A group photo of education representatives from Southeast Asia at the Launch Ceremony. [Photo/en.xmu.edu.cn]
Xiamen University (XMU) hosted the Launch Ceremony of the Southeast Asia Network for Chinese Language Education at its Siming Campus on July 1, establishing a regional hub to coordinate Chinese education internationally and deepen cultural ties between China and Southeast Asia.
At the Launch Ceremony, Zhong Wei, director of XMU's Office of International Cooperation and Exchange, said that XMU has long supported Chinese education in Southeast Asia since its founding by philanthropist Tan Kah Kee. As the number of Chinese learners in Southeast Asia exceeds 20 million, Zhong emphasized that the new network is a milestone that will advance the Belt and Road Initiative through stronger academic collaboration and people-to-people exchanges.
Regional academic leaders highlighted the network's role in addressing key pedagogical challenges in Chinese language education. Doctor Ong Swee Kok, dean of the Institute of Chinese Education at New Era University College, and Doctor Teeraparp Predeepoch, dean of the School of Sinology at Mae Fah Luang University, called for stronger international cooperation and the sharing of resources.
Following the Launch Ceremony, the network held its first meeting, where representatives from Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Thailand, and Laos, discussed topics such as integrating artificial intelligence into vocational Chinese curricula and developing localized teaching materials to better align with regional economic demands, particularly in sectors such as tourism and emerging digital fields.
