全球COVID-19疫情橫掃之下，台灣國門嚴謹把關防疫有成，但也升高境外生入境難度，元智大學將危機視為轉機，已於2月18日在泰國曼谷農業大學設立元智拓廣中心，邀請台北經濟文化辦事處李應元大使、辦公室所在地農業大學國際副校長Kampanat Pensupar、元智大學李清庭副校長等共48位代表與會，以線上及現場互動方式舉行揭幕儀式，由提供辦公室的農業大學理學院副院長及資科系主任代表剪綵，開啟元智新南向的里程碑。
元智大學陳勁甫國際長解釋為何要在泰國設立元智拓廣中心(Yuan Ze University Outreach Center in Thailand)：元智大學創校之初即專注於應用工程與管理領域，這和泰國4.0的許多領域與理念相吻合。因此元智大學也於2019年10月結合台灣廠商假泰國台北經濟文化辦事處舉辦元智泰國高科技展嘗試媒合產學合作。拓廣中心的設立就是要發揮在地的優勢，聘請華語、英語、泰語俱佳的專案經理協助推動與在地學術界人脈建立緊密學術合作網絡；並透過實地與虛擬模式及社群媒體介紹台灣與元智教育環境；與泰國台商總會合作，推動產學合作與學生海外實習。目前元智與泰國的合作包括農業大學3+1交換研修計畫、清萊市政府教育局專業人才研習計畫及連續超過10年的泰國實習計畫及暑期營隊等。
值得一提的是元智管理學院自2009年起推動學生赴泰國實習，要求實習學生必修泰語，從工作與語言中，體驗不同的文化與思維。全校每學期開設泰語2-3班，1091學期就有100名學生修習泰語，顯見其受歡迎的程度。過去的實習是元智學生前進泰國，今年也將啟動「優秀外國青年來臺蹲點計畫TEEP＠Asia Plus計畫」獎助泰國學生體驗元智理論與實做兼具的教育。
李清庭副校長表示營造國際化校園與培養學生全球移動力，招收境外生是必然的選擇。元智大學配合政府新南向計畫政策，在泰國設置拓廣中心以行銷元智教育、拓展交換教師、共同研究、產學合作、甚至境外專班是元智積極踏出台灣的重要一步。
Under the global COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan’s border has been rigorously guarded against the epidemic, and it has also made it more difficult for foreign students to enter the country. Yuan Ze University regards the crisis as a turning point and has established Yuan Ze Outreach Center in Kasetsart University in Bangkok on February 18th. The Outreach Center invites 48 representatives, including Li Ying-yuan, Ambassador of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, Kampanat Pensupar, International Vice President of Kasetsart University, where the office is located, and Ching-Ting Lee, Vice President of Yuan Ze University. The opening ceremony is held in an online and on-site interactive manner.
The deputy dean of the Faculty of Science, Dr. Suriya Na Nongkhai, and the head of the Department of Information Technology, Dr. Pakaket Wattuya, of Kasetsart University, cut the ribbon and unveil the signboard on site, marking a milestone in YZU’s southbound development.
Ching-Pu Chen, the Chief Global Officer of Yuan Ze University explains why Yuan Ze University Outreach Center is located in Thailand: Yuan Ze University was established at the beginning focused on applied engineering and management, which is similar to many areas of Thailand 4.0. Therefore, Yuan Ze University also organized the Yuan Ze Thailand High-tech Exhibition in October 2019, linking Taiwanese manufacturers and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office of Thailand, to try to match industry-university cooperation. The establishment of the Outreach Center is to take the local advantages and hire project managers who are good at Chinese, English, and Thai to build up the academic cooperation network with local contacts; and to promote industry-university cooperation and students' overseas internships. The current cooperation between Yuan Ze University and Thailand includes the 3+1 exchange training program of Kasetsart University, the professional training program for the Education Bureau of Chiang Rai City Government, and the Thai internship program and summer camp.
It is worth mentioning that since 2009, the College of Management in Yuan Ze University has promoted students to go to Thailand for internships. Intern students are required to speak Thai, allowing them to experience different cultures and mindsets from work and language. YZU offers Thai 2-3 classes every semester, in the Fall 2020 semester, there are about 100 students that take these classes, which shows its popularity. In the past 10 years’ internship program, YZU students have been to Thailand. This year, the "TEEP@Asia Plus Project" will also invite Thai students to come to YZU to experience academic and practical education.
Ching-Ting Lee, Vice President of YZU, says that to build an international campus and cultivate students' global mobility, recruiting foreign students is an inevitable choice. That Yuan Ze University, aligned with the government's new southbound policy, sets up an outreach center in Thailand, is an important step to promote the marketing of YZU’s education, exchange of teachers, joint research, industry-university cooperation, and international cooperation.
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