On January 18-19, 2019, Professor Kingkarn Thepkanjana, Ph.D., Dean of the Faculty of Arts, along with Associate Professor Suradech Chotiudompant, Ph.D., Associate Dean in Internationalization and Organizational Image Enhancement, were invited to participate in a forum on the initiative of a Lancang-Mekong cooperation, in accordance with the Five-Year Plan of Action on Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (2018-2022) in Guangdong, South China. The forum was organized to foster discussion of three main topics: (1) how to promote international education and investment cooperation among Lancang-Mekong countries, (2) cases of successful investment made by Chinese entrepreneurs in other five member countries, and (3) sharing Shenzhen’s development experience and its related significance in other five member countries.

Taking place at Shenzhen University, the first-day session started with opening remarks from Professor Tao Yitao, Ph.D., Dean of Belt and Road Research Institute (BRRI) and Vice Chairperson of Shenzhen Foundation for International Exchange and Cooperation (SFIEC), followed by Cong Cao, SFIEC Corporate Representative and General Secretary, and Professor Niu Huayong, Ph.D., Dean of International Business School, Beijing Foreign Studies University. After a brief video on presentation on the SFIEC and on exchange of opinions on education cooperation between China and Mekong countries, each representative from different member countries were invited to share their ideas on current situations and ideas of international cooperation of universities. In addition to Professor Thepkanjana, the representatives included:
• Oum Ravy, Royal University of Phnom Penh
• Visansack Khamphengvong, Ph.D., National University of Laos
• Tin Win, Ph.D., Yangon University of Economics
• Chhiv Thet, Paññasastra University of Cambodia
• Kin Phea, Royal Academy of Cambodia
• Bountheuang Mounlasy, Ph.D., Rattana Business Administration College (RBAC), Vientien, Lao PDR
• Tun Aung, Meiktila University of Economics, Myanmar
• Chau The Huu, Ho Chi Minh City University of Foreign Languages – Information Technology (HUFLIT)
• Kerry Marie Slattery, National University of Management, Cambodia

The afternoon session was an exclusive visit to the Ping An Financial Center, located in Shenzhen City Center, to discuss the successful business model development, integrated with cutting-edge knowledge in latest information technological advances. Representatives from the Ping An Group, shared their ideas on how the Ping An Group has benefited from these advances and developed their Smart Life business model, in which technology plays an important part in everyday life. Subsequently, Associate Professor Ren Kangyu, Ph.D., from Beijing Foreign Studies University, led a discussion on how personal and social dimensions will be affected by new technological trends such as AI, Blockchain, cloud computing, and the Big Data.

The second-day session took place in Foshan, beginning with a quick tour of the new Foshan campus of BFSU. The forum started with speeches on economy and trade cooperation by Professor Ma, President of the Commerce Economy Association of China. Then the representatives from Mekong countries presented their lectures on current situations of economic cooperation between China and their countries. Last but not least, Professor Dong Lily from BFSU International Business School gave a succinct introduction on programs and other related information of the business school.

Co-hosted by such institutes as Shenzhen University, the BRRI, the SFIEC, and the International Business School of BFSU, this two-day forum signaled an important step in which China and Mekong countries learnt about each other, especially in terms of international education and business investment. The Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University, as a close ally to the BFSU, was specially invited to join this significant forum in order to witness the latest turn in international education, in which information technology plays an increasingly vital role.


The Faculty of Arts Public Relations and Internal Communications  Please send any announcements or information on your current as well as past events to pr.arts.chulalongkorn@gmail.com