On April 9, 2026, Assistant Professor Sakorn Ruanklai, Director of the Language Institute Chiang Mai University (LICMU), visited the School of Foreign Languages at Peking University and held a roundtable discussion with faculty members and graduate student representatives of the Thai Language Program.

Thai Language Faculty Hold Discussion with Director Sakorn

Assistant Professor Dr. Xiong Ran, Head of the Thai Language Teaching and Research Section, first extended a warm welcome to Director Sakorn and the visiting delegation. She then provided an overview of the Thai Language Department at Peking University, covering its founding history, faculty composition, student development, curriculum design, and academic research. She highlighted the educational objectives across the undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels, and briefly shared past experiences in organizing short-term student study trips to Thailand, inviting international instructors, and conducting exchanges and collaborations with Thai universities.

Director Sakorn expressed his heartfelt gratitude for the warm reception from the Thai Language program. He noted that since the signing of the university-level memorandum of understanding between Chiang Mai University and Peking University in October last year, he had been looking forward to meeting with the faculty and students of Thai Language Department at Peking University. He added that he was visiting at the request of President Pongruk Sribanditmongkol to explore further possibilities for cooperation with relevant departments. Director Sakorn introduced the experience and distinctive features of the Language Center at Chiang Mai University in providing Thai language training for international learners, and expressed his hope that both sides could carry out diverse forms of exchange and cooperation in the future.

Director Sakorn particularly mentioned that on April 10, a delegation led by President Pongruk Sribanditmongkol of Chiang Mai University, together with representatives from multiple faculties, would attend the unveiling ceremony of the Chiang Mai University Liaison Center in Beijing, to be held at the Beijing HNA Marriott Hotel. The event is expected to be attended by the former Ambassador of Thailand to China, the Minister-Counselor of the Royal Thai Embassy in China, university leaders from Chiang Mai University, as well as representatives from various Chinese and Thai universities and institutions.

The two sides then freely exchanged views on topics such as short-term student exchange programs and the sharing of teaching and research experiences between faculty members. After the meeting, both sides exchanged gifts and posed for a group photo.

Representatives of Thai language faculty and students took a group photo with Director Sakorn and his delegation in front of the new building of the School of Foreign Languages

On April 10, Assistant Professor Xiong Ran was invited to attend the unveiling ceremony of the Chiang Mai University Liaison Center in Beijing, where she met with representatives from relevant departments and further exchanged views on potential areas of future cooperation.

Chiang Mai University Liaison Center in Beijing Inaugurated (Photo source: bjyouth.com)

Text: Chen Hongfeng

Photo: Chen Hongfeng

Translated by Song Yucen

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