On the afternoon of July 17, 2026, the TEC delegation visited the Secretariat of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO). This visit marked a crucial concluding segment of overseas field study in Thailand.
The SEAMEO Secretariat held the reception meeting and key SEAMEO officials attended, including Dr. Pintip Iamnirath, Deputy Director of the Secretariat; Dr. Kessara Amornvuthivorn, Director of the SEAMEO STEM-ED Centre; Associate Professor Burin Asavapibhop, Project Manager; Dr. Orawan Sriboonruang, Knowledge Management Manager; Dr. Norhaniza Abdul Hamid, Research and Evaluation Manager; and Mr. Danie Gonzalvo, Publication Expert.
At the beginning of the meeting, Dr. Pintip Iamnirath provided a systematic overview of SEAMEO’s history, organizational structure, core functions, and future development plans. She noted that since its establishment in 1965, SEAMEO has been dedicated to promoting regional cooperation in education, science, and culture among Southeast Asian countries. Currently, the organization covers various fields, including basic education, vocational and technical education, teacher development, as well as language and culture. Following this, Mr. Danie Gonzalvo highlighted SEAMEO's flagship projects in teacher professional development, particularly the international teacher training and collaboration programs open to educators both within and beyond the region. He also expressed a strong willingness to engage in practical cooperation with the TEC in areas such as teacher training and the sharing of curriculum resources.
Subsequently, Dr. Kessara Amornvuthivorn, Director of the STEM-ED Centre, presented SEAMEO's STEM education initiatives. She placed special emphasis on the landscape of student literacy in Southeast Asian countries as highlighted by the PISA assessments, as well as the evolving trends in STEM education in the age of artificial intelligence, and the respective responses of SEAMEO member states.
Yu Ying, a doctoral student from TEC, introduced China's initiatives on AI-empowered teacher professional development. Finally, Associate Professor Song Jia outlined the purpose of the delegation's visit. She provided an overview of the establishment, core mission, and flagship activities, and noted that TEC and SEAMEO shared strong conceptual alignment and a solid foundation for cooperation in multiple areas, such as teacher capacity building, knowledge and information dissemination, and promoting educational equity and gender equality. She expressed hope that the two sides will deepen their collaboration in the future to jointly address challenges in regional educational development and contribute to global educational advancement and SDGs.
During the open discussion session, the two sides engaged in priority issues in ASEAN educational development. The topics covered cutting-edge subjects, including STEM education innovation, PISA assessment frameworks for evaluating students' core competencies, and the practical challenges and response strategies for AI-assisted teaching in classrooms.
As the meeting drew to a close, Dr. Pintip Iamnirath, Deputy Director of the SEAMEO Secretariat, stated that teachers and students from TEC are welcome to undertake internships and joint research at the SEAMEO Secretariat and its affiliated centers in the future, and she looked forward to establishing long-term, stable academic ties between the two institutions. This visit not only deepened the delegation's understanding of the educational governance framework and priority agendas in Southeast Asia, but also opened up new avenues for future collaboration in areas such as teacher development in Southeast Asia, personnel exchanges and mutual visits, and student internships in international organizations.
