Thailand Teachers' "Chinese + Vocational Skills" Training Program Kicked off at WRC

On October 13th, the opening ceremony for the Thailand Teachers' "Chinese + Vocational Skills" Training Program was held in the Lineng Lecture Hall of the college. Attending the ceremony were Huang Nianping, Second-Level Inspector from Department of Education of Hubei Province; Dr. Junyar Pabu, Education Supervisor from Northeastern Thailand; Chanchai Saenchan, Director of Udonthani Technical College; Sanae Wongle, Director of Banhong Industrial and Community Education College; Manussanun Ratriwang, Director of Udonthani Vocational College; Mongkol Kaewrod, Director of Nong Khai Vocational College; along with WRC's Party Committee Secretary Xu Hengchu, President Bai Youlin, Vice President Peng Kaiqin, relevant WRC department heads, faculty representatives, and 21 participating teachers from 12 Thai institutions. The opening ceremony was presided over by Vice President Peng Kaiqin.

In his speech, Xu Hengchu, WRC's Party Committee Secretary, introduced the college's experiences and achievements in international exchange and cooperation. He pointed out that the college actively serves the national strategy of opening up, integrates into the "B&R" Initiative, saw the "Sino-Thai Joint High-Speed Rail Talent Training Project" approved as one of the top 20 characteristic cooperation projects between China and ASEAN higher vocational institutions, and established the first Luban Workshop for vocational education in Central China. He stated that hosting this training program is another important practice for the college in deepening China-Thailand vocational education cooperation and sharing high-quality educational resources. He expressed the hope that, taking this training as a new starting point, further practical cooperation with Thai vocational colleges in areas such as teacher training, curriculum development, and student exchanges would be expanded, making new contributions to promoting China-Thailand cultural exchange and the continuation of friendship.

Huang Nianping, Second-Level Inspector from Department of Education of Hubei Province addressed that 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Thailand, with both countries jointly entering the important historical stage of the "Golden 50 Years of China-Thailand Friendship," building on the past and paving the way for the future. He expressed that hosting this Thailand Teachers' "Chinese + Vocational Skills" Training Program not only deepens the achievements of Hubei-Thailand educational cooperation but is also an important practice for both sides to advance vocational education exchange. He hoped that this training program would serve as an opportunity to further expand the space for Hubei-Thailand vocational education cooperation, innovate cooperation models, and enrich the content of cooperation, making greater contributions to promoting the high-quality development of vocational education for both countries and serving the "B&R" construction.

Chanchai Saenchan, Director of Udonthani Technical College, expressed sincere gratitude for the successful launch of this "Chinese + Vocational Skills" Training Program. He stated that for the Thai participating teachers, this training is a rare growth opportunity, allowing them not only to systematically improve their Chinese communication skills but also to gain in-depth exposure to excellent traditional Chinese culture, enhancing their understanding and recognition of China through cultural mutual learning. At the same time, through professional learning in skill areas, they can update their teaching philosophies, enhance practical teaching levels, and bring advanced vocational education experiences back to Thailand, contributing to the improvement of local vocational education quality. Director Saenchan mentioned that this training program has brought the two sides closer and expressed the hope to make this program as a link to expand multi-faceted in-depth cooperation with the college.

Qiu Jin, representative of the training program instructors, and Supawich Saenchan, representative of the trainees, delivered speeches respectively, sharing their anticipations and feelings about participating in this training program.

During the opening ceremony, the college signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with seven Thai vocational colleges, including Udonthani Technical College. This signing marks the college's entry into a broader and deeper new stage in the field of China-Thailand vocational education exchange and cooperation, laying a solid foundation for subsequent practical cooperation between the two sides.

Following the signing ceremony, the unveiling ceremony for the "International Teacher Training and Exchange Center" was held. Huang Nianping and Xu Hengchu jointly unveiled the plaque, marking the official launch of the center. It is reported that the "International Teacher Training and Exchange Center" is an important platform established by the college to deepen the internationalization of vocational education and expand international educational cooperation. In the future, the center will integrate high-quality resources and systematically promote overseas teacher training and exchange programs, providing strong support for enhancing the college's internationalization level.

This two-week training program covers Chinese language courses, Chinese intangible cultural heritage courses, and high-speed rail professional skill exchanges. Hosting  the program coincides with the vital historical moment of the 50th anniversary of China-Thailand diplomatic relations and is a concrete measure to implement the educational cooperation arrangements outlined in the joint statement of the Chinese and Thai governments this past February. The China-Thailand cooperating institutions will take this training program as a new starting point to jointly explore new models of international cooperation in vocational education, inject new momentum into promoting the high-quality development of vocational education in both countries, and endow the enduring friendship between the two nations with new contemporary significance.