Suan Dusit Rajabhat University (Hua Hin Campus) has recently organised short and long term exchange programs for its students to the Yu Zi Teacher College in Yunnan-Khun Ming in China. The aim is to upgrade Thai education towards the upcoming ASEAN Community in 2015.
In March, Dr. Suraphol Siriseth, the Director of SRU (Hua Hin), along with 20 students and their parents, took a two-hour flight from Suvanabuhmi International Airport in Bangkok to Khun Ming. They then travelled by car for 90 minutes to Yu Zi Teacher College. The Deputy Rector of the College Mr. Kao Wien Kow and the university staff gave them a warm welcome.
Mr. Wien Kow said to the Thai delegates that the Yu Zi Teacher College was a very old academic institution with 13,000 students from China, Vietnam, South Korea, Myanmar and Thailand. The College has 10 faculties and offers 44 courses. They include political sciences, law, management sciences, agriculture, art, sport sciences, mathematics, foreign languages and traditional Chinese medicine.
Every year, 2,000 students from each of the ASEAN countries participate in a student exchange program with Yu Zi. All students, no matter what area of study they plan to take, will learn basic Chinese as a compulsory subject. Thanks to the College’s effective teaching systems, high quality teachers and learning resources, most graduates of Yu Zi find good jobs as public officers, staff of state enterprises or even politicians.
Thai students who wish to take part in the short or long term exchange program can apply directly at SRU (Hua Hin) without reaching the 4th level of the HSK Test. However, they must learn Chinese at Yu Zi.
Located in a beautiful valley, Yu Zi College has many separate classroom buildings, a big library, a sport complex and safe dormitories. It is close to a local community where people enjoy similar food to Thais. The weather is European-like with a summer and winter of six months. Students really enjoy studying there.
Dr. Suraphol said that he commenced this program because of his contact with the Rector of SRU in Bangkok Dr, Sirarot Pholphanthin. Dr. Sirarot would like to see Thai students at Yu Zi study very hard, especially learning Chinese, for both short and long term courses. In the future Chinese will be crucial for work and business when Thailand becomes a Member of ASEAN Community.
Dr. Suraphol also talked about Thai students being too dependent on each other. He would like to see Thai students at Yu Zi become as patient and independent as Chinese students who do not give up despite past failure.
Thailand needs Thai people who can speak Chinese fluently. If the country ensures that there are many Thai people with a good command of Chinese, its standing will be equivalent or better than other ASEAN countries. The SRU in Hua Hin has been cooperating with Chinese universities for seven years. Its students are studying at 10 public universities in Yu Zi, Khwang Zhi, Her Nan, Kui Lin and U-Chow and elsewhere.
“All of our students who studied in China found a good job because they are good at Chinese. Many of them work for airlines, hotels, travel agents and business companies. Expenses for a year long course are not much different from those in Thailand. A student pays 80,000 to 100,000 Baht a year for tuition, accommodation and other costs. If a student chooses a short term course, the expenses will be much lower,” said Dr. Suraphol.
Finally, Dr. Suraphol added that parents who would like to send their children to study a Bachelor Degree course in China or a short course of Chinese can contact him directly at SRU (Hua Hin). He will be pleased to provide them with further information.
