On May 16, a delegation from the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) in Thailand, led by President Tippawan Lorsuwannarat and Dr. Li Renliang, Deputy Dean for Academic Affairs of the Graduate School of Social Development and Management Strategy, visited Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST). Vice President Xu Xiaodong welcomed the delegation, joined by Liu Fang, Chair of the School Committee of the College of Public Administration, and Vice Dean Li Jing.

Xu Xiaodong warmly welcomed the delegation and introduced HUST’s history, educational achievements, as well as the current state of public administration, faculty, and international cooperation. He highlighted the longstanding and fruitful collaboration between HUST and NIDA since the signing of the MOU in 2019, which has yielded significant outcomes in academic exchange, faculty and student visits, and joint research, especially in promoting China-Thailand higher education exchange and regional sustainable development. Xu expressed hope that this visit would further enrich cooperation in joint MPA programs, senior government training, summer schools, and collaborative research.

President Tippawan Lorsuwannarat thanked HUST for its warm hospitality and gave an overview of NIDA’s academic structure, scale, and disciplinary development. She expressed appreciation for the exchanges between the two universities in areas such as public governance in China and ASEAN, digital economy cooperation, and responses to non-traditional security challenges. She also spoke highly of the cross-cultural learning experiences gained by faculty and students through short-term exchanges, research visits, and summer camps. President Tippawan Lorsuwannarat noted that HUST’s strengths in science, engineering, and public administration complement NIDA’s expertise in policy research, offering broad prospects for collaboration in joint training and development programs. She expressed hope that the two universities will become a bridge for China-Thailand cultural exchange.

The two sides then held in-depth discussions on their respective strengths and plans for international academic conferences. President Tippawan Lorsuwannarat noted that this year marks the 50th anniversary of China-Thailand diplomatic relations, and that academic collaboration between the two universities brings fresh momentum to bilateral exchanges in education, science, and culture. She expressed confidence that their partnership and friendship would continue to grow. Xu Xiaodong reaffirmed HUST’s commitment to openness and recognized NIDA as a key strategic partner, expressing hope for continued exchanges and close cooperation to further advance higher education collaboration between China and Thailand.