From July 6 to 8, 2026, the International Exchange and Communication Workshop was hosted at TEC. Focusing on key issues in international educational development and cross-cultural practice, the workshop deepened participants’ understanding of area studies in education, cross-cultural research methodologies and intercultural communication. It also enhanced their practical capabilities, and laid a solid foundation for their forthcoming overseas exchanges and field research.
On the morning of July 6, Professor Zhang Minxuan, Director of TEC, delivered a keynote speech entitled “Educational Development in the Global South and the International Communication of Chinese Education.” He traced the evolution of the concept from the “Third World” to the “Global South” and highlighted the severe shortage of STEM teachers across many Global South countries.
He stressed that China could share its experience in basic education development, as reflected in its PISA performance, together with teacher professional development models such as teaching research groups. He further called for expanded South–South cooperation in areas including vocational education, digital and AI-enabled education, and education for women and girls, thereby contributing Chinese perspectives to global educational development.
On the afternoon of July 6, Associate Professor Song Jia gave a lecture on “Design and Skills of Cross-Cultural Interviews”. She introduced comparative frameworks for international educational research and discussed major turning points in higher education development through the examples of educational reform in Uzbekistan and China’s higher education expansion. Drawing on PISA cases, she illustrated the principle of maximum differentiation in comparative research and offered practical guidance on interview designing. Following the lecture, Dr. Li Ruimiao presented an overview on “Education in Central Asia”. He reviewed the historical development of Central Asia and explained how the Altaic language family and Persian-Arabic cultural traditions have shaped regional linguistic evolution, providing valuable context for understanding the education systems of Central Asian countries.
On the morning of 7 July, the workshop featured a session on the Design and Methodologies of Cross-Cultural Educational Research. Associate Professor Zhang Huafeng delivered a report entitled “China’s Educational Image in the Eyes of Others”. Drawing on his overseas fieldwork experience and taking questionnaire design for Indonesians as an example, he shared five key perceptions of Chinese education from a Global South perspective. Associate Professor Zhu Xiaohu presented a report entitled “Southeast Asian Education from a Global Lens”. Based on PISA and TALIS data, he introduced the regional geographic, religious, economic and social contexts, analyzed the 2022 PISA academic performance, policy priorities and teacher workforce development, and further explored opportunities and challenges for ASEAN educational cooperation.
On the afternoon of July 7, Dr. Ding Ruoxi presented a report on Methodologies for Sharing Chinese Educational Knowledge. Drawing on projects such as the China–UK Teacher Exchange Program and China–Tanzania Teacher Professional Development Program, she reviewed the shift in research focus from research subjects to research methodologies. She argued that developing an effective paradigm for sharing Chinese educational knowledge requires clearly defined objectives. She also emphasized the importance of conducting Communication-Based Assessments before knowledge-sharing, complementing literature reviews with fieldwork, and holding in-depth dialogue with stakeholders to generate well-grounded research findings. Dr. Shen Yihua hosted a seminar themed “Customs, Culture, and Safety in Volunteer Work”. Using real-life cases, he designed a series of interactive exercises that encouraged active discussion and participation.The session strengthened participants’ safety awareness and intercultural competence for their upcoming overseas volunteer work.
On the morning of July 8, Dr. Ding Ruoxi led a session on Writing Fieldwork Reports. Drawing on exemplary fieldwork reports, she explained key writing conventions and practical considerations, providing hands-on guidance for conducting field researches.
Dr. Meng Wenting from East China Normal University shared insights on Competency Frameworks and Evaluation for International Organization Professionals. Based on her professional experience in international organizations, she systematically elaborated on core competencies and evaluation criteria for international organization professionals, together with key takeaways from her professional practice.
Group seminars were held on the evenings of July 6 and July 7, as well as the afternoon of July 8. Within the three-dimensional framework of cognition, emotion, and behavior, participants designed research instruments and strengthened theoretical foundations through literature reviews. On the afternoon of July 8, each group delivered a collective presentation of their research proposals. The intensive discussions proved highly productive, equipping participants with a strong theoretical and methodological foundation for their forthcoming overseas fieldwork.
Text | HE Ming YOU Jiaqi
