders in attendance included Jia Minzheng, Director of the Development Planning Office, Meng Qing, Director of the International Exchanges and Cooperation Office, Qiu Yahui, Deputy Director of the Academic Affairs Office, and Xie Ligao, Deputy Director of the International Exchanges and Cooperation Office. The meeting was chaired by Director Meng Qing.

(Speech by Vice President Zhou Yan)

On behalf of BPC, Vice President Zhou Yan warmly welcomed the delegation. She provided an overview of BPC's fundamental development, as well as its exploration and practice in international development in recent years. Ms. Zhou said that, as the Educational Practice and Research Center for "Chinese + TVET" of the Center for Language Education and Cooperation under the Ministry of Education of China, BPC has engaged in rich exchanges and cooperation with Thailand in recent years. In 2021, BPC organized 118 students from Khon Kaen University and Krirk University in Thailand to participate in the "Chinese Bridge" Online Training Camp for "Chinese + TVET" for Countries along the Belt and Road Initiative. In April 2022, the college, in collaboration with the Thai Teachers Foundation and the Federation of Thai-Chinese Education Association[02], held a training program for Chinese teachers in Thailand. The program attracted more than 120 Chinese teachers from primary and secondary schools across the country. In September 2023, the President of Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi in Thailand led a delegation to visit BPC for exchanges. During the visit, both parties signed an inter-university friendly cooperation agreement. This year, Xie Ligao, Deputy Director of the International Exchanges and Cooperation Office at BPC, will serve as the first Chinese Dean of the China-Thailand Institute of Chinese Language and Technical and Vocational Education and Training co-established by the Chinese and Thai governments. Ms. Zhou expressed her hopes for in-depth exchanges and cooperation with the Thai side in areas such as teacher training, joint major development, and student exchanges after Xie's assumption of office.

(Speech by Deputy Permanent Secretary-General Thanu Kwandej)

Thanu Kwandej, Deputy Permanent Secretary-General of the Ministry of Education of Thailand, delivered a speech, expressing his heartfelt gratitude to BPC for their warm reception. He emphasized that the Thai side placed great importance on and strongly supported vocational education. They hope to learn from China's advanced educational and teaching practices through exchanges with Chinese vocational education institutions, thereby advancing the vocational education development of Thailand. They anticipate a growing number of Thai teachers and students visiting China for exchange and study opportunities in the future.

(Speech by Deputy Secretary-General Shan Congkai)

Shan Congkai, Deputy Secretary-General of the China Association for Educational Technology, also made a speech. He emphasized that the association had always attached importance to and supported the informatization and digitalization of education and he was deeply impressed by BPC's efforts and achievements in this regard. In addition, he reviewed the history of China-Thailand exchanges in higher and vocational education and expressed his hope that future collaborations in vocational education would serve as a new bridge for fostering exchanges between the two countries.

BPC engaged in a discussion with the delegation about its professional characteristics and international exchanges and cooperation. Both parties expressed a desire to strengthen these exchanges and collaborations in the future. Subsequently, Mr. Thanu Kwandej and his panel, accompanied by Director Meng Qing, visited the Sino-French Application-oriented Talent Training and Research Center for Energy Efficiency Management, Automobile Training Base, 3D Printing Training Center, and Intelligent Robot Training Room. The delegation highly praised and affirmed BPC's theory-practice integration teaching mode and high-quality training conditions.

(The delegation visits BPC's training room and experiences a training program)

(Group photo of BPC leaders and the delegation)

The delegation from the Thai Vocational Education Executive Development Program comprised senior officials from Thailand's Ministry of Education and local education departments. Supported by the Ministry of Education and organized by national associations of teachers, faculty and staff, and educators, the program is dedicated to advancing the development of senior education executives. The overseas study visits planned by these executives aim to expand their perspectives on educational program management and development by analyzing selected foreign education models.