Virtual Student Exchange Program Meeting
On July 8, 2020, Chulalongkorn University joined the first meeting of Virtual Student Exchange Program through Zoom. This exchange program is a collaboration of various universities around the world. The purpose of the meeting is to identify the courses that can be put in the “basket” for the students to attend.
The essential topics discussed in the meeting focused on how to move forward with the student exchange program in the new normal era and how members could contribute to the virtual student exchange program. The elements that were brought into the central discussion were the academic coursework, cultural immersion-oriented program, engagement program in international social communities, and global leadership and citizenship training. Under the new normal era, virtual student exchange program would not only benefit students to connect more easily around the globe, but also provide the opportunities for students to take non-credit bearing courses and join innovative public lectures offered by leading institutions that zero in on the present-day socio-cultural issues as well (e.g. on Black lives matter). When the Virtual Student Exchange Program materializes, students will be able to form global connections, as well as being able to share intercultural knowledge through academic and cultural exchange. Currently, the core members are Chulalongkorn University, CUHK, HK University of Science and Technology, Tec de Monterrey, University of Oregon, UCLA, Tsinghua University, Waseda University, and Universidad San Francisco de Quito.