The "2025 First China-Thailand Regional Economic High-Quality Development Academic Conference" was held at Kunming University of Science and Technology on December 18. Centered on the core theme of "high-quality development of the regional economy," the conference aimed to build consensus and explore pathways through academic exchanges, deepening dialogue and cooperation between China and Thailand in key areas such as the digital economy, green finance, and cross-border trade. It sought to contribute insights and solutions for promoting regional coordinated development and high-level openness.

Jiang Yehua, Vice President of KUST attended the opening ceremony and delivered a welcome speech. He stated that this conference serves as a practical initiative by the university to support the nation's opening-up strategy and contribute to Yunnan's development as a gateway hub for South and Southeast Asia. He emphasized that the university is currently in a critical phase of striving for "Double First-Class" status and places high importance on higher education cooperation with neighboring countries such as Thailand. He expressed hope that this conference would serve as an opportunity to further expand in-depth exchanges between both sides in talent cultivation and academic research.

At the opening ceremony, the "China-Thailand Economic Management Industry-Academia-Research Alliance" was officially announced, covering ten Chinese and Thai universities, i.e. Chulalongkorn University, Chiang Mai University, and Kasetsart University, etc. Kunming University of Science and Technology and Kasetsart University signed a cooperation agreement, marking the beginning of a new phase in China-Thailand collaboration driven by concrete projects.

During the keynote report session, over ten scholars from China and Thailand engaged in in-depth discussions around the conference theme, exploring multiple dimensions such as industry frontiers, and practical applications. In the afternoon, the conference featured a roundtable forum titled "China-Thailand Higher Education International Cooperation and Exchange Forum." Administrators, scholars, and industry representatives from universities in both countries engaged in profound dialogue and experience-sharing on topics including innovative models for cultivating international talent, collaborative development of regional industrial chains, and optimization of industry-academia-research cooperation mechanisms. Multiple consensuses were reached in areas such as aligning educational cooperation with industrial demands and exploring pathways for collaborative innovation.

In recent years, KUST has consistently deepened its educational cooperation with countries in South and Southeast Asia, establishing a solid foundation in joint research, talent cultivation, and technology transfer. By providing an open dialogue platform and fostering interaction between academia and industry, this conference has laid a strong foundation for future cooperation between China and Thailand in the field of high-quality regional economic development.

Translated by: MA Bingyu, Division of International Cooperation

Source: Faculty of Management and Economics

Issued by: Division of International Cooperation