On July 12, 2026, a delegation of 11 graduate students arrived in Chiang Mai, Thailand, for an overseas educational field study. Organized by UNESCO Teacher Education Centre (TEC) and the Graduate School of Shanghai Normal University, the team was led by Associate Professor Dr. Song Jia, Dr. Song Qingqing and Mr. Xu Yi.
The following morning, the delegation visited the Faculty of Education at Chiang Mai University. Dean Professor Tipparat Noparit extended a warm welcome, commending the sustained and meaningful exchange activities between the two sides. She expressed a strong desire to continue expanding educational collaborations and to establish a long-term partnership.
Before the China-Thai Graduate Education Forum officially commenced, the delegation met with key faculty from the Department of Fundamental and Educational Development at Chiang Mai University: Assistant Professor Dr. Monnaphat Manokan (Head of the Department), Associate Professor Dr. Suban Ponwiang (Head of the Educational Administration Program), and Assistant Professor Dr. Than Thongngok. Dr. Manokan highlighted that the forum would not only deepen academic ties but also sharpen the younger generation’s cross-cultural understanding and insights into global educational issues, thereby contributing to China-Thai educational exchanges.
Doctoral student Chayakarn Suanboon from Chiang Mai University’s Faculty of Education then provided an overview. This presentation covered faculty composition, doctoral programs, curriculum structure, graduation requirements, and future visions, setting a clear foundation for the dialogue that followed.
Six graduate students from both institutions presented their research during the forum:
●Liu Qingpei (Master’s student in Comparative Education, China) opened with a presentation titled “Teacher Resource Allocation in Shanghai, China”. Using teacher data as a starting point, she outlined the fundamental landscape of the teaching workforce at both the national and Shanghai levels. She further detailed the teacher promotion ladder, the “Silver-Age Teacher” plan, principal and teacher rotation systems, and measures to improve compensation for rural teachers.
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●Su Yutong (Master’s student in Higher Education, China) discussed the “Continuous Professional Development Model for Teachers in Shanghai”.She unpacked core mechanisms like the tiered promotion pathway, standardized induction training for new teachers, five-year cycle programs, the “Double Famous” master teacher studios, and regular school-based teaching research group activities, illustrating the effectiveness of this training model.
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●Yu Ying (Doctoral student in Comparative Education, China) presented on “Pathways to Improve Primary and Secondary School Teachers’ Artificial Intelligence Literacy in China”. Tracing from national AI-empowered teacher education policies down to Shanghai’s local practices, she explained how a three-tier structure,policy guidance, regional resource support, and school-level implementation, builds a comprehensive AI literacy training pipeline for educators.
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●Tao Yizhen (Master’s student in Foreign Languages, China) delivered a presentation titled “Prepare Teachers Today, Shape Futures Tomorrow”. She highlighted Shanghai Normal University's teacher preparation practices, including student teachers’ participation in the “Caring School” volunteer program and the University-Government-School collaborative training model.
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●Aulasinee Praditsorn (Master’s student, Thailand) presented “Developing Local Leaders as Tai Khuen Cultural Guides and Storytellers for Community-Based Tourism: A Case of Ban Chor Loe, Mae aeng, Chiang Mai”. Through sampling surveys, she analyzed the feasibility of training local leaders to serve as cultural guides and community tourism storytellers, recommending that local talent development should precede the rollout of commercial tourism products.
●Warunthorn Manee (Doctoral student, Thailand) focused on “Building Futures: Competency-Based Education for Ethnic Minority and Disadvantaged Students at Rajaprajanugroh 31 School”. Through a case study, he emphasized the importance of delivering competency-based education, spanning sports, arts, computing and AI, and employability, for minority and disadvantaged students.
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●Piriyapong Tammapheechaya (Doctoral student, Thailand) drew on his academic visit to Shanghai this April to reflect on the risks associated with AI. He argued that before integrating AI tools, schools must strengthen their student support infrastructure to ensure transparent information, clear responsibilities, and a human-centric approach, ensuring AI serves as an enabler rather than a source of new risks.
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The forum concluded with a lively Q&A session as students and faculty from both universities exchanged insights on the presented topics. This event deepened mutual understanding of China-Thai education systems and provided a solid knowledge base for the team’s upcoming fieldwork in Thai primary and secondary schools.
